Evening star., 1946-09-24
Steel Mills Hit
ByPower Strike
In Pittsburgh
Some Workers Obey
Courts Order to
Return to Posts
BY the Assoeiofed Press

PITTSBURGH, Sept. "a
walkout by power compan!
workers crippled business ant
industry in the steel area today
but electricity continued to flow
to homes and buildings in ar
817-square-mile area populated
by 100000.
More than 1000 steel worker.
alone were made idle in plants o.
the United States Steel Corp.
The strike, by an independent
union of Duquesne Light Co. EN-.
ployes, seeking a wage increase, be.
gan at the same time as hearing
by three judges in Common Pleas
Court to rule on permanency of 8
city-obtained injunction forbidding
the strike.
A request of the union for dis
solution of the injunction, invoked
in preliminary form September o
was denied.
A union attorney told the court
the workers thus far were not strik-
ing but merely responding as de-
PENDANTS to the injunction. When
the hearing recessed, the court said
only about 80 employees had been
served with subpoenas and that all
others were excused so that they
can 60 back to their employment. ]"
Sees Back-to- Work Trend.
Bearing out the attorneys claim,
a large number of company en-
ployes returned to work after the
noon hour, the company reported. A
spokesman had no estimate of the
working or idle, but he said there
was definite trend back to work
AS the walkout got under way at
$50 am, the Pittsburgh Railways
Co. announced so per cent cut in
trolley operations-the city's main
mothed of public transportation
Trolleys normally transport about
1,000,0 900 persons daily here.
The light company announced its
industrial consumers were "prac-
tically shut down." A spokesman
said power output would be curtailed
unless homeowners, stores, office
buildings, etc, continue to conserve
electricity"
Many Workers Sent Home.
The strike began to cripple Pitts
burgh's business and industrial
activities within a few minutes after
it was called.
Thousands OF downtown workers
were sent home from work and
others had been told not to report.
Several large industrial plants
were forced to close down entirely
So were department stores.
Hotels and Office buildings were
open, but, in most cases, services
were severely curtailed.
The situation at the william Penn
Hotel seemed typical of the prob
lem confronting most downtown
hotels.
There. the lights, except those
in the corridors and few in the
lobby, were turned out, people had
to show a room key to get upstairs
and detectives guarded all en-
frances.
The hotel has it's own power sys-
tenn, but it was taking precautions
tc conserve the electric supply.
Dark. Gloomy Day.
Only one elevator in each bank
of elevators at the hotel was oper-
ating, and each of these had a
detective aboard.
Most of the guests, including the
hundreds here for Masonic con-
vention, flocked to the dimly Lit
lobby because their room lights
were turned out 1t was dark
gloomy day. with overcast skies
traditional to the smoky city.
The Union Trust Building down.
town shut off its lights and stopped
its elevators. The Oliver avenue
entrance was closed and this sign
was posted at the Grant street, en-
trance:
"You enter at your own risk. Thi'
building, due to the power strike
can furnish no service. :"
Several operations of the Carnegie.
Illinois Steel Corps, were among the