The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-10-16
THE STOCK YARDS STRIKE
ARMOUR'S BEEF BUTCHERS RE-
FUSE 10 GO TO WORK,
A Card by the Packing Firms
What Delegate Barry Says
SWitchmen's Strike.

nation at the stockyards was further
complicated this morning by the re-
fusai of the 300 beef butchers en-
ployed by Armour to go to work. The
long threatened move (the strike OF
the beef butchers) was decided on at
a meeting last night. knight Of La.
Dor Barry, cent here from Richmond
70 try and effect a settlement, says he
is satisfied he can do no god here, as
the packers will not treat With him as
an association, and he will leave Tor
Richmond Immediately to lay the case
before the Knights Convention.
Psckingtown, the scene Of the great
strke, was filed this morning with
crowds Of men, who stood idly about
discussing the situation.
The order for the beef and sheep
killers to strike this morning was con-
fined to the Armour estab lshment.
The beef departments oil the other
houses are running as usual. THIS is
taken as indicating that the fight by
the Knights OF Labor is being directed
solely against Armour, aud the latter
states it as his view that the General
Asse mbly OF the Knights OF Labor will
not countenance this move, as he de-
clares that the situation is the same In
all the houses, and that the only diff
ference ia that his firm is employing q
layer number of men than any other.
The Armour firm is not attempting TO
opersts either it's beef or IFS pork kill
ing d partment this morning. The
firm now has 900 men at work prepar-
ing goods for shipment, but announces
that il will gtert up all branches as
soon rs a sufficient number OF work
men has been Engaged, and to this
end is offering large inducements to
men to enter its employ. The firm
does not expect TO be able to resume
in all it's departments for two or three
weeks. Everything was quiet at the
yards this morning.
New men continued 10 arrive dur
ing the forenoon, and this afternoon
it was reported that Armour had 1900
men engaged, The twei ty-two packing
house firms at the yards this afternoon
issue. card TO the pubic, ia which
they say: Having noticed the pub
lished report of the remarks OF Mr..
Thomas Barry, Of the committee oil
Knights Of Labor, in which he throw Wa
the onus of the present labor troubles
at the stock yards upon the house OF
Armour & Co. and holds them alone
responsible for its results, we, the re-
naming pork and beef packers OF
Chicago, who have entered their pro.
test against the eight hour system, do
hereby announce that we are unani-
nous in our action, and that Armour
4 Co. are no mora responsible for the
present circumstances than we our
selves are, individually and collect
lively. All statements and rumors
that Armour & %. are standing in
the way or in any manner opposing
an amicable solution of the situation
at issue are entirely without iounda-
ton. The discrimination against Ar
mour & Co.'s dressed beef blu ,iness,
by ordering out their beef butchers, is
equally unjust and unreasonable, as
their competitors, Messrs. Swift & Co.
and Morris 4 Co., are fully in accord
and sympathy with the ten hour
system"
The opinion is gaining ground that
a long and bitter contest between The
packers and their employees at the
stoCkyards is inevi able. All attempts
by Delegates Barry and Burton TO ne
gotiate or compromise the questions
raised by the strike have signally
failed. The packers have not shown
a disposition 10 discuss the matter in
an official manner, and the strikers
are dispoeed to regard this treatment
in the light OF a challenge. lllustrat-
ing the general feeling among the
packers, one OF the most prominent
ones said to reporter when APP
preached on the subject: 1--WE won't
submit to any system but that OF ten
hours for days work at ten houis'
pay, In other words, an uncondi-
tional surrender or nothing ATTEND
ed meeting OF the packers the other
day, when the matter was fully dis
cussed."
The gentleman said IL had been de-
termined upon to hire new men. He
said the green hands could be broken
in in spite OF the statement OF the
strikers, that their places could not
be filed. "0i COURSE" said he, at
will take time TO fill all the houses.
We, as an association, intend to start
the big concerns going first. We have
advertisements and men all over the
county, and already the men are be-
ginning TO come la as result OF these
agencies. Armour and tho Anglo
American will be running with full
forces next week. When these two
horses are running full handed the
fight is practically won. We can east
ly lay up for few weeks, or months
Tor that matter. Ten hours we will
have, and we don't intend 10 see any
committee either. II the men wish to
return on that basis they can do 80 rs
ind. viduals." The opinion of this
packer was read to the other packers,
and was pretty generally Endorsed.
After the meeting Of District AS
sembly No. 81 had adjourned at an
early hour this morning, Delegate
Barry said, referring TO the ordering
out of Armeur's beef men: ave have
formally declared war on the big pork
spectators, aud it will be war to the
knife and knife to the hilt. l shall
get to Richmond now before the con-
vention adjourns and you may depend |
on 1t that Armour's meats throughout |
the United States will be an unknown
quantity in less than three months. |
We intend to fight an aggressive battle,
and Armour with his millions will
either be brought to terms or be rele.
gated to the position Of a retired, if |
not a bankrupt pork packer. AS far
as the men are concerned, we shall
take care of them besides, the closing
down OF the industry here DOES not |
necessarily do away with it altogether. |
The demand il bound TO be supplied;
II not here, elsewhere.