Rensselaer Journal, Volume 11, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 19 September 1901 — SHAFFER IS IN HOT WATER [ARTICLE]

SHAFFER IS IN HOT WATER

Clamorous Men Demand Admission to Amalgamated Offices. REFUSE TO BEGIN WORK. Excited Committees Tell the President They Win Ignore Hle Dictnm —Shaffer Says the Term* of the Settlement ns PublUbed Are Wrong. Pittsburg, Sept. 17. —Demonstrations by strikers shifted from the Star and Monongahela plants of the American Tin Plate Company to Amalgamated headquarters yesterday. From early morning until late in the afternoon, excited crowds of mill workers thronged the offices of the association, demanding interviews with President Shafter regarding the terms of settlement of the strike. In an inner room sat Mr, Shaffer. In the outer office were Secretary Williams, Trustee Pierce, Vice President Morgan and others. They circulated among the excited strikers, advising peace. In the crowd were committees from the Star and Monongahela tin plants, all the local tube mills, McKeesport, Demmler. Monessen, Wellsville and other places. They know little of the art of diplomacy and their language was mpre emphatic than elegant. All wanted to see Shaffer and learn from him the conditions on which the strike was settled The door between them and Mr. Shaffer was kept closed and locked. Get Scant Satisfaction. Owing to the frenzied actions of the men each committee was admitted to the presence of the president separately. As each .committee went in ..here was a stormy interview, ending at a statement from Shaffer that the settlement was the best he could get. Nouo of the committees received, any satisfaction, and as soon as they came from the inner office they were “Jollied” out of the building by the other officers oi the association. Nearly every committee went away vowing it would advise continuing the fight. Meetings ot lodges were held last evening. Nearly all the lodges in the tin mills, which, by the terms of the settlement are out of the union fold, voted to continue the strike. Similar action was taken at meetings of striking t;ube workers at the Pennsylvania and Continental plants. The strikers at Painter’s lioip mills also decided to refuse to go back to work. “The terms of settlement a/ published are all wrong,” said Mr. Shaffer. "Before we left the confer ence we made an agreement with the members to say nothing about the conditions on which the strike was terminated. We got the best terms possible. Labor leaders and others familiar with the circumstances advised us to settle. Many of our men wanted to go to work, and to hold out longer would have resulted in breaks at different places. Now some of our members, without waiting to hear the conditions, jump up and say they will not go to work. All big strikes end this way. It is not reasonable to think that everyone can be satisfied. There i 3 some sore feeling now. but it will pass away as soon as the men who are kicking find out that it was impossible to have done better. It Is useless to continue the strike. The lodges will get official notice of the terms of settlement in due time.”