The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1904-07-14
MEAT PACKERS ON STRIKE,
Fifty Thousand Men Employed in
Big Packing Plants Quit.
Strike VIII Send Up the Price of Meat
Strikes On i'll the Packing
Centeis.
NUMBER OF MEN OUT.


st. Joseph, Mo. ........... 5000
Omaha, Neb 1000
East s.. Louis, III. ........ 5000
Sioux City, Ia......,..... 1000
ST. LOUIS. .............. 1900
Fort Worth, Tex ........ 500
Chicago, H., July 12-Without wait
ing till the hour set for general strike
of the $4,000 employees in the nine prin-
cipal meat packing centers Of the couh-
try, beef cutters at the stock yards here
quit considerably ahead Of the time ex-
pected. The men who thus anticipated
were 700 in number.
Before there was any actual cessation
Of work, CHEF OF Police O'Neill made Il
tour of the stock yards with a view to
deciding the best manner Of disposing OF
the police for protection against possible
violence. Half Of the total number or
policemen at the stock yards station and
at two adjoining stations were ordered
held IN reserve 10 De available to
meet any outbreak Other stations IN
the southern divisions Of the city
were notified TO have the policemen
prepared for extra duty. 1t was stated
that Assistant Chief of Police Schuettier
who was active during the recent strike
Of street railway employees, would prop
ably be detailed at the stockyards III case
of serious trouble, and that police there
would be reinforced by detectives work
ing out of his office.
No Rioting Yet.
There was no disorder in the departure
Of the first squad OF strikers. While TAX
ine measures to be ready, remembering
riots during the last great tic-up Mt the
yards, the police prOfessed not to expect
trouble for ten days, indications being,
il was said, that new men would not be
put to work in the packing houses for
that length Of time.
Rise in Price Of Meat.
A rise in the price of meat, it was said,
would be the first effect of cessation Of
work in the packing houses.
Slagnation marked the cattle market,
n the packers had warned commission
firms that there would be no buying to-
day Representatives Of tho packers
said the packing firms had done every
thing that could be done to avert 4
strike by offering to arbitratc before a
disinterested body the questions over
which difference with the labor unions
arose.
The 700 cutters who quit in advance
included employees Of all the packing
firms affected by the strike order The
cutters for one firm. Armour Il Co, did
no work whatever today.
At p. IN. the total number who had
already quit work was estimated at H.
UOD.
No definite arrangements have been
made by any Of the packers for the Lir-
ing Of nonuni0n men.
Five carloads OF cots. however. are
distributed among the various plants
rJa lbs han,
strike seemed imminent.
The secrecy observed by the union men
prevented the packers from stopping
shipments Of cattle. y a result the
yards are well filled and trainloads are
arriving hourly.
Meat Famine Soon.
The packers say there is fresh meat
enough in Chicago 10 last about ten DAYS
There are a few small packing houses
in Chicago that are not affected by the
strike. but they can supply only an in.
significant part of the demand.
Six Kansas City Plants Closed.
Kansas City. Mo-, July Eight
thousand meat cutters, butchers and 9TH
ers affiliated with the Amalgamated
Meat Cutters and Butchers Workmens
union, constituting the entire force in
those departments in the six big packing
plants here, struck today. As a result all
the plants are shut down, and -, 600
employees in the various departments are
affected.
Those our or affected by the strike of
tlc meat cutters aud butchers are dis
tributed MS follows:
Armour, $3.50 Swift 2so0; Cudahy, 900;
Schwar2chlld x Suzborgcr, 20OO; Fowler,
1900 Ruddy brothers, 500.
Prepared for Long Struggle
st. Louis Mo, July 10 Eighteen hun
dred butchers and cutters struck prompt
~ at noon today There was no confus-
ion and It'll" excitement attending the
wall-out. officials IF the local union de-
clare that they are prepared for tnan.
cally for long struggle while the man
ayers Of the packing houses make equal
~ confident assertions regarding their
ability to keep the packing houses open.
At Sioux City.
Sioux City, Ia. July - About 1000
men IN the Cudahy Packing plant here
obeyed the order 10 strike The plant
was forced 10 shut down.
Omaha Plants Tied Up.
Omaha, Nch.. July 12.-N noon today
1000 employees Of the four packing
houses at south Omaha laid down thcir
tools The packing plants aflcrted are
those OF AunaHL Swift, tudany and
the Omaha Packing company. Tho a..
mandS of he strikers arc for higher
wages for the skilled aud a closed shop
for unskllicd labor. The packers say
they viii make no attempt to operate
their plants for the present. \ state
mcut ut the position Of the local packers
shows Thar they are unanimous in their
refusal 20 arccde 10 the demands Of the
men. They claim that conditions do not
Warru, au iuerca 70 in wages.
Sympathctic Cfyika