The labor world., 1919-10-04

The SiSnificane of the strike of
steel workers in the United States
appears to lie rather in it's possibili-
ties than in the issues nominal1y in
vOlved. The dispute. according to the
employers, is over instituting the
"closed shop" in the steel industry;
and according to the employees, over
the right of the workers to bargain
collectively with the employers. So
far there has been no evidence to sup
port the theory that has been ad-
vanced that the struggle partakes of a
revolutionary nature. The organiz-
ers of the strike, to be sure, are men
of radical background, though affili-
ated with the labor union movement
John Fitzpatrick, chairman of the
committee for organizing steel and
iron workers, has been one of the
most advanced leaders in the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, differing
from the conservative leadership par
ticularly in advocating a labor party
in the political field. William z. Eos.
ter was formerly frankly revolution
ary, and separated from the Indus
trial Workers of the World only be-
cause that organization opposed his
policy of joining with the American
Federation of Labor with the purpose
of imposing revolutionary tactics on
the labor union movement by the
process of "boring from within.' But
I no revolutionary purpose has been
announced in connection with this
! strike, which the steel workers claim
| to be an attempt to force recognition
! Of the right to collective bargaining,
one of the most elementary modern
| ideas in industrial relations.
Mr.. Gomper's Attitude.
| The attitude of the federation, as
| expressed by Samuel Gompers, is of
Importance. Mr.. Gompers opposed
the strike being called until after the
national industrial conference, called
/ by President Wilson to meet in Wash
ington in October, had provided an
opportunity to iron out the differ
ences; but now that the men have
gone out in spite of his urgent re-
quest he upholds their position, while
| regretting that they did not wait.
Now, the significance Of what Mr..
Gompers says lies in this fact, that
he is probably the l,lost conservative
labor leader of prominence in the
world today; SO conservative, in fact
that the radicals consider him merely
tool of their enemies, the capital
, ists Yet Mr.. Gompers found it neces-
sary to say to a United States senate
committee the other day: IF you
! knew the conditions in the steel dis
! tricts, you would not blame the men
. murder, assaults, arrests, prohibi'
! ton of holding meetings on privately
owned lots; men dispersed by thugs
! gangsters and detectives; men ar
rested for. holding meetings, brought
| before courts and not permitted tc
! send for friends or to seek counsel
On the same day, Mr.. Gompers, in
| opposing the Cummins railroad bill
S referred to the proposed provision fo1
n a benevolent society among employees
: as the sort of thing the men did not
: want Welfare work, he said could
: not be accepted as a substitute fol
= wages. One of the p1lnclpal points
made by the steel company is that its
: employees are we'll treated and profit
: according to the success of the com
pany and that the strike is being
= forced upon them.
- Other testimony regarding the at
titude of the company toward its EN-
ployes was given some time ago by ar
investigator for the National War La
Dor board, who declared that while
J. steel officials were preaching the gos'
pei of a. greater share of profit anC
>, control of labor, the steel companie:
-, were discharging English-speakins
. employees who organized unions ant
# retained foreign-language employees
- This is in contrast with the assertion
Of steel company officers during thu
present strike that the men who have
Il gone out are mostly aliens "who fal
easy prey to agitators."
IS Gary Is Responsible.
The incident that brought on the
e crisis was the refusal of Judge Elber
% H. Gary of the United States Steel cor
le poration to meet delegation of uniol
1t representatives. Judge Gary, in let
ID ter, gave two reasons for this stand
First, he said, "he did not believe tn
l. gentlemen were authorized to speal
IN for large numbers of our employees.
= This statement Mr. Gompers consd