The Savannah morning news., 1904-07-14
HIGHER PRICES FOR MEAT.

HIGHER PRICES FOR MEAT.
If what the strikers of the packing
houses say is to be relied on. the
people of pretty nearly the whole
country will have to pay considerable
more for meat during the next few
| months than they have been paying
1t is announced that the price of meat
has advanced pretty nearly cents
pound in New York city within the
last twenty-four hours, and, no doubt.
there will be an advance soon in the
price in other parts of the country.
AS is usual in cases of all strikes
there are two different stories as 10
the underlying causes of the strike.
The strikers say the packers under
took to reduce the wages of Unskilled
laborers. The packers say that the
unskilled labOrers were demanding
higher wages, and, that, too, in the
face of the fact that labor in quanti-
ties was offering at prices much be-
low those they were paying. If the
truth were known 1t would probably
appear that the packers undertook, or
ply because they could get labor for
less money than they were paying
Just now there IS an immense num-
Der of unemployed people. The rail-
roads, for instance, have discharged
within the last few months many
thousands of employees. They had no
work for them 10 do. There has been
H. III f,1Is L,
business of railroads since the begin
ming of the present year, particularly
in the West. Hence there are thous-
ands of men who are willing to work
almost for bread and meat Perhaps
many of these men have been apply
ing to the packing houses for work
The strike includes skilled as well as
unskilled labor, the skilled laborers
having struck in sympathy with the
unskilled. Even therefore if the pack
ing houses were able to get all the
unskilled labor they want, they might
not be able to turn out much product,
because of the want of skilled labor.
1t is a pity that employers and en-
plOyes cannot get together and settle
their differences. Both parties will be
losers. The packing houses however,
can stand the loss. To the strikers
the strike means hardship and suffer-
ing. Some of the strikers are of course
well-to-do. but the great majority of
them live from hand-to-mouth. Thous-
ands of them haven't a dollar saved
Already wives of strikers are apply
ing for assistance to the different aid
societies. If application is being made
so soon for aid how long will it be
before in thousands of humble homes
there will be actual starvation?
1t looks as If the leaders of labor
organizations too often seize the most
inopportune time for striking. They
know of course that there are thous-
ands of hungry men waiting for
chance to get places in the packing
hOuses-to get work anywhere-men
who are not allied with unions and
who care nothing for labor organiza-
tions. Wouldn't it have been better
to have avoided strike until the de-
mand for labor was greater? Why
strike just when it is possible for the
packing houses to get all the I'M
skilled labor they want? 1t is true
they may not be able to get skilled
labor. but with the labor they can
get they can hold out much longer
than they could otherwise
1t is not improbable that there will
soon be stormy times in Chicago,
where there are already $4,000 packing
house employees out on a strike, and
in Kansas City. Omaha and st. Joseph
1t is not reasonable to suppose that
the strike, if continued for any length
of time. will be conducted peaceably
There may be very serious labor trou-
bles before the summer is over, and
these, together with the presidential
campaign, are likely to make the next
few months memorable.