Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-05-03
Big hackers Are Dischareing
Thousands Of Laborers at
the Stock Yards.
Unusually Large Number Of
Skilled Men Will BE Idle
During Summer.

junction against the companies COM
prising the packers trust. Work on
the bill was hurried thru yesterday to
enable Mr.. Day to get away.
While the lawyers were busy finish
Ing the bill word came from the stock
yards that by the middle of the month
$4,000 men, or one-third of the working
force at the yards, will be out of their
Jobs. This information came from the
inside at the yards yesterday, and in
cludes not only the regular summer
lay-off of men because Of dali trading
and consequent reduction in the
amount Of manual labor. but also sew
etal thousand extra as result of the
present beef agitation. Every packing
house In the yards will reduce the num-
Der OF it's employees. In fact, the pro-
cess has been going on for over two
weeks past This action has been taken
by the packers In spite of the fact that
beef continues to rise in price and
canned meats will shortly follow.
The completion of the bill yesterday
marked the close OF the preliminaries
to the Injunction suit against the pack
ers, and makes 1t possible for the bill
to. be filed by next Tuesday or Wednes
day.. All now depends upon the action
of Attorney General Knox. II he has no
changes to suggest, his approval will be
telegraphed to Chicago and District At
torney Betl1ea will file copies Of the bill.
Immediately. II the attorney general
6oc
make to the bill, 1t will be necessary to
send It back to Mr.. Bethea for correc-
tons before 1t can be filed.
Mr.. Bethea also left Chicago yester-
day afternoon, but he did not accom-
pany Mr.. Day to Washington. He
would not tell where he intends to
spend Sunday, but II ia believed that
he went to Dixon, Ill, for a couple of
days of rest and that ne will be in his
office again Monday to receive teie-
graphic advices from Washington.
Mr.. Day will arrive In Washington
tonight. He will have all day tomor-
row to go over the bill with the attor-
ney general, 1T the task may take
more than one day. The bill comprises
about sixteen closely typewriter pages
and 1t is accompanied with many af-
fdayits, with the contents OF which the
attorney general is acquainted.
When the bill is filed the attorney for
each OF the six defendants will be fur
nished with copy The attorneys have
not been waiting for the arrival OF
these copies to begin their work, how
ever. They have been as busy as the
district attorney studying the lega;
INT trx IND oI
as to the allegations made. They will
have forty days in which to draft theii
answer. but the outline OF the answer
has been discussed already.
The bill is brought In the name Of
the United States OF America, ex rel.
Attorney General P. G. Knox. The prin-
cipal allegation is to the effect that Ar
mour & Co.. Nelson Morris & Co., Swift
q Co., the g. H. Hammond Packing
Comany and the Schwarzschild &
6ulzberger Company are engaging In
an illegal combination In rAstraint OF
trade. and the prayer OF the bill IL that
they be permanently restrained by In
junction. In support OF the main aile-
CATION OF the bill 1t Is alleged that Sc
cfet agreement controlling the price of
dressed beef exists between the six
packers named: that meetings are held
at stated Intervals at which the market
urice Of dressed beef for the entire
United States is raised and lowered at
will. This allegation is supported by
affidavits Of former employees OF the
packers telling of the existence Of the
trust agreement; by the secret code
book of the Cudahy company. giving
the Interpretation Of messages often
sent 10 employees of the house, and by
other evidence.
The second allegation In support OF
the general allegation Is that packers
have combined to force the railroads to
reduce shipping rates in their FAVOR IN
discrimination against the smail snip.
pers, thus throttling competition anu
restraining trade. The evidence sup
porting the allegation is direct ana
strong, consisting OF numerous anna
Wits made by railway officials when
they appeared before the Interstate
commerce commission during the rail-
roa dinquiry held in Chicago curing
the last week in January.
The reduction In Consumption
brought about by the agitation against
the alleged beef trust, together with
the sudden arrival Of hot weather, IS
given nv packers as the reason for the
wholesale discharge Of employees. 1t
has long been customary for the pack
ing houses to reduce their working
forces during the summer months.
This wear, however, the wedding out
process will be carried further than ev-
or before. But for the presence Of cur
ed cattle in the yards which are being
held for the required sixty days before
slaughtering, the work at the STOCK
yards would now be at standstill. The
receipts yesterday were but thousand
head of cattle, and the word has been
passed all along the line as for west as
Denver, telling the feeders not to ship.
At Denver yesterday not single head
was sold in the market and the same
condition OF affairs promises to pre-
vail In Chicago soon. Many thousand
head OF stock are already on the way
to market, but, within another week,
unless conditions change materially,
the stock yards, the packers say, Will
resemble deserted village.
At no time in the history Of the local
yards, say the representatives OF the
packers. have affairs reached such
crisis. Not only Is beef SO high as to
make 1t Improbable for the packers to
keep large working force to supply
limited demand, but sausage cannot be
made in hot weather owing to the diff
Guilty In curing. and butterine has been
knocked ont by the passage Of the oleo
bill. What beef Will be shipped dur