The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-09-13
II sj<
STEEL !, WORKERS
ORDER STRIKE
Men Decided to Walk Out Be-
fore End of Month AS Had
Been Arranged
WILSON'S EFFORT FOR
COMPROMISE FAILED
Union Representatives Refuse
to Accept Suggestion For
Postponement of Strike

Washington, Sept. 1O.-ReSa:dless
Of the request CT President wilson
that they take no action pending the
coming industrial conference, repre-
sentatives Of organized workers IN the
steel industry late today called
strike. effective September %. to COM
pei recognition of their unions and
of the principle Of collective bar
gaining by the tied States Steel
Corporation.
The executive council Of % unions
represented them among the WORKERS
made known their decision in an an
nouncement issued after they had re-
ouested the president by telegraph for
a more definite statement" as to tho
possibilities of arranging conference
with steel corporation officials ana at
Ter they had received d reply frola the
president asking that they withhold
action until after the Industrial COZ
ference. The presidents telegram was
not made public by the union heacs
but it's context became known IN
Washington to-ight through press dis
patches In their statement the eXecu-
tive council merely said they had not
been advised that the efforts OF the
president had been any more success
ful'' than the efforts OF the men.
Union officials firmly refused to In
dulge in any speculation regarding
the extent Of the strike. Though a
declaration attributed to Judge Gary
Of the steel corporation, that the
steel workers were not more than 10
per cent organized was ridiculed as
erroneous. The steel corporation was
said to employ about 100000 per-
sons and the entire industry nearly
400, ,o00. In some places, it was said,
the men are 95 per cent. organized,
aid at virtually all mills organizers
have been active for weeks and still
are working to obtain recruits for the
unions.
This campaign Of organization un-
ion officials has been opposed visor-
ously by the mill owners, who were
said to have adopted every possible
method to defeat it. Claims were
made that at least 100000 men in the
Pittsburgh district, 100000 in the
Chicago district and $4,000 in scat
tered areas employed by 'independ-
ents" as well-as by the steel corpor-
alton had been brought into the union
and would answer the call by drop
ping their tools. In addition, union
officials said the strike would have
wide ramifcations by its effec: on
other industries.
Evidence of the bitterness in the
relations between the unions and the
steel mills was seen in allegations
made in the statement by the union
heads announcing the strike. Seven
union members md organizers, the
statement saie lad hee.l Killed
recently by the armed guards and
thugs employed by the companies.
On Board President Wilson's Spe-
cial Train, Sept. 10.-President VIII
son today, through Secretary Tumul-
y, sent a telegram to Samuel Comp
ers urging the steel men to postpone
their threatened action until after the
forthcoming industrial conference is
held at Washington.
|. At the same time ne telegraDhed
Louis Erownlow, president Of the
board OF commissioners Of the Dis
trict of Columbia. asking him to post
pone action against the police OF
Washington. D. c., who recently join
ed q union affiliated with the Amerl-
can Federation OF Labor and who
were ordered to give up their affilia-
ton by today under pain of dismissal,
until after the Industrial conference.
The two kilograms follow:
sHon. Samuel Gompers, President Of
the American Federation OF Labor,
Washington, D. C.
I'm view Of the difficulty of ar
ranging any present satisfactory me-
diation with regard to the steel sit
uatiCn, the president desires to urga
upon the steel men through you IN
wisdom and desirability Of postponinG
action of any kind until after the
forthcoming industrial conference at
Washington.
(Signed) %"J. P. Tumulty."
Hon. Louis Brownlow, Commission
er Of the District Of Columbia,
Washington, D. c.
The president suggests the great
advisability of postponing any issue
regarding the police situation until
after the forthcoming industrial con-
ference at Washington and hopes that
the postponement can be effected.
(Signed) u. p. TGmulty.