Norwich bulletin., 1919-09-25

The third day Of the great steel strike passed without either capital O. labor having made any apparent materia! gains Last nie.-t attention was being focused on Washington. where the inquiry into the industrial struggle by the senate Ia DOT commit tee is tO open today.
 From their respective headGuarters, industrial leaders and directors of the St-ike issued their usual conflicting sta. dement's, which left still in doubt inc exact number of workers who have walked out William z Foster. secre- y.rE of the strikers national commit rec claimed that in the various steel ceutc-S. 15 900 more men had abandon cd their posts bringing the total to S43. GOO. but in the crucial Pittsburgh district. officials of the United States steel Corporation and several -inde pcndents- asserted that the stream of labor had turned and was flowing in- to the mills.
 According to reports from Pitts bur-h where union Ia Dor leaders held a general barley 10 consider conduct of Inc strike. manages of the plants are seeking now to take the offensive. Not content with merely holding what forces remain with them, they are said to be trying to induce wavering strikers to return. On the other hand labor's recruiting forces are not in- 'ganizers from the mine workers union have been called to reinforce agents of the steel workers union in enrolling non-union workers.
 Despite the prediction of Mfr. Eos ter that through the work of these orEs nizers. the strikers will he able gradually to shut down all the inn portant works in the Pittsburgh dis trict- employers of labor claimed that yesterday they had been able to in crease production in aH important plants including those in Homestead Csirfnu- Braddock. Duquesne and the Pift ~hurEh city mills of the Carnegie Company.
 AS in Pittsburgh the situation in Chicago also was clouded by con niictinE reports The industry in that section though crippled by the clos Ing of many plants. was br no means additions had bcen made to the re- duced forces with which they were continuing operation-
 Tn the Youngstown district where advances were claimed by the strik- CTS the strike spread yesterday to fahricatln- plants two of which were closed as was the Youngstown Press cd Steel Company. Paralysis of pro- ed by idle7ess of A 900 workers con ttnues, every plant being closed
 200 Men Vote to Return to Work. nouncerent hy the general man ger of the Canton SneeI Steel Company that his men numbering 1900 had voted 10 return to work
 In the Colorado district plants of the Colorado Fuel and Iron Company m Pueblo which closed Aondax re- main idle. and according to officials VIII make no effort to oerate with strike ebreakers
 Yesteday was marked by a sharp oecrease in violence. Although rioting occurred in CIeveIa nd order. reipned in Buffalo. N Y, and Pittsburgh, New castle and Farrell, Pa. the storm
 On the heels of these riots came charges from strike headquarters that m Buffalo the trouble had been fin cited by hired detectives" for the purpose of bringing in the state con stabulatory and breaking the ranks of the strikers Governor Smith would 5e asked to order an investigation, T was announced
 complaint sent by Mir Foster to Governor Sproul of Pennsylvania con c=rnirg the action of the state police l0 oISpersing crowds in steel towns 1rousht rom the governor q reply that he had been informed "daneerous ana evil disposed persons at points in olherstates were preparing to col lect armed mobs to come across the state line to attack our citizens and destroE their property" and that sucn Tnobs would be treated as arn1ed in Naders of Pennsylvania"
 An attack on methods which he said hao been employed in the past by steel companies was made yesterday hv Samuel Gompers president of tbs American Federation of Labor. who m addressing the senate interstate committee on the Cumnins ra iIroa d oliI' referred to the steel strike. charg- ing murder assault. arrest of men prohibition of meetings on rented grounds and workers dispersed by mugs sangsters adn detective crooks en pioyed by the companies"
 ec -r-TrT hEht Of strikers in the Pittsburgh dis trict for the right of free speech and aSsembiage, John Fitzpatirick. chair man or the national committee for or carlz1nE iron and steel workers an nounced last night after the confer ence of labor leaders in that city