Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1919-10-03
FREE SPEECH IS
SUE--COMPE RS
Head Of A. F. of [. Tells Senators
War Is Only Excuse to
Curb Labor.
STEEL MEN ABUSE WORKERS
Declares Union Employees Have Been
"Dogged" by Detectives Who Tried
to Force Strikes-Open Shop
Misnomer.


Washington, Sept. 29.-The issue in
the nationwide steel strike was defined
by Samuel Gompers, president of the
American Federation of Labor, as
recognition of the right of employees
ito be heard, to organize and to have
some voice in determining conditions
under which they labor"
Appearing as 1abor's second witness
in the senate labor committees investi-
cation of the steel strike, President
Gompers drew from his experiences as
chairman Of the first committee to or
ganize the steel industry and traced
the history of organized labOr's efforts
to unionize the steel workers.
When he finished the committee adj
Journed until next Wednesday, at
which time e. 81. Gary, chairman Of
the United States Steel corporation,
has promised to appear.
1.-THE right to be heard is what the
steel workers are asking above all
else," Gompers said. "The right to
speak with their employers through
their own Representatives, to have
some voice in determining conditions
under which they work.
1.-THE right of workers to association
has been denied, denied with all the
power and influence and wealth OF
the steel corporation, denied by brutal
and unwarrantable means.
1T has been said that most of the
men taking part in this strike are of
foreign birth and not naturalized cit
liens. 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 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.
s'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
men toiling seven days a week, S65
days year. When the shifts changed,
from day to night, they got them work
ing "a hours day.
'sThe right of association, the at
tempt to organize met with the stern
est opposition by the steel corporation.
The appeals coming to US from
their employees we're for help in or
ganizing. But most of the efforts were
slaughtered by the detectives and the
agencies in the company pay. More
than so per cent Of all the private de-
tective agency effort In this country
has been devoted to spying on en-
ployees, in mines and mills. They have
been used as agents provocateurs to
induce men to commit some overt act;
to get them to strike too soon"
I'm the steel industry" he continued,
linen were discharged for merely talk
ing Of organization or for grumbling.
There have been numbers Of men
watched so closely that when they
rented a hall the proprietor was told
to lock the doors against them. Their
meetings on rented ground have been
broken up. The men were run down,
dispersed and some assaulted"
"Can you give instances of that last
practice?' asked Senator Sterling
(Rep.) of South Dakota.
''Yes, at McKeesport" Gompers re-
spon6ed, 'Since this strike the offices
OF the iron and steel workers there
have been closed against them.
II suppose that has been done on
the. theory that collection of crowds
would create disorder" Senator Ster-
ling remarked.
II don't know the theory" Mr.. Com
pers said. ''But do know the pur-
pose. It was to prevent the leaders
from counseling with the men and
making the strike effective"
Only in the event of war, the labor
leader declared, should the rights of
free speech and assembly be restrict
ed. They should not be, he said, for a
''privateering corporation.
II know that many OF the public
authorities in districts of Pennsylvania
are under the direct domination of the
United States Steel corporation" the
declared, pounding the table.
"The whole conduct of the strike in
Pennsylvania shows" Mr.. Gompers as
serted, that whatever helps the cor
poration against the workers will have
the support Of Pennsylvania authori-
ties"