Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-09-25
THOMAS IS SEVERE In
CRITIClSING WALk0UT
Says 1t Was Called On the
''FIimSiest Excuse" and
Brands Existing Conditions
as Almost Civil War
tsr NO ,S,sa JOURNAL ,rs-,AL LEASED war;

| dilCeS from JOnn FITZPATRICK. cndll-
man of the strikers organization COM
mittee, that he would be on hand to
present "labor's side" OF the contro-
versy
While members of the committee
| were engaged in making final plans
F.! for the hearing, Senator Thomas, dem
| ocrat, colorado, in an address on the
| floor of the senate. criticised the
strike in bitter terms, declaring it had
ueen called on the "tlimsiest excuse, .
| that its principal object was TO ais
turb and bedeWl industrial condi-
! tons and that the participation Of
| hundreds of thousands of men in
strikes throughout the country be-
comes almost civil war
Primary objects OF the senate in.
vestigaton, Senator Kenyon said to-
day, will be the setting forth before
the public of the real causes and OBJ
jects of the strike. Fitzpatrick. as
well as Chairman Gary of the United
states Steel corporation. who IS TO APP
pear Wednesday. according to Senator
Kenyon's plan of procedure, first will
be asked tor a detailed statement ana
then be subjected to cross -eXamina-
1t is hoped to complete the inquiry
and return report to the senate
within fortnight.
To Dig into All Details.
Senator Kenyon holds the hope that
the investigation, in its enlightenment
of the public, may affect the progress
of the strike. The committee intends
to learn. from both sides Of the dis
pute, exactly how many men and
plants are affected, how many steel
employees are union men and how
many non-union, what per cent re-
main '1oyaF'; what collateral unions
and industries are involved and what
conditions Immediately led to the
strike, Committee members also are
much Interested in learning what per
cent of the strikers are foreign born.
1t was also stated today by mem
bers of the committee that Il IS pro-
posed to investigate the failure of ne
gotiattons to avert the strike-why 1t
was not postponed at President Will
sons request and why Judge Gary re-
fused to deal with the strike organ
izers.
Relations of the leaders to- the
strikers personnel also are to be in
quired into.
Fitzpatrick telegram to Senator
Kenyon today indicated that he would
be accompanied by other representa-
tives of the strikers. Testimony of
all other witnesses may be deferred,
however. after Fitzpatrick's appear
ance until Judge Gary is heard.
Hearings Open TO Public.
Fitzpatrick is expected to take the
stand at 10 o'clock tomorrow. One of
the largest rooms in the senate office
building has been obtained for the
hearings, which will be open to the
public
Senator Thomas criticised labor
leaders for calling a steel strike. Re-
ferring to the refusal of strike leaders
to postpone the strike until after the
labor conference called next month by
President Wilson. Senator Thomas
said:
Il believe the principal object of
calling the strike at this time was to
so disturb and bedevil industrial con-
ditiors as to force the hands of the !
presidents conference and compel it |
to yield to the extreme demands of !
those extremists who now have the |
upper hand"
Basing his address on his resolution !
which denounces strikes Of violence |
and declares the CLOSED shou to be |
n-American. Senator Thomas assert /
ed that the strike was called on the
flimsiest excuse''-the refusal OF |
Chairman Gary of the United States |
Steel corporation 10 meet the union |
Regrets Gary's Refusal.
"If not that, some other excuse
would have been resorted to-" said |
the COLORADO senator, who added that |
he regretted Judge Gary's refusal to
talk things over with the mems rep
Referring to reports that 211 strikls
are in progress in the country and i
others threatened, Mr..
Thomas asserted that no strikes could
be successful without violence,
THE spectacle of hundreds of
thousands of mensengaged in such en-
terprise becomes almost civil war"
he declared tThe situation practic-
ally is one of war and the innocent
bystander-the vast majority of ,the
people-bear all the perils and bur-
lens of this intolerable situation.
This steel strike is not movement
sprung up nor suddenly con-
,eived. 1t was planned before the war
" pNtui NHtu were idNOF-
lble.
There are no grievances involved
n this strike" Mr.. Thomas continued,
which are not ex-post-defacto, 1t is ]
tated that this IS strike for power. |
The leaders propose to enforce their
will upon great industries so that it
will lead to the closed shop"
Labor Should Use Lawful Means.
In Colorado Mr. Thomas said the
nen of the Colorado Fuel and Iron !
ompany were not denied conference !
With the employers but were invited 9
o confer and presented no grievance r
Incapable of adjustment. In the midst t
I the Colorado conference. he said, s
he men suddenly received the new
en1ands of Secretary Foster of the
eneral strike committee. a