The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-07-14
 jEING DONE Pqy,og Plants Still in
 s Operation.
THE OUTPUT VERY SMALL
So Far There Has Been No
 Violence.
President of the Union Again Denies that the WalkOut Was in Demand
 for Higher Scale
 of Wages.

Chicago, July 13.-TOday pore out predictions of the packing house pro- prietors that the strike would not cause a stoppage of operations. In the great abattoir district things moved slowly indeed today. but they moved.
 All the packing houses reported that they were slaughtering a little. Every department was said to be doing some work not much but some. and was ex- pected to increase the activity tomor- row. Loading and shipping was in progress though heavily curtailed. as was the buying of cattle. Some hum dreds of new workmen were hired and put to work in the places which had been vacated by thousands.
 On the other hand the strike in creased somewhat by the action of teamsters in considerable numbers. but
 ostensibly as individuals. refusing to handle products touched by newly
 hired non-union workmen. This re- fusal was usually based on the time
 honored plea that a different course.
 contracts notwithstanding, would put the teamster In peril of his life, Cots and Cooking Apparatus. Extensive installments of sleeping cots and cooking apparatus for strike
 breakers at the various packing houses
 was apparently the main irritant cause
 for action by the teamsters, although there were a number of sporadic mob
 outbreaks on a small scale.
 The packing house proprietors did
 not appear to share the alleged fear of
 mobs. J. Ogden Armour, alone in a
 runabout. made trip to the stock yards and the plants adjacent. He was recognized along the route by the strikers, but met with no demonstra- tion.
 One of the most interesting state ments today regarding the strike situa- ton came from Miss Mary F. Mcdowell of the University of Chicago settlement
 near the stockyards. She said that the greatest difficulty the union workmeu had to expect was that presented by the "casual worker" who. she said. were at the beck end ca1l of the plant superintendents. There are about 5000 of this class of laborers around the
 yards looking for work. according to
 Miss McDowell. and the regular work
 men are in constant fear that they will be supplanted. Many of these work
 men 1t is said. are now being engaged
 to take the places of the strikers. Troops Would Make Trouble. Miss Mcdowell made the remark: T don't expect serious trouble unless troops are called out"
 Attacking afresh the allegations that
  dent Donnelly. the strike leader. gave out the following statement today. ad- dressed to the public:
 Our organization is taking a stand against reduction in wages for labor in the plants owned and controlled by the following companies, which are those affected: Armour and Company. Swift and Company. Nelson Morris Company. National Packing Company. Schwartz C,,Y- our organization asks Is that IS 1-2 cents an hour be the minimum. In view of the fact that in nearly all of the departments the average working time Is forty hours week, it can be readily seen that our demands are not unreasonable. All of the independent companies are paying a much higher rate than we are asking the trust com- panies to pay. Our organization has never interfered with a reduction of working forces. except where our mem
 bers were discriminated against"
 Advance in Price of Meat.
 The consuming public will bear a
 large share of the burden in higher
 prices for meats. Reports already have
 come from various cities that prices
 of the product have been raised. This
 advance, too. was said to be a fore
 runner of others if the conflict con-
 tinues long.
 In addition to the slaughtering de- partments of all the plants being tied up, the strike affects branch indus
 tries in which such articles as butter inc, soap, buttons and combs are man
 ufactured. The canning departments, where beans, soups and all kinds of meats are put up are also hit hard, the union employees having gone out in a | body. Forty thousand persons, ap- proximately, find employment In the | big packing houses in Chicago, and | this number already has been reduced | one-half. The effect of the strike upon | the mechanical and olner departments, 1t is declared, will increase this army
 of unemployed in Chicago before the | end of the week to nearly 35.000. Arbitration Is looked upon as the
 only means to avert a prolonged strike. The strikers declare that they will be willing to consider any reasonable propositions submitted by the other | side
 The detail of the police at the stock yards has been increased in number l and all night the olncers patrolled the | strike district and the streets adjacent l to the yards in pairs.
 There was considerable speculation as to whether the packing house GedmSIeTS NOuIu BO OuI on a sym | pathetic strike. George Golden, busi- ness agent of the unIon, set all doubts at rest at a meeting of the teamsters
 Joint council by announcing that the | teamsters will remain at work as long
 as there Is work for them to do. l. Good Nature Prevails. A crowd of men and boys. number | ing more than 5000. for the most part | striking employees, gathered in squads | today about the entr l1ce to the stock yards and discussed the situation. Most | of them were in holiday attire. In gen. | eral the greatest good nature prevailed. The only activity specially noticeable within the great gloomy and deserted looking buildings was at the Swift and | Armour plants. Tn the canning depart ment of the Swift establishment a | number of men were at work. while at Armour's gang of men were busy l loading provisions into string or | refrigerator cars.
 With seeming certainty of meat famine. should the strike last more