Show GOMPERS SCORES SCORES' STEEL TRUST r I r 1 rI 51 51 is G f mt mv GIVES SIDE I H OF LABOR President of A. A F. F of L L. L Tells Senate Rights of the Worker Are Brutally Denier Denied lY ASHINGTON Sept W W After hearing Samuel Samu I Gompers president of the Amer- Amer can ican can Federation of Labor fo fa foore for forthan ore than three hours th the senate committee Investigating th tI the I steel teel strike today abandoned II i Its plans to examine tomorrow v Z Foster secretary of the st el kers committee who has been ai a attacked at- at tacked lacked In the house of o representative representatives u J i a radical and an I. I W. W W. W Chairman Kenyon announced the that he c Inquiry would not be resume resumed mill next Wednesday when Jud Judt Judge Elbert II IL Gary Gao chairman of o th the theard Iward and ard of ot directors of ot the United State States Steel corporation will be bo heard II lIe leave gays gave no reason for tor not hearing Foster Fos Foa Iter tet ter tomorrow v but other members ethe e of the committee said later that Foste Foster would be e called before the commute committee at some future time The right Of o the to hat ha have tome acme voice In determining conditions ender linder which they work is the para pars Issue In the strike fI D of etc v workers Samuel Gompers Gomp rs rs plodder of of the American Federation of Labo Labor told the senate Investigating committee commit commit- tee tte today Appearing as the witness for lor labor Jabor Mr Gompers wa was first drat asked by Chairman Kenyon to define de define detine de- de fine tine the Issues In the controversy The right to be heard Is what th the steel workers are asking above a all else die Gompers said The right t to speak with their employers through t own representatives to hay have acme om Ome voice In determining condition conditions under tinder which they work THIS RIGHT DENIED Tho The right of o workers to associate has hu been denied denied denied-denied denied with all th the power and Influence nce and wealth c ot th the steel corporation denied corporation denied by brute brutal and unwarrantable table means I It has hlll been said that most of o th thi the i then nen taking part In n this strike ar arof arof are of foreign birth and not naturalize naturalized citizens That may be and no doubli doutis doubt doub li is true The large Jarge arge proportion of o stee steel corporation are of o bIrth but these men were brough brought here by the tho companies I HARVEST TO REAP There was for years a a. 1 effort to bring In these gangs from Europe Europa There was a n. systematic ef of effort effort ef- ef fort to eliminate Americans The They have ha a harvest hanest to reap now These steel companies brough brought about the tho state of o which they now not complain Under the efforts of o the Steel corporation cor cor- potation the hours bours of ot labor were al alaj ala always al- al ways a aj abnormally long They neve nev r teemed satisfied until they had thel their W men n tOiling tolling seven days a week 36 days J s ay ear car When the shifts changes changed from day to night they got them workIng work work- lag Ing B twenty four hours boars a day DOGGED DY BY DETECTIVES The right right fo to association the at attempt at- at tempt to organize met with the stern stern- tat eat t opposition by the Steel corporation Tho appeals coming to us fron from their were for tor help In to organ organ- hatlon But most of ot the efforts were wen r by the detectives and the thi 5 In the company pay More Mon than 60 per cent of ot all 1111 the private dc do de- de agency effort In this country as s been to spying on em em- W c In n mines and mills They rhey have hav n used As agent provocateurs provocateur t ti to cause them hem to strike too soon Boon t As he ho described d the tho dogging o o of employee roi lo lees cs by detectives em em- J ha his words by b pounding frequently fre- fre Wently on the table i In In the steel st el Industry ho he contim neil fled men were discharged for merey mere- mere y talking of o organization or for grum grum- bong ng There have ha been numbers of ot mer men witched so 80 closely closel that when they the rented a hull hall the rho proprietor yeas was toldo toll told to o lock the doors against them Their Thole routings on rented rent d ground have beer been broken up The men were run down dispersed and some assaulted Can van Can you rou give ive instances InstancE's of ot thai tha last asked Senator Sterling l U P P of o South Dakota Dak ta Yes les ut at McKeesport Gompers Compers r re- re Since this strike the of- of office o- o Cc fice of tier tho Iron and steel workers worker rl there iere have been closed d against t them em PREVENTED FROM MEETING I suppose that has been done ore on or tie c e theory that collection of o crowds Steel Steel-Cs ouid create disorder r Senator Sterl- Sterl SterlIng Ing remarked I 1 dont don't know w the theory Mr Corners Gom- Gom bera per ers s said ld But I do know the purT pur- pur pure kOse T e It was WaN to prevent the leaders from counseling with the men and g the strike effective In the event of ot war the labor 1 leader declared should the rights ol ot Continued on page 0 9 I JE WANT WAHl rAfN PAY rAf I N I CHARITY CHARITYe C A nf e I f Mr I I I Labor Leader Att Attacks Steel I Trusts Trust's Alleged Autocracy Autocracy I racy at H Hearing 1 I i. i C Continued from page page 1 free speech and assembly e restricted I Th They y should not be be he said MId for a a. aj I j corporation 1 I I I I know that many of th public au- au authorities au au- in the districts district of ot Pennsylvania Pennsylva Pennsylva- I nia are arc under the direct domination of the United States Steel corporation corpora corpora- i 1 d declared a red Hon tion the witness pounding the table t I II I In response e to t the many any requests request 1 for organization from the men we I sent a few agents Into the field some tome I II I years ago Th They y were arrested driven I out of the towns one o of t them em so bludgeoned bludgeoned blud blud- blUd 1 that he died That was four I or five years ago Ite was Jefferson Davis Da Pierce of ot Worcester Mass I Gompers told of tile the final decision of the American Federation of labor laborIn I In 1918 to organize the men and described de described described de- de I scribed the methods used to finance the work I I ORGANIZE ALL WORKERS You have dealt with the the policy of ot i iI the steel companies trying to exclude i I union men said Senator Phipps I Rep of Colorado Is it the policy of the unions to try to exclude nonunion nonunion nonunion non non- union men I It is the policy of the unions to try to organize all aU workers Gom Gompers rs I said adding that in all his experience I he had never known of a workman voluntarily refusing to join a a. union of his craft Senator Phipps read a a. statement by Woodrow Wilson in 1909 in which Mr Wilson said he was a fierce partisan of the open shop and that hat the present present present pres pres- ent attitude of labor In America was to give as little as possible I think it is as unfair to quote Mr Wilson of 1909 as it is to hold up statements statements state state- ments of ot W. W Z Foster poster secretary of the steel unions union's committee made at I that time and since disavowed and say they r represent present his attitude now said Gompers I Now Mr Gompers cant can't we get down to brass tacks said Chairman I Kenyon We would like to know now I why this strike was not postponed as asI the president requested until after the I industrial conference Mr Gompers told of ot the efforts by byI President Wilson to bring about a conference conference conference con con- I ference between the men and the steel corporation officials EFFORTS TO POSTPONE 1 I advised i on September 8 S with with the union committee and suggested that the strike be deferred Gompers continued conI continued con con- I A A general meeting was called and the responsible officers of ot the union resolved there to strike September Septem Septem- ber 22 unless Judge Gary chairman of the board of directors of ot the steel corporation consented to a confer confer- ence I J I got a a. telegram from the president I asking me to use my efforts to secure a delay I dictated a message to Mr Fitzpatrick chairman of ot the steel steelworkers steelworkers' steelworkers steelworkers' steelworkers steelworkers' workers' workers committee asking that the presidents president's request be complied with He lie told me the men were in such a a. aframe aframe frame of mind that they could not be prevented from striking even should the committee vote for delay Several of 01 the international union officers had declared in favor of postponing postponing post pos Gompers continued They met in Pittsburg September 17 and 18 and and my my letter was read Organizers who favored postponement reported that they could not maintain their po po- po- po They voted almost unanimously unanimous unanimous- ly to strike on the original date They knew the strike would have taken place anyway unguided disjointed die dis- I j Jointed and leaderless Their choice was not that of having no strike b but brit t I simply of having a a. disorganized or an organized strike under the guidance of experienced men men j FOSTER DEFENDED Tapers are carrying communications communications communications from Secretary Foster of the committee said Chairman Kenyon radical letters setters signed Yours for revolution revolution rev rev- re I Ol and carrying a z g implications S' S m gr I Ive made a brief r reference to Mr Jr Foster q Gompers returned He wrote I a a. book DOOK r lOo ho o one could have a greater antipathy to this I I. I W W. W. W position Foster Foster Foster Fos Fos- Fos- Fos ter took in 1910 than I do Ills His pamphlet pamphlet pamphlet pam pam- pam pam- on syndicalism his attack at Zurich before the International labor conference on James Duncan who represented represented represented rep rep- resented the Amerl American lIn Federation of Labor Labor all all those things prejudiced me But he changed took a constructive position In view of what he has since done donO to Improve conditions of ot the workers he ho is ill entitled to something better than to have his mistaken views of the past held up to injure hi his usefulness usefulness useful useful- ness I 1 ha have ha hano no hesitancy in saying paying that the these e are arc not his views lie Ho is III not now an executive officer of the strike He 1 is h. merely ChOS chosen to tn I perform rm lh the thA secretarial work Discussing profits profit in the steel industry in industry industry in- in Mr Gompers cited a statement state state- statement ment by Director General Hines of the tho railroad administration which show showed Id I'd that in 1918 th the steel corporation made 22 2 per cent on Its common stock I understood Mr Fitzpatrick to say that the hour eight day was granted by the Steel corporation re remarked remarked reo re- mark marked d Senator Sterling By the efforts of ot the war labor board Gompers said conditions were finally produced which Induced the corporation to order the hour eight-hour day But I understand It is still sun an order and not an actuality Mr Gompers said he he- had no definite nitI nite Information on wages Senator Sterling Introduced a a. Steel corporation statement which said that average wages paid by it had Increased per cent since 1913 But the corporations corporation's profits have ha Increased per c cent nt In the same J I time Gompers retorted i are aU allowed owed to buy stock are art they not 7 Senator Sterling asked 1 That system m of Instalment stock selling Is an attempt to tie tic the mento men j to their Jobs Gompers said I Senator Sterling then read a a. record I of spent on welfare work I annually by the com company pan I BECAUSE IT PAYS I j They do It because It pa pays pals Compers Com Com- ComI I pers said It prevents men n from devoting de- de voting their efforts to getting Into proper organization We say to all this that w wit what ut we want is ts pay not charity that a a. minImum minimum min min- minImum wage paid that will permit a fair standard of ot living We Ve must recognize that this war j has crushed autocracy has come for a new understanding between een man and man No o man can say say he ho It- It master of all 11 he sur surveys No corpo corporation corporation corpo- corpo ration can do that No empl employer YN no i matter how rich can pretend tor tob oe bein ln In Industrial maat master r. r The war mutt must briny brink I something better than prewar condl- condl M- M r i. i II in c 11 f f justice Is now I thing more more When Mr Gompers had completed his testimony the committee adjourned ad joum d sub subject to call rAll i |