Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1938-08-07

Strike Violence.
Iron, s4l3,826; Republic Steel, $74.555.
Many companies, including Republic Steel,
have spent substantial sums since 1886.
In return for sums like these, evidence
showed, the companies received informa-
ton more falsifled than accurate, they es-
tablished or perpetuated deeper feelings Of
resentment or bitterness among their en-
ployes, provided exorbitant profits to the
heads OF the detective and strike breaking
firms, and furnished employment for hum
dredS of men with criminal records. whose
particular preference as to means of lveli-
hood seemed to be that of double-crossing
others or inflicting bodily harm upon them.
The espionage practices in certain in
stances even reached the point of having
the wives of the undercover agents solicit
information from wives of workmen as they
joined in social activities.
In many cases. agents became union
members or officials. And in many of
these instances their most valuable" serv-
ice was in melting the union to extreme
action. In other words, if employers were
not having trouble when they hired the
undercover men, they were assured of hav-
ing some in short order.
That espionage and private munitioning
have gone hand in hand among the con-
Germs who prefer such means of maintain
ing their individualism has been demon
strated throughout the hearings. In some
cases, the detective and strike brea king
firms joined with those selling munitions
to use the same statesmen.
Most of the business in the munitions
field has been cornered by Federal Lab
oratories, the Lake Erie Chemical Co. and
the Manville Manufacturing Co. Core
spondence and advertising matter collected
by the committee showed that these COM
panies made no secret of basing their SELL
ing arguments principally on the efficacy of
gas and guns in dispensing strikers. And
in a full spirit of cooperation. this mer-
chandise ordinarily was shipped under
labels Of hardware" canned goods" Or
some other misleading designation. Dummy
bills also were general
The extent to which industrial con-
Germs built up great arsenals was shown in
many instances through the committees
hearings, most recently in the case of Re-
public Steel Corp. and the youngstown
Sheet & Tube Co., powerful steel indie
pendents."
Committee investigators found, for ex-
ample. that only last May Is Republic
owned an arsenal containing the following:
$50 pistols, "a rifles, 245 shotguns, lab gas
guns, So gas billies. 2,707 gas grenades ard
4,033 gas projectiles. For the five-year pc
riod ending last January o. the company
war. OF this sum, $5O,773 was spent in.
1885 in an A. F. L. steel union strike q. o
Canton subsidiary.
How Arms Were Used.
The committee spent more than a week
of its present set Of hearings delving into
that 1885 strike to learn how Republic
had utilized its ornaments.
Among their findings was the fact that
Of more than a score of persons severely
wounded or beaten by rowing bands of
were strikers or even employees of the
company. The rest were people merely
unfortunate enough to be within range OF
the Jealous protectors of steel company
property
1t could not be said that Republic Off
Gals are Indifferent to developments of
that period since they made cash settle
ments in all of the cases mentioned, paying
as much as $500 to Mrs. Mary M. Reed,
shot down by two blasts of shotgun fire
while walking nearly 2 miles from the
strike scene and more than a half mile
from Republic property. A beautiful
bunch of flowers" was also sent to Mrs.
Reed.
It was slightly ironical that as testimony
was completed on these instances OF vio-
lence, Charles NJ White, vice president OF
Republic. ventured to complain to the
committee about the breakdown Of law
and ORDER in Canton during the strike,
making the additional observation that mo
one has done more than Republic Steel
Corp. to uphold the traditions of the
American flag"
Although such practices as espionage
and industrial munitioning might be cured
or arrested in growth by legislation re-
quiring public registration of undercover
agents and of sale or transfer of munitions,
greater difficulty stands in the way of
combating some Of the more subtle anti
labor practices developed largely In the
past two years in the face Of increasing
The nature Of this problem = set forth