Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-07-26
No Settlement in Chi.
cago Yards.
Industrial Matters Which May
Involve Whole Country.
Sympathetic Strike, and the Last by
the Transfers Union Comes to a
Hcad-The Conditions and Circum-
stances.

Chicago, July 25.-Chicago's SYM
pathetic general strike at the stock
yards. predicted by its leaders to be
the greatest and most expensive this
country has ever known, began at 10
O'Clock. today, when thousands of
teamsters. cattle handlers, and MEM
Ders of the mechanical trades quit
work and made a grand rush from the
gates leading from the busy square
mile OF buildings, yards and pens
The first big detection came when 700
men. including the scalers and pen
cleaners. employed by the Union Stock
Yards 4 Transit Co. refused to work
further. First to go were the handlers,
and this eliminated the usefulness Of
the transfers and they followed As
they passed out Of the big gates they
we're greeted with cheers by the thous-
ands Of strikers gathered in the vicini-
| ty.
] Prior to his spectacular exodus came
small strikes in the various plants. in
Guiding carpenters firemcn, elevator
men, machinists. etc, but these did
not have the effect of tying up the
plants since such action had been an
tiCipatcd and as a union man stepped
/ out his place was filled. The Transfers
and cattle handlers as a whole refused
! to join in the preconference. but !,
large number of them quit and quietly
, left the wards to attend a big mass
! meeting called for the benefit Of all
who had refused results of further con-
/ fcrrnces.
/ While these walk outs were taking
| place, a conference between strike rep
rc"cntativcs and the packers was being
held at the offices of Nelson Morris &
Co.. at the wards and the delegat es
renresenting the allied trades were IN
! session at Emerald avenue and Forty
4 first street. Earlier-in the day the al
lied trades and the committee Of eigh,
tcamstors chosen last night to seek
peace anew before permitting the team.
stcrs to strike had been urged by
President Donnclly Of tho meat cutters
to declare the general strike and then
: sock 4 further conference with the
packers. There was a lively debate.
! IT was finally arranged that Presi-
| dent Schardt representing the Chicago
| Federation of Labor. and Barney Co
hen. representing the Butchers Union,
should Join the Transfers Union COM
mitt"e to which had been added John
! Sheridan. business agent of the Ice
Wagon Drivers.
| There are@12Oo ice wagon drivers en-
ploved by the packers.
Under instructions the representa-
! trcs of labor told the packers that
they could not waive their demand for
, reinstatement of cattle butchers and
meat cutters within As hours and with
in 10 days for all others. and for in
J diyidual arbitration in al cases of al
| legged discrimination. The conference
was secret and after it had lasted sew
| eral hours representative of the
/ packers said no progress had been made
and that Il settlement seemed as far
, off as ever.
| While the peace conference was in
| session. news came of the strike of all
the live stock handlers, which was
called at 10 o'clock. Most of the men
quit promptly at that hour, but many
were allowed until 2 o'clock in the af-
| ternOon to finish delivering cattle out
side the yards. Independent packers
took advantage of this and droves Of
cattle and sheep were driven out of the
yards long after 10 o'clock.
| When it became known that the
| waIk-out of the livestock handlers az
fccted the independent packers repre-
sentatives called en- the strike officials
/ to ask for special provision allowing
| them to secure cattle from the yards
| in tho regular way. The representa-
tives of the allied packing house trades
| promised to take the question up at
| formal meeting.
Meanwhile the sympathetic general
strike had spread rapidly. When the
scalemen got word to quit they locked
, their scales and left.
Only a small majority of the ma
chnists responded to the call of their
leaders. The electricians and dynamo
men. however. made large assertions.
CONTINUED on page ~