The sun., 1919-09-18
DEBATE ALL EVENING
Conference Against Defer
ment Until Wilson Labor
Meeting Oct. 6.
GARY's sTANDUNCHANGED
Says Open Shop Is Only Thing
for U. s. Steel Corporation
and the Country.
Rpsciai Desrcfch 10 TuE Sur.

PITTsBUsG, Sept. 17.--"Unless Gary
comes forward with the olive branch
the strike of iron and steel workers
called for next Monday will 20 on as
scheduled" was the parting shot of
John Fitzpatrick, chairman of the
National Committee for Organizing
Iron and Steel Workers, rs he en-
tered the meeting chamber Of the
executive committee of the American
Federation Of Labor in the MoLon-
gahela House here this afternoon.
Mr.. Fitzpatrick was called hers TO
day to take up the details of the pro-
posed strike and perfect plans for tine
waging Of a fight against iron and
steel concerns which refuse the right
OF collective bargaining. an eight hour
day and improved working conditions
to their employees.
HAS Samuel Gompers the power to
call Off the strike pending the con-
ference between labor and capital mr.
ranged by President Wilson," Mr..
Fitzpatrick was asked.
"Mr. Gompers is the President of
the American Federation of Labor,
but I can't see that any one has the
power to call off this strike after
the membership voted to have 1t.
| Decisive on strike Plans.
"That Is not what we came to
| Pittsburg for. We are here to con-
duct this strike, and the business Of
this committee Is to arrange plans to
carry 1t through. How long the com
mittee will be in session / do not
know. It all depends on what comes
| before the delegation"
With the words of Mr.. Fitzpatrick
! still fresh in mind the correspondent
for THE SUN approached the head of
one Of the largest and most powerful
metal working unions in the world
with these questions:
"What will the committee do in
the event of Mr.. Gompers's making IA
request for a postponement of the
strike until after the labor conference
at Washington on October g. as Presi-
dent Wilson has suggested?"
| "YOu are pretty safe in saying that
1t will be postponed" was the reply
of the labor leader.
Don't make any mistake in this.
II Mr.. Gompers sees at to make Il
personal entry into this fight he will
come mighty near gaining his point"
The labor leader was then asked:
J ut has been stated by some union
heads here to-day that they believed
Mr.. Gompers would eventually be
called on for the last word In the
strike matter. Is that so?"
j Sentiment as to waIkout.
"Well, you have had the opportu-
I nifty to talk with many of the commit
tee members here to-day. 1t is pos
sible you have noticed an undercur-
rent Of feeling in the matter, and I'll
leave 1t to your good judgment as to
what that undercurrent Indicated"
was the reply.
Several members of the committee
expect Intervention by Mr.. Gompers.
None would admit that he would
come out fiatfnoted against the wishes
, of Mr.. Gompers should he come for
/ ward at the eleventh hour with a
request for a postpOnement of the
strike.
The. committee which went into
executive session at o'clock this
afternoon continued debating until a
late hour this evening, when one by
/ one they left the meeting room for
| their hotels. After the meeting had
| been adjourned W. 2. Foster, secre-
| tary OF the committee, announced that
there was nothing to give out to-
/ night"
Unions at the Meeting.
The following unions were repre-
sented at to-day's gathering: Black
smiths. boilermakers and iron ship
builders brick and clay workers,
bricklayers, plasterers and masons,
bridge and structural iron workers,
foundry employees, iron, steel and tin
workers. machinists. metal pollshers,
mine. mill and smelter workers, mold
| ers, pattern makers, plumbers and
steamfitters, quarry workers, railway
car men, seamen. sheet metal workers,
stationary firemen. steam and operat-
ing engineers, steam shovel and
| dredgemen and switchmea.
Both Mr.. Foster and Mr.. Fitzpatrick
refused to comment on the letter
which Judge Gary sent to the presi-
dents OF the subsidiary companies OF
I the United States Steel Corporation
and which was made public to-day. II
was stated that an answer TO the letter
| is being drafted tonight and will ba