The daily silver state. [volume] (Winnemucca, Nev.) 1903-1907, 1904-07-26
PACKERS sTR|KEEX-
TENDING
Allied Trades Join in the Great
Struggle Against the
Meat Combine

Chicago, July 25.-Chicago's sympathetic
general strike at the stockyards. predict
ed by its leaders to be the greatest and
most expensive this country has ever
known. began at 10 o'clock today, when
thousands of teamsters cattle handlers
and members of the mechanical trades
quit work and made grand rush for the
gates leading from the busiest square
world.
The first big detection came when seven
hundred men, including the scalders and
pen cleaners employed by the Union Stock
Yards and Transit company. refused to
work further.
First to go were the handlers. This
eliminated the usefulness Of teamsters
and they followed
As they passed out of the big gates at
Exchange avenue they were greeted with
cheers by the thousands of strikers gath
cred in the vicinity.
Prior to this spectacular exodus came
small strikes in the various plants, includ-
ing carpenters, firemen, elevator men.
machinists. etc. but these did not have
the effect of tieing up the plants, since
such action had been anticipated. and as
often as a union man stepped out a non-
union man who had deserted his organ
ization, was there to take his place The
teamsters and cattle handlers as a whole
employed by the various individual firms
refused to join in the pre-conference
movement so much desired and ardently
urged by President Donnelly's union, but
large number of them quit and quietly
ing called for the benefit Of all who had
refused to await results of further con-
.erences
While these walkouts were taking place
conference between strike representa-
tives and the packers was being held at
the offices of Nielsen. Morris & Co., at
the yards. and the delegates representing
the Allied Trades were In session at EN-
erald avenue and Forty-frst street.
While the peace conference was in ses-
sion news came of all the livestock ham
dlers. Independent packers took advan-
tage of this and droves of cattle and
sheep were driven out CT the yards long
after 10 o'clock When 1t became known
that the walkout of the livestock ham
dlers affected the independent packers as
we'll as those against whom the strike
mad been called, representatives of the
to ask for special provision allowing
them TO secure cattle from the yards in
me regular way.
Representatives Of the Allied Packing
House Trades promised to take the ques-
lion up at a formal meeting.
Meanwhile the sympathetic general
strike had spread rapidly. When the
scale men quit many of them left un-
weighed cattle on the scales. Not all the
machinists went out. The electricians
and dynamo men, however. made large
desertions. Their places were asserted to
have been quickly filled.
The strike movement soon involved
every craft at the stockyards. excepting
.ne teams.ers, steamhtters. plumbers box
makers. etc. walked out successfully.
.nese departments being totally tied up
in some instances and but partially in
others. There was no violence during the
walkouts.
The strike. although general, was con-
Quoted apparently without the official au-
thorization by the heads of the various
unions, but solely upon the order OF the
business agents. who refused to await
the action of the peace conference which
was still in session
The joint peace conference of the team
sters and packers at Morris & Co. S office
ended without making much. If any prog
less. The packers demand that the union
men come to them with definite propo-
sition. The union committee returned to
headquarters to confer with the butchers
and allied trades, in the hope. 1t was
said, that something definite in the way
Of new proposal could be decided upon
After the adjournment of the peace
conference the fact developed that the
sympathetic strike had been officially
authorized by the proper boards of all
allied trades at the stcckyards, with the
exception OF the packing house team
sters.