Montana labor news., 1937-09-02
We want to stay in business.

RACooC ANAR ia oAAa hN1P "a O0y al
for cash here until we can open your
accounts again. l feel very, very
sorry.
signed) Vince Faranda.
Bethlehem Steel's executives ano
straw bosses, the towns bankers,
merchants, city officials, newspapers
and clergymen have all been on the
firing line against the strikers. The
plan of campaign, apparently, was
first to isolate the strikers from the
rest of the community, and second
to turn the community against the
strikers. The isolation was accom-
plished by driving a wedge between
the steel workers on the one side and
the white-collar workers and farm
ers on the other. The wedge was
driven home with three distinct
blows:
l. 1t was reported that the Cam
bria mills would close permanently
if the strikers won. Since Johns
towns economic basis for existence
rests on the Bethlehem Steel Com
|pany, this threw fear into the heart
of every shopkeeper, small business
man, and white-collar worker.
2. The day the steel workers went
on strike the Penn-Traffic Store laid
off large numbers of its clerks, rang
ing in various department. from 25
to so per cent. After the modified
martial law was clamped on, the re-
naming clerks yer %quivering in
their shoes because of a rumor
spread among them that if the strike
were not settled they would be put
on a half-week schedule.
3. 1t was publicly urged by the
Johnstown Democrat and Tribune
that all steel-mill workers go on re-
lief Immediately, which-it was
stated-would raise relief costs in
Cambria County 600 per cent
Nothing could be better calculated
to arouse every home owner, bust
ness man, and farmer in Cambria
County.
The wedge was driven home none
too subtly. To tie these activities
together, it is necessary to note a
few facts:
l. There r only two major in
dustries in the Johnstown area-steel
and coal. OF the two, steel is domi-
nant and pours more money into
the city.
2. There is only one bank in
Johnstown Gas a result of the bank
failures of 1932-1933)-the United
States National Bank, which does all
of Bethlehem's business.
3. The leading mercantile estab-
lishment and only department store
is the Penn Traffic Store.
A. The Bethlehem Steel Company
contributes to the support of al
Johnstown's churches, whose wealth.
lest pa%rishioners are the steel execu-
tives and sub-executives.
The talk of what had happened tc
the clerks at the Penn Traffic Store
and what was rumored to impenc
spread like wildfire through the
city. Twenty-four hours later
could not find a store clerk in Johns
town who was not p%rayerfully hoping
the strike would be settled immedi
ately. Thus Bethlehem accom-
plished the break between the stee
strikers and the white collar work
ers.
Five fingers pull the strings a
Johnstown, and the effects of thei
nanipulations reach directly or in
directly into the home of every on,
of the 10000 inhabitants of the Beth
lehem company town." The fiv,
key figures are c. r. Ellicott, gen
eral manager of the Cambria mills
George Suppes, president, and Fran
els Martin, cashier, of the UniteC
States National Bank; S. H. Heck
man, of the Penn-Traffic Store, ant
Daniel Shields, mayor of the city
Behind all five loom the same figure
that stand behind Tom Girdler o
Republic Steel and Frank Purnel
of Youngstown Sheet and Tube
Eugene Grace, chairman of the boart
of Bethlehem, and William c. Potter
board chairman of the Guarant.
Trust Company of New York, Nor