Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1919-11-08

objection thereto the existence of
large numbers of nom English speak
ing workers in the mills who should
be given opportunity to become
Americanixed.
Z I'VE believe that a large majority
of the men actually working in the
mills work ten and twelve hours a
day" the report said. Men cannot
work ten and twelve hours a day and
attend classes in night schools. An
. eight-hour day with a living wage
that will enable men to support their
, families and bring up their children
according to the standards of Ameri-
can life ought to be a cardinal part
, OF our industrial policy. and the SOON
er the principle is recognized the bet
ter 1T will, be for the entire country"
Gary and Collective Bargaining.
sketching briefly the history of the
steel strike: the report dealt with the
efforts OF strike leaders to get Judge
r. H. Gary. chairman Of the United
states Steel Corporation, into a con-
ference far enough to point out that
committee members felt sympathy
with the principle Of collective bar
gaining. but did not believe the steel
strikers had taken the right course.
The representatives selected (for
Dargaining) should be those who be-
lieve in the principles OF American
government" the report said on this
point. Judge Gary could well have
views of Mr.. Foster. He did not put
MS refusal on that ground, but rather
put 1t on the ground that the men did
not represent the employees. though
himself conceding that 10 to Is per
cent OF the men in the mills were
PROBABLY unionized. 1t seems to US
that even this 10 or Is per cent had
the right to select their own repre-
sentatives and present their griev-
ances. and that they should have been
heard"
Testimony before the committee. the
report said. sustained the contention
OF the steel companies that a large
J proportion of the strikers are for
eigners or nom English speaking peo-
pies.
= Asserts A. F. L. Made Mistake.
Touching on the subject of radical
Ism In the strike, the report said.
The committee is of the opinion that
the American Federation Of Labor has
made q serious mistake and has lost
much favorable public opinion by per-
hitting the leadership of this strike
movement to pass into the hands Of
some who have heretofore entertained
the most radical and dangerous doc
trines"
ing to Foster and Margolis. ARE dan
gerous to the country. and they are
dangerous to the cause of union
labor. 1t is unfair for men who may
be struggling for their rights to be
represented by such leaders. II Mr..
Foster has the real interest of the
laboring man at heart he should re-
move himself from any leadership. If
he will not remove himself from
leadership the American Federation
Of Labor should purge itself Of such
leadership in order to sustain the
confidence the country has had in 1t
under the leadership Of Mr.. Gompers.
Charges Against Courts Discussed.
Dealing tentatively with the charges
by strikers that the civil authorities
and courts of western Pennsylvania
were controlled by the steel compa-
MES against them, the report said:
The action in many cases has been
such as to lead one side Of this con-
troversy to the belief that the officers
of the law were acting on the side of
the steel company. Such q situation
Is unfortunate and helps to breed dis
content AS long as officers are hu-
man beings they will make mistakes.
They should be very careful that in
maintaining the majesty and dignity
Of the law they do nothing to bring
1t into disrespect"
In regard to the suppression of pub
lie meetings in the strike zones, the
committee observed that 1.-THE sup
preston of frank discussion only
serves to accentuate a bad situation.
Onciais ought mot to be permitted to
prevent men from meeting to talk
over their grievances and presenting
TO men their arguments in favor Of
Joining the union"