Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-13
que, New Mexico Monday, October l3, 1919.
SENATORS SPEND
SUNDAY HEARING
STEEL employees
Strikers Are Dissatisfied Witt
Conditions, While Men Who
Are at Work Seem to Be
Very Well Satisfied,

very wen OdllSII6Qr
ICY SosHgNe JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED w,REl w.
Pittsburgh. Pa, Oct 22-Senators
investigating the steel strike situation
spent all this afternoon and part OF
night listening to evidence A big
crowd, filling the United States court
room in the federal building, had TO
be disciplined several times by Chair
man Kenyon for laughing at answers
of witnesses.
Representatives of the strikers de-
voted their efforts to maintaining the
charge that civil authorities. state
troopers and other law officers were
misusing their power to break down
the strike. They centered most of the
testimony around incidents in the
town of Monessen, Westmoreland
county, and officials of the place de-
manded and obtained permission TO be
heard in defense.
The United states Steel corporation
was allowed TO put on before the
committee a group of old, but lower
paid employees who expressed satisfac-
ton with conditlops, hours and wages
Arthur Raymont said he had work
ed thirty-three years in the mills,
raised a family of nine children.
bought a home and was now drawing
the highest pay ne had ever received,
43 cents an hour.
You're a good manager" Senate!
Mcclellan Of Tennessee, told him.
well, we haven't gone hungry yet,
Raymont said "and men don't work
near so hard as they did when |
started"
James Lloyd, another mill veteran,
said he saw no reason why good,
sensible men should be striking now.
{. A. Lighthlll, also OF long service,
considered the ten and twelve hour
day good thing.
Especially for young men," he
added
II saw that Samuel Gompers told
this committee in Washington that
the steel companies hospitals were
like prisons, whore they held men in
communicate, / think he said He's
been badly informed know, be
cause spent some time in the hospi-
tai last fall, and my wife was allowed
to come and even eat dinner with me
once or twice
August Mann, superintendent OF a
employees and said the strike was
rapidly falling
"Out of 4,300 men in the mill, $500
stayed out the first day il was called,
Mann declared. Since then 1,0St
have come back and more return
every day"
Gus kristvioa, Prmerly employed
In the National Tube company mill at
McKeesport, testified he had been dis
charged for joining the union. He
was examined for some time by the
committee on the point his charge
having been denied by steel company
representatives on several occasions,
but he stuck to his assertion, saying
that the foreman had given him the
reason
George f. Colson, former soldier
and an American, followed him with
whole broadside of complaint to make
against the company
II pretty nearly had to go on my
knees to the company to get job
back, though ! was one of the first
fifty men in France" he said. Then
they put me to work in place where
man has hardly any chance for his
life, and whore the grease and the
heat ruin your shoes every week.
They kept me loafing five months
before they gave me that. No, I'm on
strike for eight hours, more wages
and safety first conditions"
Then Attorney w. B. Rubin, repre-
senting the strike committee, centered
his fire on Monessen, and brought III
battery of witnesses, nearly all of
whom used interpreters in part or in
whole. Mrs Andrew Banks, with her
husband, was first called. She
weighed 11S pounds and had been
charged, the pair said. with defying
policeman with n club" Released
on $50 bond after being taken to jail,
when tifey appeared for trial the next
day, they were told that their money
was forfeited. The woman said She
had her baby on her arm when ar
rested and had no club and had said
nothing to the special policeman.
Now, Mr. Rubin,' Senator Walsh
interrupted, "this case ought to be
followed, and if the abuse of these
foreigners Is found to be what they
say it is, the community ought to
straighten it out. There may be an
other explanation, but the impression
ought not to go out among these for
eigners that our laws do not give them
jusice."
Six men, all AuStrianS, teStl1led tnal
they had been arrested in Monessen
between and $50 in the morning
by state policemen and taken to jail,
while there had been asked if they
were going back to work, had refused,
and then had been held under $500
bail to appear before grand jury.
In the lookup a policeman told them
they were to be hanged at o'clock.
All professed they had done nothing.
That's common up in Monessen.
William Feney, strike organizer.
broke in, Throwing men in Jail every
dav for a mere pittance."
The committee adjourned at II p.
m. to meet in Washington at the call
of Chairman Kenyon.