The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1896-05-10
STILL HOLDING OUT
BIG STRIKE NAY BE ORDERED AT
KANSAS CITY.

hAAGhO I'll Il
Firemen are Out at Armours and They are
Talking OF Appealing to the Federation
of Labor to Order a General Strike-In
the Meantime They are Waiting
in Hopes That the Boilers WIN
Burn Out Under the Charge of Green
Bands-Armour Keeping Up the Nerve
of His New Men With Liquor.
Kansas CITY Nav e-Matters at issue
between the Armour Packing company
Kand the Firemens union, whose mem
hers struck and left the employ of the
coupanv last Wednesday, are practi-
ca1lv ar a standstill. Not new move
was made by either side today, and
each seems to be awaiting the action OF
me other. The firemen are Still firm
in their position. and Overlooking with
confidence. while the company virtually
assumes that there is nothing wrong,
claiming that its business is running
lust as usual; that il has all the men
It wants and cares nothing about the
outcome of the 'Iate unpleasantness.
Just what the next steps in the con-
troversy will be, II is impossible to say,
though the talk now IS much more
strongly in favor of an international
boycott than of a general strike, for
reasons given yesterday. That this
will be the outcome CT the affair is en-
orally believed, bur such a boycott can
not be declared much under ten days.
The Firemens union IS member OF the
Industrial council, and its movements
are 10 a large extent governed by the
actions Of that body. The council does
not meet until tomorrow, but at that
time a full discussion OF the present
trouble is certain to come up. If gen
eral boycott is deemed advisable by the
council, 1t will appoint 4 committee 10
visit Indianapolis. che headquarters OF
the American Federation of Labor, and
submit the matter to u. If a favorable
understa nding is reached il will readily
be seen that IL must necessarily be some
days ere il can be put into effect. AS
one Of the strikers said yesterday: "A
general boycott is a very serious affair
and can only be resortel to as a final
measure. We do not want to enforce
one II we can succeed otherwise. We
believe that a good trial of the green
and inexperienced fireInen by the Ar
mour company is the strongest argumen
in our favor. Let the company have
a few boilers destroyed and 1t Will see
the advantage OF skilled labor"
The talk Of a boycott on its produce
has produced 10 effect upon the Armour
people in the way OF a compromise prop
ositton, nor will they admit that any
- 4 s0,,
of the laborers IS contemplated. But
1t is generally understood that the first
step looking to boycott on the part
of the latter will be TIE signal for the
company's attorneys. L. z. James. and
Pratt, Ferry & Fagerman, 10 apply for
an Injunction in the United States court
both here and at Topeka. This can
not be done until positive evidence
against the strikehs - obtained, but
that is all the attorneys are waitlnf for
This method of circumventing the strik-
ers is a new one, and was first tried in
this part Of the UnHed States by the
OxIey Stave COM any last March, when
its coopers threatened to boycott them.
Judge Foster of the United States cir
cult court az Topeka granted the COM
pany's prayer for an injunction, and
the case Is in the supreme court now.
When asked about the matter yesterday
neither superintendent Toutellot nor
Mr.. K. =. Armour would give an opin-
ion upon it. Both declared that the
new men were quite satisfactory, altho'
not entirely hardened 10 their duties,
which, as the former gentleman said,
involved very hard work"
The strikers. while quiet and digni-
fed. confident Of th5ir cause. make all
manner OF fun Of TIE company's efforts
10 keep up with new and green firemen.
One of them said yesterday that twO
or three boilers had been burned out
already. Another sail that in order
TO induce the men to stay The company
kept free cigars and liquor on tap, and
never let a man leave the premises for
anything. They claim that the COM
pany has been forced to seek men in
Chicago, and that twenty were import
ed from the Armour plant there yester-
day