The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-09-22
FEW DISTURBANCES
IN THE EARLY HOURS
Large Numbers of Guards
Were on Hand in the Va
rious Sections and Protec-
ton Will Be Given as Far
as Possible to the Men
Who Keep at Work.

The preliminary skirmish in the great
industrial struggle which opened to-day
between the labor unions and the United
States Steel corporation, which directly
or indirectly affects half a million wage
earners, produced the usual conflicting
claims by the generals on both sides.
In the great strategic centers of the
struggle, the Chicago and Pittsburgh
districts, many thousands of workers
obeyed the strike order, but early re-
ports stated that comparatively few
plants had been compelled to close. At a
large number of the outlying points Of
ficials of the smaller plants reported
they were operating as usual.
Ebert H. Gary, chairman of the board
of directors of the steel corporation, re-
fused to make any comment ON the
situation.
Secretary Foster of the steel workers
union issued statement expressing sat
isfaction with the outlook and claiming
that reports from outside the Pittsburgh
district showed that the shutdown was
general.
An important feature of the situation
was the announcement by representa-
tives Of the $4,000 workers employed by
the Bethlehem Steel company that these
men would not join the strike pending
an attempt to obtain conference with
the company officials.
Some of the blast furnaces in the
Pittsburgh district were banked, but the
majority of the plants were in operation,
although admittedly with forces reduced
from IS per cent to GO per cent. In the
Chicago district, including Gary and
Hammond, where 10000 steel workers
are employed, similar conditions were
reported. At Cleveland the union lead
ers claimed that $1,000 men were out
and that 10 mills Of the American Steel
g. Wire company, numbering 5000 men,
were closed,
At 0hio's second greatest steel center,
Youngstown, the strike leaders also
claimed that the great majority of the
workers had struck, and at Steuben-
vile, where three plants of the Carnegie
Steel company are located, it was as
serted that all three had been forced to
suspend operations
At the less important points in Ohio
and Pennsylvania, including Portsmouth,
Warren, Canton, Toledo, Columbus, Lo-
raine, POttsville, Reading and Harris
burgh, officials of the various plants an
nounced that their men had remained
loyal and that operations were in full
swing. One notable exception was Johns
town, Pa, where r2,ooo men were report
ed to have struck.
Outside the great pivotal states of In
diana, Ohio and Pennsylvania, conditions
were reported nearly normal, with few
important exceptions. At Buffalo, where
the great independent plants of the
Lackawanna Steel company are located,
the union chiefs claimed that 70 per
cent of the workers had obeyed the
strike call. At Wheeling, W. Va, it was
asserted that 1000 men were idle and
the Colorado Fuel Il Iron companYS
plant at Pueblo, Colo, was closed down
when its 1000 employees walked out,
Plants of the American Steel & Wire
company at Worcester, Mass, were not
affected.
The mills of the Illinois Steel company
at South Chicago were closed, the unions
estimating that es per cent of the 1900
u,er m +ha dau shift had sfrrtck