Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-14
THINGS MOVE.
Continued from page -

dent that no violence would be attempt
ed today 300 police were detailed to
guard the stock yards. Hundreds Of
strikers, laughing and joking, were in
line at various points during the day
to receive their pay. No attempt to an
noy the men at work was made by the
strikers.
Libbey. Mcneil & Libbey secured a
sufficient number Of non-union girls to
resume operations in the canning de-
partment. Reports of the firm said that
many of the girls who went out. yes
terday had returned.
By noon every packing house in the
stock yards claimed to have men at
work. Unemployed men in considerable
numbers fiocked to the stock yards and
all applicants appearing competent
were at once hired and put at work.
With seeming certainty of a meat
famine. should the strike last more
than a week, both the packers and the
strike leaders took a serious view of
the situation, today. Each side thought
fully considered the arbitration chan
mel of escape from the entanglements.
Indeed, predictions were ventured that
an armistice might be arranged within
"a hours
President Donnelly, of the Butcher
Workmen's Union, expressed regret
that the packers offer to arbtrate had
not been made earlier. when the strike
might have been averted.
THE delay of the packers to agree
to arbitra tiOn,' he said, lis RESPONSE
BILE for the strike. They did not make
known their position until after the
unions had declared the strike and
then it was too late for me TO do any
thing to stop the trouble. 1t will be in
expensive war, but apparently it will
have to be fought out. We are strong
stronger than the packers. for we have
the whole country to draw upon for
sustenance and have no dividends 90
pay. If the packing plants are idle a
month it will eat up all their dividends
for two years"
In spite of expressed hopes for an
early adjustment of the difficulties. the
packers hurried preparations for Il
siege. Every office employee in the
stock yards was ordered to report an
hour earlier than usual and hurryins
through such office duties as We're alb
selves at work in the strikers places. 1t
was claimed by the superintendent of
various plants that there would be no
trouble in supplying all vacancies with
in a day or two with capable men.
Informa ton credited to union sources
was to the effect that negro workmen
were being brought to Chicago by the
larger packers. Nelson Norris & Co. it
h.,1 cd
union workers into the yards in covered
wagons. Four Independent small pack
ing houses inside the stock yards We're
reported running. These We're Booer &
Co, Roberts & Oaks. Boyd & Lunham
and Thomas Phorkildsen & Go.
Louis +. Swift. president of Swift &;
Co, was asked as to the probable effect
OF the strike upon prices of meats
throughout the country and regarding
the stocks on hand. He said:
Il do not expect that there will be any
serious scarcity in the supply of meats.
Prices will not be materially advanced.
In any event the supply of fresh meat
throughout the country is sufficient to
last Is or 20 days and there is enough
cured mcats-hams, bacon, etc, to last
six months"
Other packers spoke to practlcally the
same effect.
In Chicago Porter House steak had
advanced two cents a pound, pork chops
chops IL cents and other meats in pro-
portion.
one remarkable feature of the strike
is the absence of anything like syste-
matte picketing on the part of the
strikers. Many wagons loaded with
meat were sent out of the yards, today.
without interference. The packers
declare they have made no effort to i'm
port labor They say that Chicago has
thousands of unemployed men who can
be called upon with certainty of re-
Spouse. Some disorder occurred at the
western entrance of the stock yards.
Polish laborers endeavored to inter-
ferc with union firemen and engineers
who had not struck. one man belong
ing to the Firemen's Union was knock
ell down before the assailants were
made to understand that the union to
which he belonged had not been called
upon to strike. a meat laden wagon
in Forty third street was attacked and
overturned. The traces were cut, the
horses turned loose and the driver was
compelled to take refuge in Il store.