The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1904-08-30
REFUSED BY PACKERS
STRIKING STOCK YARDS BUTCH
ERs ASK FOR CONFERENCE
WITH EMPLOYERS.
DESIRED IL BRING ABOUT SETTLEMENT
ARMOUR AND HIS ASSOCIATES
REFUSE, SAYING NO GOOD
COULD RESULT.
DESIRTI IL BRING ABOUT SETTLEMENT


| made to the packers by the stocl
yards strikers during the day for G
conference, the purpose being to bring
about peace in the industrial conflict
waging at Packing Town. The con
ference was refused by the packers.
The application came in the form OF
communication from the allied
| trades council and was signed by Pres
ident Matthew Carr of the allied
trades. The request was sent imme
diately after the close of a joint meet
ing of the national executive board OF
the Butcher Workmens union and the
allied trades conference board and
was addressed to J. Ogden Armour
and his associates.
Mr.. Armour, upon receipt of the
communication, at once called the
heads of the other big packing plants
into session. When the meeting of
the packers ended a communication
was addressed to President Donnelly
and his associates declining the confer
ence the strikers had asked for. The
reason given was that no good could
come from such conference.
The following is the letter which
President Donnelly sent to the pack
ers:
"Gentlemen-Inasm as the exist
ing strike in the packing industry is
causing much inconvenience TO the
general public, as well as creating
much Ill feeling and criticism, and be
ing desirous OF doing our full duty in
this matter we respectfully request an
early conference with you with the
view to effecting any honorable ad-
justment of the controversy"
The packers reply was:
''Your letter of Aug 29 has been re-
ceiyed and in reply thereto have to
say that considering the present con-
dition of our plants and the results
OF past conferences we can see no
possible benefit that can follow any
further conference. Therefore we re-
spectfully decline your request"
Surrender Must Be Unconditional.
There is nothing left for the men
but unrUnuitiDHaI surrender, SAID
packer The leaders should not hesi-
tate in calling the strike off SO that
the men, who are anxious, could find
work. Many of them will be rehired
in Packing Town, but there are thou
sands who must look elsewhere for
employment and they should be re-
leased SO they can begin their hunt
for work outside the stock yards. 1t
does not make any difference what
peace proposal the strikers have to
submit-We shall not deal with the un-
ions, The only terms of surrender we
shall consider will be the return of the
men as individuals"
1t is un ierstood that the peace pact
which the leaders have prepared pro-
vides that the mensshall be taken back
as union men and the wage scale in
effect before the strike be recognized.
The effort of the leaders is to devise
some means of surrender that can be
construed as a settlement"
There was no indication of the inn
mediate realization of the break in
the ranks of the strikers anticipated
by the packers. Early trains arriving
at the stock yards were thronged,
about 1900 men and women being
taken in. The crowd, however, proved
to be the usual throng of strike break
ers and there was no suggestion of
disorder Desertions from the ranks
OF the strikers were no greater than
usual on Monday. They approximated
about 100. The failure of the antici-
pated stampede to materialize proved
a disappointment to the packers.
A development of the day was
walking out of 200 employees of plant
of the American Can company, they
being ordered to quit because the COM
pany was furnishing cans to the pack
ers. Investigations are making at the
other Chicago factories of the COM
pany and the leaders say if the com
pany is supplying cans to the packers
In violation of their agreement to not
do so during the continuance of the
butchers strike the employees of the
company all over the country will be
called out