Evening star., 1904-07-19
TO ASCERTAIN STATUS
Packers and Firemen's Com
mittee Held ConferenceTo oday.
NO SPREAD OF STRIKE
DoNNELLY'S LETTER A FINAL
EFFORT FOR ARBITRATION.
If It Fails an Appeal Will Be Made
to All Union Men
Police.

CHICAGO, July 19-The packers today
| expressed themselves confident that
| there would be no important spread OF
the strike They authorized this statement:
| Joseph w. Morton. business agent of the
International brotherhood of stationary fire.
men; International Secretary and Treasurer
c. L. Shamp of Omaha and Charles II. Wall
| of Kansas City, chairman of the execu-
| tive council, have met a committee repre-
| senting the packers at the stock yards with
| a view to ascertaining the exact status
| of affairs.
| THE packers committee went over the
ground thoroughly with them. giving them
| the exact date from the commencement OF
| the controversy until the end OF the negoti-
ations on Saturday night last. 1t is under
stood that Messrs. Morton Shamp and Wall
| indicated that they had not. up to this
time, fully understood the matter and
| upon the showing made by the packers
committee admitted that the right was
the side of the packers. AS a result of the
Investigation made by Messrs; Morton,
Shamp and Wall, il is not thought that the
stationary hremen Will strike
Hope for Concession.
I'VE still hope the packers will make a
little concession in return for all we have
|
Men still at work are anxious to go on
sympathetic strike, but will not ask them
to strike until all means for a satisfactory
arbitration of the dispute has been ex-
hausted."
Cutters, luggers and statesmen employed
in the scattered wholesale stores owned by
the packers have been called out. About
16O were overlooked in the first call for
strike. These were at work in the markets
In 10th and State streets and in South
Water street.
Bread and Ice
Bread and ice are to be distributed hy
the packers to needy families in the stock
yards district In this way the packers
to help wives and children of the strikers
The plan was announced by Arthur 10
Evans. attorney for Swift & Company, in
the following statement:
1T having come TO the notice of the
packers that the families of their former
employees now on strike were suffering for
bread and Ice, Superintendent Crosby of
the stock yards station of the Chicago bu-
reau OF charities was Immediately notified
that carload of ice and 900 loaves OF
6read Were at MS disposal for distribution
daily among those in need OF help, with
the understanding that further assistance
of the same kind would be rendered IL
necessary"
President Donnelly's Effort.
a final effort to secure as a basis for ar
bitration in the stock yards strike an
agreement from the packers that all en-
ployes strike shall be reinstated within
a specified time expected to be made
today by President Donnelly of the butch
er workmen In letter to ]. Ogden Ar
mour President Donnelly, It
nounced. would declare that If this conces-
sion is not made a sympathetic strike OF
about 1900 other workmen at the yards
will be called.
The packers continue to hire new men to
take the places of the strikers. They say
| they will be able to operate their plants
| even If the sympathetic strike is called.
| Operations at the yards have reached 90
per cent of the normal business in the large
packing houses, and the announcement was
made that the output in all departments
will be increased daily.
Letter to Armour.
The letter to Mr. Armour was to be
signed by President Donnelly and inform
the employers In substance that the butcher
| workmen have conceded everything pos
sble and that If the packers consider the
| welfare of the men whom they have hired
sn &C the strike began to be of more i'm
| portance than that of the strikers that an
| appeal for assistance will be made TO all
| union men employed at the yards.
| The strike leaders Will remain at the
| Sherman House until a reply is received
from the packers In the event 1T is un-
| favorable the 1remen and engineers at
| the yards, it is said, viii be first appealed
to for sympathetic strike. These
unions, the strike leaders expect, will be
| followed by those of the coopers, steam
filters and other trades
Ask for Additional Police.
The packers request for additional po-
lice protection is said to have been in
spired by the receipt of information from
private sources that attacks on non-u union
| workers on trains bringing in men
| were being planned.
Appeal for Further Protection.
The stock yards firms made an appeal
today for additional protection for their
| plants. The appeal was accompanied, the
| police assert, by statement that trouble
was looked for at the stock yards today.
| Twenty reserve police were dispa tched to
| points where outbreak would be most
| likely to occur The packers fears were
| contrary to the expressed opinion of police
| officials that the force guarding the plants
| was more than adequate, and that 1t had
been the intention to reduce the number OF
| men Stationei there from 30 to 400.
Men Excite Mystery.
| A Michigan Central train today conveyed
| into the stock yards a number Of men.
| whose appearance caused much comment
| and about whom there was an air of mys-
| terry. The men were remarkably well Dress
| ed and most of them carried suit cases.
| Many wore eyeglasses. 1t was said these
| men were intended for Nelson Morris q
| Co. r.
| Today's mail is said to have brought the
| packers a communication from the stock
| mems association of Montana, offering to
| furnish 500 cowboy butchers. The letter
| read:
| These men can take care of themselves
! Shall we send them on?"
| The offer will not be accepted.
Packers Gaining Ground.
The packers say they are gaining ground
/ fast. 1t is claimed that there from
| 1900 to 5000 non-union men now working
| In the packing houses.
| Arthur Meeker. general manager of Ar
mour & Co.'S plant, said today:
| 1--WE are getting along fine without the
| unions. This is a big country and there -
| plenty of idle labor this year.
| ''Our plant is fairly well supplied with
labor in every department. think we have
/ the situation well In hand"
] Most Of the non-union workers sleep on