Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1919-09-25
Senate Investigation
OF Strike Under WAY
(continued frono Mace I

iederal government was opened today
with John Fitzpatrick. chairman Of
ne union committee conducting the
strike, as the, first witness before the
and labor committee.
Fitzpatrick was late in arriving
from Pittsburgh and hurried to the
COMMITTEES room, which was crowded
W1n senators, representatives and
others Interested. He was accom-.
panied by William Rubin, counsel tor
the steel strikers, who. at the outset,
what assurance had been given
ny Judge Ebert H. Gary, chairman Of
the board of the United States Steel
corporation. that he would appear be.
Tore the committee next Wednesday.
Senate Kenyon replied that Judge
Gary had telephoned him that he
would be present Wednesday, and
added that until that time we viii
not question his being here"
Wants CORRESPONDENCE,
Ruhln requested that the commit
tee place in the record: correspond
ence between Joseph P. Tumulty; sec
Gampers, president Of the American
Federation Of Labor, and Chairman
Fitzpatrick regarding efforts TO post
pone the strike. Senator Kenyon
asked Rubin to read the kilograms
letters which already have been
puDllShed. .Esa
Fitzpatrick opened his statement
with what he said was a brief his
tory OF labor conditions in the steel.
Witt the creation Of the steel cor
poration a~Ncampaign was begun with
the objecLof pushing organized work.
ers out Of the mills" he said. "A
sreat SUM of money. I~sdon't know
whsther It was 32.ooo,ooo or So.
oc0 600, was appropriated. In recent
years labor has begun to realize the
tremendous importance of the steel
industry and its influence on other in
dustriee.
While we were getting the eight
hour day and better working condt.
IONS elsewhere the steel mills still op.
Grated with very long hours and with
wage below the proper line. Labor
u~nderstood> then the necessity of orr
eanlzing the steel industry for the
the others andia t Tia elst two con.
yentions of the fc,~ alton Of labor
the step was authol led"
fitzpatrick said representatives OF
z4slnkernationAl unions affiliated with
the American Federation of Labor
met In Chicago about a year ago and
ea1ected a campaign committee to or
Ean1ze the steel workers. Samuel
Gompers was elected chairman and
William q. Foster secretary. Men and
money, the witness said, were : as
semeled. but funds were so limited
that the initial organization efforts
were confined to the Calumet district,
including Chicago and Gary, Ind.
Looked For Relief.
The men in the steel mills" Fitz-
patrick continued. were looking for
relief. They had no hope. They re-
In 1Rr0A ryg0ahArn 500 u -~~.
only q short time until we had a very
successful organization"
Up to that time there had been no
untonkam in the steel mills asked
Chairman Kenyon.
No Fitzpatrick replied About
that tims-Cctober, 1918. the ateel
operation a resorting TOY every
the men or Of the labor organization
to spread their influence. They an
bounced sstahlishmsnt Of tho eight
hour day and we knew that was an
short to. prevent, our organization,
Senator Jones, Democrat, New
Mexico, asked whether the employees
bad made application TO tho American
F~sdefation q Labor for Organization
Or whather The movement had been
initiated by the American Federation
The American Federation Of Lab
Or initiated the movement" Fitzpat-
replied.
Wa there no movement Of the
men inviting the organization? !" asked
Senator Jones.
No, only as the i mst In differ
ent localities and expressed their de-
sires."'
Why wac Ii incumbent on the
American Federation OF Labor to o.
santze the steel Industry" senator