Evening star., 1936-04-12
INDUSTRY ARMS,
WORKER TEST|F|ES
Tells Senate Group of Mass
Movement of Guns and
Gas Against Strikers.
BY the Associated Press,


Angry labor spokesmen told a Sen
ate committee yesterday there was
mass movement Of machine guns, tear
gas and police clubs into industrial
centers for use in curbing strikes and
disorders.
]. P. Harris, red-haired Portsmouth,
Ohio, steel worker. was the first to
appear before the Senate Labor SUBJ
committee with stories of industrial
plants "arming" for possible conflict.
In support of his assertions came
mass of data compiled by the Senate
Munitions Committee and presented at
the hearing by Heber Blankenhorn,
an employe of the National Labor Re-
lations Board.
Tells Of "Arming" and Spies.
At one point, Harris testified he
knew the Wheeling Steel Corp. at
Portsmouth. Ohio. was "arming."
statement that brought from corpora
tion officials at Portsmouth an asser-
ton that company police were armed
to protect property against thieves
and flrebugs, and they will continue
to be armed"
At another point in yesterdays
hearing, there was testimony that gen.
eral "rumors" were being circulated
that the Ford Motor Co. was shot
through" with spies, hired to report
on the activities of labor.
The evidence presented by Blanken-
horn was largely in the form Of ship
ping orders for gas and guns from Fed
eral Laboratories, Inc. of Pittsburgh,
to centers Of impending strike troubles
in 1884 and 1885.
There was evidence also that some
of the purchasers sought to keep their
activities secret. Blankenhorn re-
ferred to a letter on May "a, 1884.
from Federal Laboratories to Smith
& Wesson Co., Springfield, Mass, d.
recting that shipment of u pistols
intended for Weirton Steel Co. should
be sent first to Federal Laboratories.
Action Held Necessary.
The letter said:
This Is absolutely necessary from
the point of view Of the customer. who
at the same time orders gas equipment
from us. We have been specifically
requested that no invoice specifying
revolvers come from us or from any
other concern"
The guns were wanted, the letter
explained, because "the long -adver-
tised crisis in the labor situation Of
the steel and allied industries is now
at hand"
Another letter from Federal Labora-
tories to Attorney General Cummings
on June 26, 1884. asked the JUS
tice Departments attitude toward de-
livery of machine guns to Cudahy
Packing Co., New Port. Mimi: Gulf
State Steel Co., Birmingham, Ala: Re
public Steel Co., Youngstown. Ohio;
Southern Natural Gas Co., Birming-
ham. Ala, and Tennessee Coal, Iron
& Railroad Co.. Birmingham.
In addition, Blankenhorn put In
the record list of industrial cities,
such as Detroit. Bethlehem. Pa: Bos-
ton, Denver and Atlantic City, whose
officials. he said. had purchased thou
sands of dollars worth Of gas and guns
from Federal Laboratories.
This evidence Of an arming indus
try was thrown in to support the
| pleas Of the witnesses for legislation
to curb the spy system" in industry,
which, they declared, was "demoraliZ-
ing" labor ranks and inciting workers
to desperate reprisal.
Part of Cause OF Unrest.
"These things are a part Of the
cause of unrest" testified Blanken-
horn.
Learning Of these secret armaments,
he told the committee. gives the men
the feeling they are at war with their
employers"
Preceding Blankenhorn on the stand
John M Carmody of the National
Labor Relations Board declared it was
generally rumored" that "the Ford
Motor Co. Is shot through" with labor
spies fed into the ranks of workmen
TO report any union activities to their
employers.
It was the youthful Har-
| ris who told of what he described as
| first-hand experiences with the spy
system" with gas and gun shipments
and alleged discrimination" against
union employees.
He said he was denoted" by his
boss in the Wheeling Steel Corp. al
Portsmouth for his union activities
Subsequently, he said, his employer
by stressing his need of money fol-
a growing family, sought to hire him
to work in Washington against enact
ment of N. r. A. in 1888.
Bought Pistols and Gas.
Last Summer, he said, he learned
through correspondence with a fellow
employe in an outlying plant that the
Wheeling Steel was "arming" for pos
sible labor troubles. In July, 1885
he said, he learned the company hac
bought "a pistols, supplies of gas anc
nightsticks and was doubling its polio,
force. At the same time, he said, the
company sought to prevail on authori.
ties to deputize the company police
so they could carry arms.
Never smiling, Harris spoke silently
jumping from one instance to an.
other with scarcely a pause between
sentences.
The mayor of Portsmouth, he said
would not deputize the company po.
lice.
But they won't stop with one re.
quest" he continued. They will keer
on trying, and if the city councilmer
don't repeal the ordinance on which
the mayor based his refusal. they'll b.
told they'll lose their jobs"
Found Gas Supply,