Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-13
Meat Cutters Anticipate
the Great Strike
And Several Hundred Tie Up
Chicago Houses.
-.
Other Cities Somewhat Affected and
the Day Of tho Small Siaughtcrer Is
Believed to Be Once More on the
Probable List.

43,ooU employees IN the nine PRINCIPAL
meat packing centers of the country.
beef cutters at the stock Yards here
quit work considerably ahead of the
time expected. The men who thus an
ticipatcd were 100 in number.
The ranks of the strikers were coon
swelled to total of 1000 by employees
from the Armour plant, who walked
ont rs soon as their work for the day
was cleared up. Others are expected to
quit as soon as their work is finished.
Edward Morris. vice president of
Nelson Morris Il Co., said that the
company's plant did not have more
than three or four days supply of
dress in the meats on hand.
The Swift plant has about three
days supply.
Before there was any actual cessa-
ton of work, Chief of Police O'Neill
made tour of stock yards with q
view Of deciding the best manner of
disposing of the police for protection
against possible violence. Assistant
Chief of Police Schuctler. who was ac-
tive during the recent strike of street
railway employees, will probably be de-
tailed at the stock yards in case of
serious trouble.
There was no disorder in the de.
pHrturc of the first squad of strikers.
The police professed not to expect
trouble for 10 days, indications being,
it WAS said, that new men would mt
he put to work in the packing houses
for that length of time.
a rise i'm the price of meat it was
said, would be the first effect of cessa-
ton OF work in the packing houses.
StaGnatiOn marked the cattle market,
a: the packers had warned the commits
sion houses that there would he no
buying today. Repro scntativcs of the
packers said the packing firms had
done everything that could be done to
avert strike by offering to arbitrate
before Il dis-intcrestcd body. the qucs-
tions over which a difference with the
labor unions arose.
The 100 cutters who quit in advance
included employees of all the packing
firms affected by the strike order. The
i, cutters for one firm. Armour & Co, did
no work whatever today.
The ranks of the strikers were soon
swclled to . total OF 20OO by employees
from the Armour plant. who walked
ont as soon as their work for the day
was cleared up. Others are expected
To Quit rs soon as their work is finish
Cd
Edward Morris, vice president o.
Nelson Morris &; Co., said that the
comranys plant did not have moro
than there Or four days supply OF
dressed meats on hand.
The Swift plant has about three days
supply.
Promptly on time the general walk
out began. Schwarzchild & Sulzber-
ger. the National Packing Co.. and Il
number of minor plants were at once
affected.
IT was said that the last of the mon
would not be out il the various larg-
or plantG until perhaps 1880 tonight.
At $50 T. NJ. the total number who had
quit work was estimated ut 15,0oo. word
was received that 5000 men had quit
at East St Louis ana 1000 at Sioux city.
One hundred girls employed in the
label department of Nelson Morris Il
Co, struck with the men.
. No definite arrangements have been
made for the hiring of non-union men.
The packers were caught in a measure
unpreparcd. The secrecy observed by
the union mon prevented the packers
from stopping shipments of cattle.
The yards are well filled and train
loads are arriving hourly. The stock
yards commission houses ut once be-
gan wiring to all shipping points, adj
vising cattlcmen to hold their stock
until further notice.
The packers say there is fresh meat
enough in Chicago TO last about 10 days.
The few small packing houses in Chi
cago not affected by the strike can sup
ply only an insignificant part of the
demand.
The employers of the Union Stock
Yards here are not affected by the
strike of the packing house employees
and while in view of notices sent by
commission houses to their country
customers, SHIPMENTS may fall off to
some extent. it is expected that cattle.
hogs and sheep will still continue to
come in. This expectation grows OUT
of the fact that under the recent deci-
sion of the interstate commerce that
rates shall be equal to large and small
shippers and that no rebates are per-
MISSILE. the little slaughterers in Chi
cago and the East will require more
cattle because of the decreased killing
by the big packers on account of the
strike.
If the strike continues long it is prob
able that many small slaughterers will
resume business again in the large
cities throughout the country and that
the large part Of the cattle, sheep and
hogs received at the Union Stock Yards
here will be bought and shipped East.
1t was stated at the yards, today. that
since that decisioV of the Interstate
commerce commission. the purchase OF
animals on the ho,2f for Eastern con-
sumption have 10 largely increased that
they are now almost equal to the total
bought by the pcaf packers.
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