Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1919-09-23
Says 2S4,000 Out.

Pittsburgh, Pa, Sept. 22.-The opening o1 the strike Tn the iron and steel industry of the United States found both sides in the strug- gle claimed the advantage after the first days skirmlsh. The United States Steel corporation, against made, was able to operate most of it's plants in the Pittsburgh district, according to officials of that con cern. They expressed confidence that in view ot the fact that the steel workers did not cause a gen eral tie-up they would have more men at work on the second day than the first.
 The union leaders at headquar ters of the National Committee of the Steel Workers, declared that they were highly pleased with the answer made by the thousands of organized and unorganized men en- gagged in the industry, William Z. Poster, secretary of the national committee, predicted that the inten- sive campaign to unionize the plants not only of the steel corporation, but independents as well, would result in bringing many more thousands out on strike.
 Secretary Foster gave out figures based, he said, on reports recelved from union leaders in all steel dlS- tricts of the country, indicating that approximately 284,OO0 men out of the half million engaged in the in dustry answered the strike call. In Pittsburgh district alone, he l'aid, Fl ,00O men were out.
 While corporation officials re- trained from going into figures, their statement did not agree in any particular with the figures issued by Secretary Foster. It was claimed in some quarters that not more than 15.OOO workers in this district an sWered the call. It was admitted by officers of the Carnegie company the steel corporations largest subsidiary here. that some of the plants were short handed, but that sufficient men reported on the day and night shifts to permit all of it's important mills in the district to operate al- most at 100 per cent.
 Furnaces Crippled.
 , It was admitted also by steel of 1 ficials that furnaces were in some l instances badly crippled by failure l of enough men to report. Where this occurred, the furnaces were 1 banked and the men who reported 1 were concentrated on other furnaces 1 No man was sent home, but was given something to do, if he cared to work, officials said. In the city o1 ] Pittsburgh, the steel corporations l plants were fully manned, It was | given out.
 At Homestead, Duquesne, and | Braddock, where the steel corpor- ation has immense plants, there was sharp conflict of claims as to tho l effectiveness of the strike. The 1 Carnegie company, through a repre- sentative, said that little difficulty was experienced in operating ths works, at those places. This was de- nied by Secretary Foster and orga- J nizers sent into those places. MT Foster claimed there were 9,ooo meh on strike at the Homestead works | the scene or several UilCeI ioooi struggle in years past.
 The company said that was moi true, as there were not more mef employed there than 5000, and thai the works was not crippled.
 I Mir. Foster said his reports show ed 5000 men idle at Braddock ant 12,OOO in all the plants at Mckees | oort and Duu1aSne
 There were many idle men noticed
 on the streets of Homestead, Me
 Keesport, Duquesne. and Braddocl
 during the day, but whether the.
 were strikers or men working nlgh
 shifts could not be determined.
 According to officials of the Jone
 and Laughlin Steel company, tha
 concern was but little inconvenience
 by the strike today. Virtually a
 reports from the side of the employ CTS mentioned that the great mapol ity of strikers were foreign-bor and that generally speaking, tn American-born workers did not It