Evening star., 1919-09-26
right TO Be HEARD
MAIN STRIKE ISSUE,
|. GOMPERS ASSERTS
Says Steel Workers Demand
Voice as to Conditions I'm
der Which They Toll.
DENIED THIS, HE TELLS
SENATE COMMITTEE
Holds Companies Responsible for
Majority Of Employees Being
Foreigners.

JSAAsy Va ASAAPAoJVO OVAA6
Foreigners.
The right Of the employees to have
some voice in determining the condi-
tion under which they work Is the para
mount issue in the strike OF the steel
workers. Samue. Gompers. president of
the American Federation Of Labor. told
the Senate investigating committee to-
day. Appearing as the second witness
for labor. Mr.. Gompers was first asked
ty Chairman Kenyon to define the issues
in the controversy.
Ask Right to Be Heard.
1.-The right to be heard is what the
steel workers are asking above all else.
Gompers said. 'The right to speak
representatives, to have some voice in
determining conditions under which they
work.
1.-THE right of workers to association
has been denied-denied with the power
and influence and wealth Of the steel
warrantable means.
''It has been said that most Of the
men taking part in this strike are Of
foreign birth and not naturalized citt-3
xens. That may be and no doubt is
true. The largest proportion OF steel
corporation employees are of foreign
birth, but these men were brought here
by the companies.
There was for years a systematic
effort to bring in these gangs from
Europe. There was a systematic eff
fort to eliminate Americans. They
have a harvest to reap now. These
steel companies brought about the
state of which they now complain.
stHours Always Long"
.Under the efforts of the steel COR
poration the hours of labor were al
ways abnormally long. They never
seemed satisfied until they had their
days yesr. When the shifts changed.
from day TO night they got them
worktngS entY- four hours . day.
'The right Of association. the att
tempt to organiSeyuhAs always met
with the sternest opposition by the
.Thg sfpeaIs coming To- US froni
their employees were for help In or
RanizinE. 4 But most Of the effofto
were Slaughtered by the detecttveq
and the agencies In the company pay.
More than so per cent of all the pr1S
yate detective agency effort in this
country has been devoted to spytnE
on employees In mines and mills. TheT
have been used as agent provocateu4o
to induce men to some overt act. ~
get them to strike too soon."
Tells Of Dogging.
AS he described the "dogging Of
employees by detectives Gompers eua-
phasized. his words by pounding fres
. "In the steel industry" he contin-
ued. men were discharged for merely
talking Of organization or for grum-
bling.
.aThere have been numbers Of men
watched SO closely that when they
to lock the doors against them. Their
meetings on rented ground have been
broken up. The men were run DOWN
dispersed and some assaulted.
Gives an Instance.
.Can you give instances Of that last
practice?" asked Senator Sterling, re-t
publican, South Dakota:
"Yes, at McKeesport," Gompere re-
sponded. "Since this strike the Of
fices of the iron and steel workers
there have been closed against them.
."I suppose that has been done on
the theory that collection of crowds
would create disorder" Senator Ster-
ling remarked.
Il don't know the theory" Mr..
Gompers said. But I do know the
purpose. It was to prevent the Lead
ers from counseling with the men and
making the strike effective"
leader declared. should the rights Of
free speech. and assembly be restricts
ed They should not be. he said. for p
"privateering corporation.
"Public officials Controlled"
II know that many of the public
authorities in districts Of Pennsyi-
yania are under the direct domination
of the United States Steel Corpora-
tion," the witness declared, pounding
the table.
."The whole conduct of the strike in
Pennsylvania shows" Mr.. Gompere
asserted, that whatever helps the
corporations against the workers viii
have the support of Pennsylvania au-
that it proposes to run under the mis-
nomer the so-called open shop, but
with all their power they have tried
to keep a closed shop-closed against
the union. closed against union men.
"In response to the many requests
for organization from the men we.
sent a few agents into the field some
years ago. They were arrested. drfv-
en- out of the towns, one of them 80
that he died. That was
four or Ave years ago, He was JEFF
ferson Davis Pierce of Worcester
Mass
Describes Organization.
Gompers told of the final decisionx
of the American Federation OF Labor
in 1918 to organize the men and de-
scribed the methods used to finance
the work. ss
"You have dealt with the policy of {
the steel companies trying to exclude-'
union men," said Senator Phipps, res
publican, Colorado. 'Is the policy Of
the unions to try to exclude nom
union men? "
1T is the policy of the unions to
try to organize all workers." Gompers
said. adding that in all his experi-ss
ence he had never known of a work.
union of his craft"
Quotes Mr. Wilson Of 1909.
Senator Phipps read statement byf
woodrow Wilson in 1908 In which Mr..
Wilson said he was "a fierce partisan q
OF the open shop" and that the press
to "give as little as possible"
Il think 1t is as unfair to quote Dr.
Wilson of 1909 as 1t fs to hold up
of W.. Foster, secretary
Of the steel unions committee, made
ut that time, and since disavowed. ana
say they represent his attitude now.
fsesy 80 -. s1<s. $. .<<,.. i,...st