The San Francisco call., 1904-07-14
EMPLOYERS
And UNION
TO CONFER
Illinois State Board
ArrangeS Plan
for Peace.
May Terminate the Contest
Between the Packers
and Their Men.
Initial Step Toward a Settlement of
Differences Is Taken at
Chicago

CHICAGO. July 13.-Arbitration of
the grievances which precipitated the
general strike in the meat packing
houses in various parts of the country
appears tonight to be in sight, and
conference between employers and
strikers will be held tomorrow morn
ing
The initial step toward a settlement
of the controversy by mediation was
taken late this evening by the State
Board Of Arbitration. When the men,
bers of the board reached Chicago they
at once went into conference with
Michael ]. Donnelly, the leader of the
strike, and listened to the story of his
side of the trouble. The members of
the board then interviewed the repre-
sentatives of the packers and their
side of the controversy was heard. AS
a result of these two conferences. DON
nelly sent communication to the
packers in which it was stated that the
unions were willing to accept a set
tlement through a board of arbitration.
No reply is expected from the employ
ers before tomorrow, but 1t is conf
IDENTIFY expected that their reply will be
conciliatory, because they offered to ar
bitrate the matter in dispute before the
strike was called.
Donnelly declared tonight that the
offer of arbitration from the packers
had not reached him before the strike
was called and that if the packers will
again make the same proposition it
would be accepted by the unions.
PLANTS ARE NOT CLOSED.
To-day bore out predictions of the
packing house proprietors that the big
strike would not cause a stoppage of
operations. In the great abattoirs
things moved slowly. indeed, but
they moved.
In all the packing houses some ami
mails were being slaughtered. Every
department was said to be doing some
thing, and was expected to increase
the activity tomorrow. Loading and
shipping were in progress, though
heavily curtailed, as was the buying of
cattle. Hundreds of workmen were
hired and put at work in the places
which had been vacated by thousands
On the other hand, the strike spread
somewhat by the action of the team
sters, in considerable numbers, but os-
tensibly acting as individuals, who re-
fused to handle product touched by
newly hired non-union workers. This
refusal was usually based on the time
honored plea that a different course
contracts notwithstanding, would put
the teamster in peril of his life.
Extensive installments of sleeping
cots and cooking apparatus for strike
breakers at the various packing houses
were apparently the main irritant cause
for action by the teamsters. although
there were a number of sporadic mob
outbreaks on a small scale.
ARMOUR VISITS THE YARDS.
The packing house inspectors did not
appear to share the alleged fear of
rnobs. ]. Ogden Armour went alone for
a tour of the stock yards. He was rec
ognized all along the way by strikers.
but met with no demonstration.
One of the most interesting state
ments made to-day regarding the
strike situation came from Miss Marv
E. Mcdowell, of the University of Chi
cago settlement, near the stock yards.
She said that the greatest difficulty the
union workmen had to expect was that
presented by the casual worker" who.
she said, was at the beck and call of
the plant superintendents There are
about 5000 of this class of laborers
around the yards looking for work. and
the regular workmen are in constant
fear they will be supplanted. Many of
these workers are now, it is said. being
engaged to take places of the strikers.
Miss Mcdowell remarked:
II do not expect serious trouble nm
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