The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1904-07-29
REFUSE TO NEGOTIATE
PACKERS DECLINE TO MAKE ANY
MORE AGREEMENTS WITH
THE STRIKERS.
TROUBLE KEEPS SPREADING
FREIGHT HANDLERS At STOCK
YARDS STATION DECIDE TO
QUIT WORK.

QUIT WORK..
Chicago, July 2S.-"We had an
agreement with Mr.. Donnelly's or
ganization and the allied trades, which
they have failed to live up 70, and
under the circumstances we do not
care to make any further agreements
with them"
This is the statement which was
signed by the representatives Of the
packers and handed to the members
of the state board Of arbitration last
night at the end of a conference be-
tween the two bodies, held at the re-
quest of the state board in an en-
deavOr to bring about another meet
ing between the packers and the strlk-
erS.
The packers received the state
board c%ourteously and listened to
their argument for a peaceable ad-
justment of the difficulty. The IN
nouncement that the packers were op-
posed to any further peace negotia-
! lions with the strikers was handed
to the board by Arthur Meeker and
Thomas Conner, who represented the
| packers.
While from their statement it would
appear that the packers are opposed to
meeting the strikers again on any
terms, such is not the case. At the
last conference between the strikers
and the packers the latter informed
the union leaders that any time they
expressed a desire to live up to the
l 0ri nip a I ,hifrofinn q rrnarnonf ci0no6
q week ago, which provided for the
reinstatement of the striking butchers
inside OF forty-five days and for all
grievances to be submitted to arbitra-
ton, the packers would be willing to
renew the agreement. The contention
of the packers is that this agreement
Is still in force, and as they are I'M
willing to offer any further conces-
sions to the strikers they say a renew
al of peace negotiations with the hope
of securing better terms would be use
less.
Claim Agreement Mas NulIified.
The labor leaders claim that when
the butchers went on the second strike
because of alleged discrimination by
the packers in rehiring the old en-
ployes, the arbitration agreement was
nullif1ed and that it is necessary to
sign a new agreement before a settle
ment can be reached.
An unexpected complication arose
last night when the freight handlers
employed at the stockyards station of
the Chicago Junction railroad went on
strike. The men gave as their rea-
son for quitting work their unwilling
ness to handle meat turned out by
%nonunion workmen in the packing
plants. While the number Of freight
handlers employed at this station is
only forty men, still their decision to
join the sympathetic strike is a Sc
we're blow to the packers, as the great
or portion of the dressed meats
shipped from the yards to the local
trade passes through the hands of
these men. Should nonunion men be
engaged to take the places of the
strikers a strike of the union switch
men may follow. With the switchmen
out it would be only a matter of a
short time until the strike would
spread to the other employees Of the
railroad.
When the union teamsters went or
strike the Chicago Junction railroad
was depended on by the packers as a
means of supplying their downtown
customers. The strike last night.
however, leaves the packers without
an outlet for supplying the city trade
unless n%onunion men can be obtained
to take the place of the strikers, or
%nonunion teamsters be employed to
make city deliveries. A attempt to
deliver meat with nonunion teamsters
would without doubt p%recipitate riot.
ing.
police rule" was declared in the
stockya-ds district. Beginning Wednes.
day afternoon no one was allowed to
traverse the streets in the vicinity OF
the stockyards unless good cause
could be shown for doing so. This to
q great extent put a stop to the pick
citing by the strikers, which had been
going on all day up to the time the or
der was given. When night came the
police were complete masters of the
district. No n was allowed to loi
ter in the streets and any person
whether a striker or not. who Stopped
near the entrance to the yards was
sure to be told to move on" /.
TROUBLE IS ANTICIPATED.