The Mellette County pioneer. [volume] (Wood, Mellette County, S.D.) 19??-1971, 1919-10-03
SENATE ORDERS
STRIKE INQUIRY
Resolution Is Adopted Calling
Gary and Fitzgerald to
Washington.
SITUATION WORRIES SOLONS
Senator Kenyon Says Present Walk
out Seems TO Be First Skirmlsh In
Industrial Warfare and Wants
to Find Out Facts.

Washington, Sept. 26.-Investigation
Of the strike of steel workers with q
view to determining whether federal
remedial action is possible will Be
made here by the senate labor COM
mitte@
Ebert III. Gary, chairman OF the
board Of the United States Steel cor
pOration, and John Fitzpatrick, chair
man Of the committee for the organiZa-
ton Of the sreel workers, were sum
moned by telegraph to testify before
the committee Immediately after the
senate without a roll call adopted a
resolution by Senator Kenyon (Rep.)
of Iowa, authorizing the inquiry.
Senator Kenyon, who Is chairman OF
the Investigating committee, said a
quick inquiry was planned so that a
report could be made TO the senate
without delay.
Before the Kenyon resolution was
adopted Senator Thomas (Dem.) of
Colorado, introduced one opposing
strikes and declaring that the senate
views with concern" the labor situa-
ton. Senator Thomas announced that
he planned to make an address on the
resolution, which declares that a man
has a constitutional right to follow
any calling and hat the so-called
"closed shop" is "un-American and
detrimental to American freedom"
The Kenyon resolution was dis
cussed briefly. Several senator's ex-
pressed concern over the general in
dustrial situation.
"This strike seems to be the first
skirmish In industrial warfare" said
Senator Kenyon. "Let us face 1T and
find out the facts"
Publicity, Senator Kenyon and 9TH
err members said, might be helpful.
The senator explained that his resolu-
ton was in the interest of neither the
employers nor the employees, but the
public.
The Kenyon resolution was indorsed
by Senator Knox (Rep,) OF Pennsyl-
vania, Owen CDem.) of Oklahoma, and
Norris (Rep.) of Nebraska. Senator
Thomas said he did not oppose tie In
v~estigation. but doubted that it would
bring results. Senator Smith CDem.)
of South Carolina said he vas con-
cerned that congress should be called
upon to fix industrial relations, believ-
ing it tended toward socialism.
Senator Knox said that If reports
that steel workers or strike were large
ly foreign born were true, there should
be an Investigation by congress to de-
termine the basis of the governments
policy In the future.
Senator Thomas said the refusal Of
Mr.. Gary to receive representatives
of the workers was 'unjustified and
unwise." and that the strike was zone
Of the developments that will put
American institutions to their sunreme
test"
While the senate was ordering Its
inquiry. Representative Cooper (Rep.)
Of Youngstown, O., a steel center.
sharply criticized William Y. Foster,
secretary of the labor organization
committee, as an /. w. w. and extrem-
list and charged that both the Amer
lean Federation of Labor and similar
organizations were being dominated,
not by l%aw-abiding citizens, but by
these radical sO-called labor leaders.
who would overthrow our govern
ment."
Cooper and Foster had previously
been active in Europe as an American
agent for the I. w. w. and added that
Fosters writings in a pamphlet emit
tied "Syndicalism" "show his unfitness
as a labor leader and disqualify him
for the name of an American citizen
and protection Of the American flag"