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Show ORGANIZED LABOR CAM BATTLE ; Oflicial Appeal to Members of Federation to Fight the Steel Trust. CORPORATION DENOUNCED AS VIOLATOR OF LAWS Big Fund to Be Raised at Once, and Further Contributions Will Be Made. WASHINGTON, Jan. 1. Officers of the American Federation of Labor tonight to-night issuod a call on its .1,5-10,000 members mem-bers to subscribe to a fund with which to wage a fight on the "Stool Trust." The call arraigns tho corporation as inimical both to labor and tho country coun-try and as a violator of the laws. Tho 'sum of 4150,000 is to bo raised at once. Tho corporation is termed "a bold and daring violator of the laws," Calls for moro money will bo issued as tho Gght progresses. Highest Officials Act. This action was taken following tho conforenco in Pittsburg on December 13 and 14 between tho Amalgamated Association of Iron and Steel Workers, the Tin Plate Workers' Protective as-socinfioif as-socinfioif and tho Longshoremen's and Seamen's union. Samuel Gompers, president of the American Federation of Labor, was present. Tho call is signed by Mr. Gompers, Frank Morrison, Mor-rison, secretary of tho federation, and James Duncan, John Mitchell, James O 'Council, D. A. Hayes, William D. Huber, Joseph E. Valentine, John ft. Alpine, H. B. Pcrham and John B. Lennon, directors. Although tho appeal ap-peal is made by the federation, the funds will not be turned into the federation fed-eration this 3'car. All subscriptions are to be sent to John Williams, who has opened hcadquartors in the house building, build-ing, Pittsburg, In his statement Mr. Gompers assailed the steel corporation for its aggressions on labor and charges it with conspiring against production, manipulating the market and striving to eliminate a free press. lie also charged that the corporation cor-poration pays dividends on many millions mil-lions of watered stock and that its financial fi-nancial methods are corrupt and indefensible. Attitude Worst Orlma. "The crowning criminnlit', of the trust is its attitude toward labor," said Mr. Gompers in arraigning the so-called so-called "profit sharing" plan, by which tho company gives its employees an opportunity to obtain an interest in the vast business. "This plan," Mr. Gompers said, "Is a transparent deceit through which a small minority of its employes are sought to bo bribed to help in dailj' swenting tho vast majority.'' v The steel corporation at Christmas was reported to havo given away one million dollars in gifts to its employes and to havo offered both the common and preferred slock to those who cared to invest in them at a little lowor than tho market quotations. Among the charges .brought by President Presi-dent Gompers against the steel corporation corpora-tion aro these: Other Charges Made. "Tts control of production is ono .of its principal (the corporations 's) established estab-lished features, constantly extolled as a merit by that portion of the press animated by Wall street motives. "Its dividends are not based only upon its capital, but more than half a billion of watered stock. ,1 "Its attorneys are notoriously present pres-ent at or in every legislative body from which privilege may be purchased or advantago procured. "Its influence upon certain courts has becu shown by the radical modifications modifi-cations of their unjust injunctions Epeedily made by higher courts, "Its close touch with certain infamous infa-mous daily newspapers is exhibited upon up-on every occasion when it is possible for editors to choose between prostrating prostrat-ing themselves before its subsidy disburses dis-burses or courageously defending common com-mon rights. "Its systematic destruction of an open and honest markot is shown in numberless ways; from pushing higher an already super-protective tariff against public opinion to crushing out of rivals in any branch of the industry upon which it enters." |