Arizona republican., 1921-03-13
PACKERS AND EMPL0YES 10
 co TIER WITH LABOR CHIEF
Packers Willing to Meet With Labor Department Provided Questions of Wages and Hours Will Not be at Issue
LRepubIican A. p. Leased Wirel

lhepuDiiCdu A. F. Leased wire
 CHICAGO, March 12.-After an all- day discussion by heads of the pack ing industry, a telegfam was sent Sec retary of Labor Davis at Washington accepting his suggestion that they send two representatives to confer with him and two representatives of the employees regarding the situation Tn the industry.
 The telegram, signed by Armour & company, said:
 Your message received. Will be glad to follow your suggestion"
 A statement given out said:
 we assume that the justice and necessity of wage cuts will not be at issue. Nor can there justly be an is sue on the matter of hours
 Secretary Davis offer of personal mediation in an effort to avert a threatened strike also was accepted by the union leaders. Dennis Lane of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butch CT Workmen's Union of North America, sending telegram to him. It said:
 'Tt has always been and is the policy of our organization to cooperate with all governmental agencies. We accept your tender of services to work out a solution of the situation which has been brought about by the deliberate and arbitrary violation and repudiation by the five big packers of the agreement between your department, our and other labor organizations ana the packers.
 We note that you specify no date for conference and we have information that the packers contemplate taking advantage of that fact This and the other organizations who are parties to the agreement between your depart ment and the packers will arrange to select representatives to attend confer ence when you set a date. We sug- gest such conference be held in Wash ington, March 1S."
 The statement issued by the packers does not mention the war time arbi- tratton agreement cancelled by them February 26 and says regarding the announced reductions of wages and re- adjustment of working hours that ''ex- cept through such measures as we have adopted the possibility of industrial difficulties might close our plants would stare us in the face" It says.
 "The nations insistence on a return to normal and it's refusal to pay war prices in peace times, has caused prices of our products to drop to what are practically pre-war levels This has forced the price of livestock down to a point which threatens the existence of the livestock industry. Our own business has been conducted at a loss for two years, but our operating ex- penses remained at the war time peax. Wage reductions. therefore, are essen tial, not only from the employers standpoint. but from the standpoint of livestock producers, who are hay ing to bear with us the losses.
 We assume that the justice and ne cessity of wage cuts will not be at is sue. Nor can there justly be an issue on hours. These companies are not responsible for the fluctuations in live stock receipts-fluctuatio illustrated by the fact that on some days there have been less than 1000 cattle on the Chicago market, while on other days there are 49.00o. It is obvious that a work day of a definite number of hours cannot meet such conditions There are bound to be days when employees will work only a few hours just as there will be days when they cannot take care of the run in eight hours.
 "The standards of hours of labor es- tablished in mines. foundries and manufacturing institutions cannot be applied in plants handling perishable products. It would be just as reason = able to say that the harvesting Of crops must be accomplished on an eight hour day basis.
 Any industry that has not estab- lished it's working conditions and hours of labor to handle perishable products in season economically and promptly is fundamentally wrong.
 "The basic eight hour day was not a measure for determining the actual working hours. It simply served to penalize work in excess of eight hours and provided no offset for work of less than eight hours. Any adjustment Of wages that requires extra pay for less than AS hours work per week-unless that work is performed at unusual hours-is an unjust tax on the business which the public eventually has to pay.
 Our plan contemplates giving the men 4s hours work weekly and does not contemplate reducing our present forces"