The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-07-14
Packers and Unions NH Haze
 Meeting Today
PRICE OF MEAT IS SOARING
Very Little Disturbance Is Noted al Chicago Stock Yards, Although Many Non-Union Men Are
 Going to Work

Chicago, July i3.-Arbitrators of the 1 grievances which precipitated she general I strike in the meat packing houses in vari- ous parts of the country appears tonight I to be in sight. and a conference between I employers and strikers will he held tomor- row morning. The initial step toward settlement of the controversy by media ton was taken late this evening by the state board of arbitration. When the members of the board reached Chicago they at once went into conference with Michael J. DonneIy, the leader of the strike, and listened to the story of his side of the trouble.
 The members of the board then inter. viewed the representatives of the packers and their side of the difficulty was heard. As a result of these two conferences. Mr. Donnelly sent communication to the packers in which it was stated that tha unions were willing to accept a settlement through a board of arbitration. No reply Is expected from the employers before to- morrow, but 1t Is confdentlyl expected that the reply will be conciliatory because they offered to arbitrate the matters in dispute before the strike was called
 MT. Donnelly declared tonight that tha offer of arbitration from the packers had not reached him before the strike was called and that if the packers will again make the same proposition 1t will be ac- eepted by the unions. The members of the state board of arbitration said to- night that in their opinion all those ir control of the struggle on both sides ap- peared anxious to adopt eoncilatory measures and peaceable settlement of the trouble undoubtedly will be reached in short time.
 Conference Arranged for Today Shortly before Il o'clock tonight after assiduously using the telephones be- tween the headquarters. of the unions and the packers, the state board of arbitra- ton arranged a meeting between the officers of the unions and representatives of the packers for 10 o'clock tomorrow morning.
 Today bore predictions of the packing house proprietors that the strike would not cause stoppage of operation In the great abbatoir district things mova slowly, indeed, today, but they move.
 All the packing houses reported that they were slaughtering a little. Every department was said to be doing some work, not much. but some. and was ex- pected to increase the activity tomorrow, Receiving and shipping was i'll progress though heavily curtailed. as was the buy ing of cattle. Some hundreds of new worlmen were hired and put to work in the places which had been vacated by , thousands
 On ha fhap ,I ff.. t.tf.a somewhat by the action of steamers Tn considerable numbers. but ostensibly as individuals refusing to handle products touched by newly hired non-union work men. This refusal was usually based on the time-honored plea that a different course, contracts notwithstanding, would put the teamster in peril of his life. Ex- tenslve installment of sleeping cots and cooking apparatus for strike-b breakers at the various packing houses, was ap- parently the main irrtant for the action of the teamsters although there were a number of sporadic mob outbreaks on a small scale.
 Did Not Fear Mobs.
 The packing house proprietors did not appear to share the alleged fear of mobs. J. ogden Armour, alone in runabout made q trip to the stockyards and the plants adjacent He was recog- nized along by the strikers but met with no demonstrations.
 One of the most interesting statements today regarding the strike situation came from Miss Mary Mcdowell of the L'ni- versty of Chicago. settlement near tho stock yards. She said that the greatest difficulty for the union wcr5mon to ex- pect was that presented by the casual worker who. she said, were at the beck and call of the plant superintendents There are about 5000 of this class of la-
 
 work. according to Miss Mcdowell. and the regular workmen are in constant fear that they will be suppanted. Many of these workmen. it is said now being engaged to take the places of the strk- CTS
 Miss Mcdowell made the remark: T don't expect serious trouble uuless troops are called out
 DonnelIy Makes Statement.
 Attacking afresh the allegations that the strike is for increased wages. Pres ident Donnely, the strike leader gave out the following statement today addressed 10 the public.
 "Our organization Is taking a stand against reduction in wages for labor in the plants owned and controlled by the following companies, which are those af- fected:
 Armour & Co., Swift & Co. Nelson, Morris X Co., National Packing company. SchWartzcheild & SulZDerger ana Cudahy. All our organization asks is that 1Ska cents an hour be the minimum. In view of the fact that in nearly all of the departments the average working time Is forty hours week, it can be readily seen that our demands are not unreasonable. All of the independent companies are paving a much higher rate than we are asking the trust companies to pay. Our organ ization has never interferred with a re- auction of working forces except where our members were discriminated agalnst''