Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial. (Wilmington, Del.) 1878-1928, 1920-07-28
STEEL. STRIKE MAY
RECUR, IF CHANGES
NOT BROUGHT ABB OUT
lnterchurch Report Says Trouble
is Inevitable Under Present
Conditions.
CRITICISE GARY AND
APPEAL TO PRESIDENT

Of the labor policy of the United States
Steel Corporation. according to DIR.
Daniel A. Boiling. secretary of the IN
vcstigating commission, who made the
findings public here today
There can be no doubt DIR. Polling
said, that the report viii bc regarded by
The public as strongly favorlng the labor
ing mans side Of the case. The commits
sion believed that such impression CORE
spends wholly with the facts it has dis
covered
In going forward with its work the
commission faced "far-rcaching difficult
tics, he declared, adding that by anony-
nous attack hy the rifing Of its files by
under cover methods of every sort, II
has been embarrassed and its work threat
ened with disaster But So vital does the
commission believe its work to be, so
far-reaching its recommendations for
these disturbed times. that its members
were prepared 20 make the most extreme
sacrifices rather than have tho report fail.
\ general summary of the findings of
tho commission showed the fundamental
grievances to he
Ia Excessive hours; (b), the boss
system tcl. no right To organize or to
representation.
The remedies desired were IA, short
or day and week with n living wage; (bl,
representation and conference, and end TO
the boss system which so ftrn subjects
common labor TO petty tyrannies; (c),
right 20 unionize and substitution Of
industrial democracy for industrial au-
tocracy.'
"All the conditions that caused the
steel strike continue to exist. was the
final conclusion of the commission. I'VE
feel that unless changes arc made ap-
:, -
here presented another strike must come
In the measure that working men become
Intelligent and Ameiicanized, will they
refuse TO labor under such conditions
The workers grievances were of long
standing, II was said but had found no
expression because la, they were
limited largely to foreigners of many
races and languages without industrial
tradition, education or leadership to
organize.
"(bi. race prejudice effcctually kept the
more skIlled. more intelligent and better
paid American working men from taking
up the cause of the forcign-speaking
workmcn.
"lc) Labor unions have been accus-
toned TO look upon the foreigner as an
actual or potential strike breaker.
I'D The steel companies have most
efectually deferred men from joining
labor organizations.
These long standing grievances II
WAS sand were brought To expression by
"a The part those wOrkingmen play
81 IN the war and the treatment afforded
them for the sake of war production which
gave them a new sense of worth and in
dependence
ID The fight for democracy and news
of larger workrngmens freedom IN
their native lands together with a grow
mg sense Of real Amcricanism. which
brought a spirit of democracy to then
ranks
",c) The decision OF the American
Federation Of Labor to organize them
and its actual work Of organizing them
into crafts unions
We found, the report said
",a) That the strlkq was regularly con-
Quoted in orthodox fashion according to
the American Federation of Labor rules
and principles.
90 That while radicals synpathized
with the strikers, rs was natural, they
were efiectually dcbarred BY the strike
leaders and that far from having influence
in IT, they often denounced and opposed
those who conducted the strike.
We find the grievances to have been
real, continued the report as follows:
la The average week Of 6S7 hours.
the twelve-hour day. whether on a straight
twclve-hour shift or on a broken division
Of lib or 1914 hours, the unbrokena
twenty-four hour period at the turn Of
shift and the undcrpayment of unskilled
labor. are all inhuman.
"(bl II Is entirely practicable to put
all processes requiring continuous opera
ton on a straight eght-hour basis as is
illustrated by the Colorado Iron and Fuel
Company. These processes require the
SERVICES OF only fraction of the workers
"(cl The boss system is bad, the plant
organization Is military and the control
sutocratic. The company's claim that
they accord the right TO Join unions and
the opportunity Of conference, are theo-
retical; neither Is allowed in practice
I'D The use of under cover men is
severely condemned. 1t breeds distrust.
breaks down morals and stimulates ill-will:
II Is undemocratic and un-American.
"(e) The refusal of the United States
Steel Company to confer. to accept
mediation and tits attitude of hauteur as
shown by its refIIsal) to follow the recon-
mendations of the War Labor Board in
cited labor strife and because of the |
strength and influence of this corporation. |
forms one Of the greatest obstacles to a /
Just settlement of industrial grievances |
THE strike was defeated. : the findings
declare, by (al The strike breaking
methods of the steel companies and their /
effective mobilization OF public opinion
against the strikers through the charges
Of radicalism, bolshevism and the closed |
shop, none OF which were justified by the
facts; and by the suppression of civil
rights.
"(b) The hostility of the press giving
biased and colored news and the silence
of both press and pulpit on the actual
question of justice involved which atti-
tudes OF press and pulpit helped to break
the strikers morale.
"(c) Public fear of general labor war
due 20 the coincidence of the coal strike
and threat of the railroad strike. together
with labor's failure to formulate and ex-
PLAIN ITS purposes with regard to public
service
I'D The prevailing prejudice of the
steel towns and In the general public
mind and among the sEnglsh-speaking
working men against the foreigners who
constituted the overwhelming numbers of
the strikers
''(e) The ineffective support given the
strike by most Of the twenty-four affiliat-
cd craft unions through which it was or
gained and by the American Federation
of Labor.
The recommendations of the commits
sion follow:
4