New Britain herald., 1919-09-25
55O,OO0 MEN ASK DECENT JUSTICE
(Continued from First Page)
Organization Is Explained.

"Why was it incumbent on the Am
 erican Federation of Labor to organ
 fze the steel industry? ?" Senator Jones % asked.
 "tt was a bad spot in the industrial 8situation," Fitzpatrick replied. "In the steel industry the hours are long, the wages small and the treatme ent-you can't describe the treatment" These conditions, he added, led oth- & CT large employers to consider impos- ing similar conditions on their em-
 ployes and so for the benefit of or
 ganized workers everywhere in the country, organization of the steel in dustry was deemed essential by the leaders of the labor movement. 5OO,OOO Men Employed. How many men are employed in I steel mills?" asked Senator Kenyon. S"We figure about 5O0,0O0," Fitzpatrick
 replied,
 Continuing his statement, Fitzpat- &rick said the steel corporation finally Esave assurances that it would establish 3hevS hour day, but the steel workers paid no attention.
 Demands kept coming from Youngstown and Pittsburgh that or ganizers be sent to help them,' lie 1 said. '"The first opposition was met in MCKeespOrt. We were told there ] wo could have no meetings in rented I halls or lots.
 'We went to McKeesport and put the 'matter before the city authorities. The mayor said we could not meet there and the city council said the mayor had full authority This was in October, 1918, Fitzpat- rick said. and the issue was brought to Washington
 "Presdent Gompers of the Ameri- can Federation of Labor wrote the mayor" he continued, and the gov ernor of Pennsylvania. There was no ! answer"
 Everywhere the organizers went they met opposition, Fitzpatrick said. But We went on as best we Could," he added, "holding meetings in the outskirts of cities and elsewhere, and the men came and signed up. By l May we had something over S0.000 men in the various districts. These l men wanted to take immediate action, but we prevailed upon them to wait until other points were organized" Gary Turns Deaf Ear. The first effort to obtain d confer I ence with Judge Gary was made last May, the witness said. This was by the tin workers.
 "They received an answer stating that the corporation would not meet ! the representatives of labor, but would do best as they had in the past" said Fitzpatrick. After the steel situation had been discussed at the convention, last June, of the American Federation of Labor, President Gompers wrote to Chairman Gary, Fitzpatrick, said, adding:
 Letter Was Ignored. That letter was ignored, abso- B iutely. There was no reply" In continuing the steel workers or 1 Ganization Fitzpatrick said, the union organizers were Jailed and opposed in every possible way Finally on July 20. he said the "A steel union representatives decided to take a strike vote of the men. "The organizations responded unan- imCusly," the witness continued, and OH August we had reports that 9S Lper cent of the members of the unions were able to get an expression through their representatives to call R strike if they were unable to get Nconference with the corporation heads"
 Did you have the total number of men who voted on the striker" asked Senator Wolcott, democrat, Delaware.
 "No, each union took it's own NOtc."
 'Did you have any figures to show
 the number of men who voted in each
 union ?"
 ''No, we did not get them. Each union got it's own figures and report
 ed whatever per cent had voted for
 the strike. The average of the 24
 unions was 9S per cent"
 More Men Join.
 Fitzpatrick said 100000 men out
 Of 5O0,00 in the steel industry were
 in. union when the strike vote was
 taken, but added that when the .s workers 'saw hope, 50,000 nfore IHcined."
 Asked as to the number now affili-