Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1904-07-15
A MEAT FAMINE
is THREATENED.
GREAT STRIKE PARALYzEs THE
PACKING INDUSTRY.
CAUSED BY A WAGE DISPUTE
Over 100, 900 Men Will Be Affected
Strike Extends to Several Cities
Men Lay Down Their Tools
and Walk Out.

yards strike, expected to paralyze the
meat industry for time at least, began
Tuesday. I
More than 1000 workmen in the pack
ing houses affected by the strike quit
work by 1880 a. M, anticipating by an
hour the strike order. Up to two o'clock
1900 employees had quit work.
Price Of Meat Goes UP.
The effect of the strike upon the food
supply of the country and the rise in
prices of meats will no doubt be tremen-
dous, and was felt at the very start. Meat
shot up three cents pound the minute
the men went out. Commission men tele-
graphed their customers throughout
the country to cease shipping hogs and
cattle. The railroad companies also mo-
titled their agents in every small town in
the country not to accept cattle for ship
ment to Chicago and the other points
where the strike reaches The result Is
that shippers have ceased sending cat
tie to market. Consequently, unless the
packers replace the strikers with other
employers and resume the operation of
their plants before long, 1t will only be
short time before the majority of the
people of the land will be forced to be-
come vegetarians.
Cities Involved in Tie-Up.
The number Of men and women em-
ployed in the packing houses at the varl-
Gus cities is estimated as follows: Chi
cago, $1,000; Kansas City, 10000; st. Jo-
seph, 5000; East st. Louis, 5000; South
Omaha, 5000; Fort Worth, 1900; New
York, 1900; st. Paul, 800; Sioux City.
800. In addition to this great total, an
other $4,000 workers will be made idle
through the strike of the butchers.
Branch stores and agencies will be prac-
tically closed while the struggle contin-
ues, and many af1liated branches OF
trade will be affected.
Wage Dispute Causes Trouble.
1t was the dispute over the wages Of
the unskilled laborers that precipitated
| the present trouble. Before May % last
all crafts at the yards had contracts with
their employees and the laborers received
1874 cents an hour. On May % the Joint
| trade agreements expired. Several Of
the companies undertook to reduce the
scale for unskilled workers to 17h cents
| and there were several delays before
negotiations were started for renewal
| Of the old contract by the union officials.
| The executive board Of the international
| organization insisted upon 1871 cents an
hour for laborers, and last Friday, after
numerous conferences had been held.
| the packers representatives informed
the union leaders that liz cents was all
that would be paid. Secret plans for Q
strike have been under way since then,
Other demands are: A uniform wage
scale, based on the highest amount paid
in any city for the department affectedI
new agreements for all departments q
ten-hour day.
At Kansas City.
| Kansas City, Mo-. July 13.-Nisht
thousand meat cutters. butchers and
others affiliated with the Amalgamated
Meat Cutters and Butchers Work
mems union. constituting the entire
forces in those departments in the siz
big packing plants here, struck Tues
day, in response to President Donnel
ly's order Of Monday calling the mel
out. As a result all the plants are shu
down and 1880 employees in the vari
GUS departments are affected.
i At South Omaha.
Omaha, Neb., July 13.-At nool
I Tuesday 1000 employees Of the fou
packing houses at South Omaha lai'
down their tools and went out O,
strike The packing plants aftecte'
are those Of Armour. Swift Cudah.
and the Omaha Packing company
The strike is the result Of an orde
received from Second Vice Presiden
Vail. of the Amalgamated Meat Cut
ters' and Butchers union and affect
practically every man employed in tn
packing houses, skilled and unskillst
! No Trouble at st. Joseph.
st. Joseph, Mo-, July 13.-Nore thal
5000 employees Of Swift q Co., Nelsol
Morris & Co., and the Hammond Pack
ing company in South st. Joseph wen
out on strike at noon Tuesday and tn
plants have closed down. The striker
are orderly and there has been no al
tempt at denomination OF any kint
; Follow Suit at ST. Paul.
st. Paul, Mimi, July 13.-Followin
the example Of the meat cutters in Chi
cago and Kansas City, about 700 en-
ployes Of Swift & Co., In South st. Pau
went out on a strike at noon Tuesda!
Thousand Out at Sioux City.
Sioux City, Ia, July 13.-About loo
men in the Cudahy packing plant her
; obeyed the order to strike. The plar
was forced to shut down. Business 6
the stock yards is at standstill a. r,
suit.