Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1904-09-03
But is With Stock Yards
Men as Far as
Possible
AND WILLING TO AID
The Threatened Meat Famine
to be Forced at All
Costs.

Chicago. Sept 3.-President Comp
ers. of the American Federation of
Labor, has refused to call meeting
of the national executive council To
recommend general sympathetic action
of unionists in support of the packing
house strike.
The reason assigned by Gompers
for not calling the meeting is that the
executive council will be in session
Sept. y and its members cannot be
gotten together for a special meeting
before that date Gompers expresses
sympathy with the stock yards strikers
and pledges them all the support with
in his power
The Threatened Famine.
Chicago, Sept. 3.-The most start
ling development in the strike situa-
tion was the statement by President
Donnelly that if all the other plans
failed the strikers intend to call out
all of them who in any way aid the
packers in filling their orders or the
slaughtering of cattle. This. it is fear
ed, will cause meat famine, am it is
believed TO be the high card OF the
strikers.
Indications are that five of the in
dependent packers within the stock
yards enclosure will join the big pack
ers in their fight, while those outside
will endeavor TO continue operations
with nQn-union crews. The indepen-
dent packers, accompanied by a COM
mittee of retailers, held a long confer
ence with President DonnelIy and the
strike leaders, asking permission to
remove from the stock yards live stock
purchased before the stock handlers
strike was declared. Only one sucn
permit was issued, allowing 500 sheep
to be taken out. Police records of
the strike at the stock yards station
to date reads:
Assaults, 4G; murders, 4 accidents,
| 81; removed to hospital, 43
On What II Depends.
~ meat famine will be forced at all
costs. 1t is the best weapon with
which to fight the trust and the pack
| ers. although it may not be welcomed
by the independents"
In these words President DOnnelly,
Of the Butchers organization declared
a boycott against all meat and an
nounced the union men will quit in all
the packing establishments regardless
of whore the livestock is secured.
Whether Chicago is to go without
meat is in the hands of the union team
sters of the city. They have taken the
stand that they will haul no meat from
the big packing plants while the strike
of the butcher worllmen continues.
Supplies from other sources for city
consumption will be exhausted before
Sunday.
The market men say the provisions
in their rcfrigerators will be used up
| by tonight. The independent" pack
| ers, from whom the dealers have been
purchasing since the beginning of the
strike, will kill their last stock before
| the week is out TLey can get no
more cattle without driving them on
! the hOOf from unloading places outside
| the zone controlled by the Chicago
Junction railroad. Sheep and hogs
Will be out of the question.
Report of IA Proposition.
| Chicago. Sept. 3.-The allied trades
lcouncil is holding secret meeting. 4
member of the executive board of the
butcher workmen is authority for the
statement that the packers have sub
mitted a proposition TO the council.
| None of the packers would verify the