Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1918-02-26
0'HERN SAYS '
EIGHT HOURS
lMPRACTlCABLE
Declares Packing Plants
Would Have to be Great
. " Enlarged.

Chicago, Feb. 26.-John f.. O'Hern,
general superintendent for Armour &.
Co., today continued his testimony in
the, stockyards wage arbitration by
giving reasons why he considered the
eight hour day impra cticable for
stockyards employees during the war.
He said the killing plants were con
structed on the basis of a ten hour
day and that the other departments
were standardized accordingly.
To onerate on an eight hour basis,
he said, every packing plant would
have to be enlarged and reconstructed,
which work would take two years and
cost THOUSANDS of dollars.
The seasonable character Of live
stock receipts, he said. was an i'm
pertant faeter in faver of the ten
hour plan. Fifty per cent Of live
stock, he testified, was received in
September, October, November, De-
cemher and January.
He asserted an increase in the mum
Der of men employed under an eight
hour maximum output unless the
equipment was materially enlarged.
Mr. O'Hern said government inspec-
ton regulations require a cleanup of
the plant daily, which takes about
four hours. This, he said, would make
it impracticable to operate three eight
hour shifts in the rush season or ever
two eight hour shifts daily.
The highly perishable character of
the product and the extreme care
necessary in handling require that
time at certain seasons, the witness
said. ~
81 believe the packing industry as
a whole a met the demands of the
situation caused by the war, perhaps
better than any other industry in the
United States" said Mr.. O'Hern. "0ul
equipment and work plan is such thai
we a continue to do this If condi-
tons remain unchanged" >
Recommendation to increase the
percentage Of negro help at the Den.
tanned iii a letter to Louis y. Swift
and signed Swift e. Co.. per j. H. B.
1t said the intention was to get. this
percentage Is per cent or higher "as
soon as we possibly can" The letter
was not dated. '&:
The next letter. addressed to the
Swift company at Denver, July II
1917, and signed ~. Burns" read:
Answering. Want o to work
house becoming organized, handling
SO as not to force strike. Advise fine
cause other than being members labor
unions for dropping W men men.
! toned or other active members ane
dispense with services as o as pos.
sible."
The third, from the flies of Wilson
6. Co, April 6, 1915, signed &C. 3
| Hamill, attorney" reads in part:
t"In the Illinois eight hour bill.
""As per arrangement with the
| 1@rSov !, ;<t1, want toA CpNrin OfoI1 In t
Monday and remained there unit
Thursday night, working for the de.
feat Of this ,6ill.,' The writer believed
| the bill would be defeated, but said
| that MediIl Mccormick, sponsor fol
the bill, ''injects bitterness into prac.
tically every question that he asks
MFR. Hamiii said that he was con-
WINGED that a subcommittee. an:
pointed to investigate throughout the
ed such q law, Twill have the desires
effect"
! Next came a letter on August II
1917. from Louis +. to Edgard F
Swift. reading:
IF it looks as though our Sieul
City men are going out. What Weul
you think Of telling them just before
they go out that If they ge cut the
plant will be closed down perma'
! nently?
This. to a certain extent, is q
but sometimes I like to try q thint
once to see whether or not it will
work"
A letter from Wilson & Co.'s files
dated Kansas City, 1915, addressed t.
IVY. r. Brown, Kansas legislature
and signed 20. 8. B." mentioned tina
Governor Capper had mentioned
strengthening the compensation act
The letter continued: