Arizona republican., 1921-03-24
Judge Alschuler Shall De- eide All Controversies Un- till Expiration Of Agree ment September IS
IRepubIlcan A. p. Leased wIre]

WASHINGTON, March 23 = Pros poets of an immediate strike in the packing industry were averted tonight through the mediation of Secretary of Labor Davis.
 Compromises by the employees in ac. ceptlng a wage reduction and by the five big packers in consenting to a six months extension of the Alschuler arbitration arrangement which made possible the settlement after three days of conferences in which representatives, of packers and employees and Secre- taries Davis, Hoover and Wallace par l ticipated.
 The settlement as agreed to follows.
 Reducuon of wages Of eight cents an hour for hourly workers and tc l21k per cent for piecs workers.
 Retention of the basic eight hour day and overtime rates as provided in | the wartime Alschuler rulings
 Extension until September Is of the arrangement whereby Judge Samuel Alschuler shall decide all questions of | hours, wages, conditions and adjust ments, not specifically provided for in the agreement.
 Pressure by the government was un- derstood to have been largely responsi l ble for the agreement The contro- versy was the first major labor diff culty to face the new administration and President Harding referred the matter to Secretary Davis who called in Secretaries Hoover and Wallace Statements issued after the signing of
 the agreement showed some divergence
 of opinion as to the real meaning of the settlement.
 Secretary Davis said, Tt has pre-
 vented strike of very serious coflse-
 quences- The employers delegates.
 Dennis Lane and Redmond s. Bren-
 nan. declared the agreement is a truce
 to prepare for war The packers rep
 resentatives. James G. Condon and t Carl Meyer declared this will enable the packers to complete plans an
 nounced to adjust between themselves
 and their employees all matters of mu-
 tual interest,"
 Will Meet Harding Today Representatives of both sides were
 understood to have accepted an invita-
 ton of Secretary Davis to meet Presi-
 dent Harding tomorrow.
 During the three days of conferences I representatives of the two sides faced
 each other in joint session but twice
 on Monday when each side stated its
 case and late today when the final
 terms were signed. It is understood that at the last moment there was 8
 threat of further discussion but Sec : retary Davis exclaimed: What's the l use of arguing?'' The representative ] thereupon affixed their signatures Secretaries Hoover and Wallace took no active part in the separate confer ences between Secretary Davis ant each side following Mondays confer
 ence. but in the conclusions which theN l reached after the hearing the state ments by both sides Monday they hao
 considerable bearing in shaping tfs f final settlement
 Approval of the efforts of the new t secretary of labor was voiced tonigh. by Brennan, speaking for the employee. 7 In verbal statement, he said he great 3 ly admired the spirit shown by Secre- 5 tary Davis, even though he did noi
 agree with all the secretarys economic l beliefs. Secretary Davis, in a verba e statement said:
 T am highly gratified that a striks 8 has been averted. The adjustment hat n prevented a strike of very serious con. = sequences"
 e The agreement was embodied il let V ters addressed to Secretary Davis ant = signed by the negotiators for the tw, e sides. The letter follows: n In connection with the matter u d labor rates and conditions in the pack
 ing houses witlt- the Alschuler ad
 ininistration and agreeable to the con
 versations We have had with you W. | accept your recommendations coverin, = an amicable adjustment of said mat = ters, and an arrangement for the con d tinuation of wages, hours and worlinl
 conditions as they existed under tn