Republican farmer., 1919-09-26
Fitzpatrick Takes Stand In Senate To
 Defend Steel Strike
Is First Witness to Ap- pear i'll Government Investigation Which Will Determine What Can Be Done to Rem edy Situation.

Washington, Sept. 25-Even should the U. s. Steel Corpor- alton consent to meet repre- sentatives of the men, the na- tion-wide strike of steel work CTS could not now be called off, in the opinion of John Fitzpat- rick, Chairman of the strikers committee, as expressed today at the opening of the Senate Labor Committees investiga- ton of the strike.
 'The 35O,OOO men on strike, Fitzpatrick declared, "are go- ing to demand from the U. s. government, justice, decent justice"
 Fitzpatrick was late in arriving from Pittsburgh. He was accompa- nied by William H. Rubin, counsel for the steel strikers, who, at the outset of the hearing, asked what as- surance had been given by Judge FL bert H. Gary, Chairman of the board of the |. s. Steel Corporation, that he would appear before the commit tee next Wednesday.
 Senator Kenyon replied that Judge | Gary had telephOned him that he would be present Wednesday and add l ed that until that time we will not l question his being here.'' T211hiT7 ran1eStpd 1 tee place in the record correspon- 1 dence between J. P. Tumulty, Secre- | tary to the President; Samuel Comp l CTS, President of the American F.Od- | eration of Labor, and Chairman Fitz- patrick, regarding efforts to post l pone the strike. Senator Kenyon asked Rubin to read the telegrams | and letters, which already have been published.
 Fitzpatrick opened his statement with what he said was a brief history i of labor conditions in the steel in 1 dustry.
 ] With the creation of the steel cor ' poration, a campaign was begun with the object of pushing organized | workers out of the mills,'' he said. "A | great sum of money, I don't know whether it was $2.OOO, 900 or $2O, O,OOO,-
 
 ! years labor has begun to realize the tremendous importance of the steel in- dustry and its influence on other in dustries.
 While we were getting the eight hour day and better working condi- . tions, elsewhere the steel mills still 1 operated with very long hours and with wages below the proper line Labor understood then the necessity of organizing the steel industry fol the purpose of controlling its effect:
 on the others, and at the last two conventions of the Federation of La bor the step was authorized" FTtzpatric said representatives o1
 24 international unions, affiliated witf
 the American Federation of Labor met in Chicago about a year ago ana effected a campaign committee to or i ganize the steel workers.
 Samuel Gompers was elected chair man and William 2. Foster secretary Men and money, the witness said , were assembled. but funds were SC l limited that the initial organization f efforts were confined to the Calumet district including Chicago and Gary Indiana
 The men in the steel mills,'' Fftz- . patrick continued, were looking fol
 
 sponded in large numbers and it wa! only a short time until we had yer! successful organization"
 Up to that time there had been n
 unionism in the steel mills?" aske' . Chairman Kenyon.
 a No" Fitzpatrick replied. ''Abou that time---October. 191S---the stee e corporation was resorting to ever. l. effort to force action on the part o - the men or of the labor organization O to spread their influence. They an e nounced establishment of the eight n hour day and we knew that was al effort to prevent our organization" r. Senator Jones, Democrat, Ne7 e Mexico, asked whether the employe = had made application to the Amer It can Federation of Labor for organi y zation, or whether movement ha l. been initiated by the American Ted n eration of Labor.
 '"The American Federation of La T Dor initiated the movement" Fitzpa 1T rick replied.
 GContinued on Page -Bive.)