Arizona republican., 1921-06-08
CHICAGO PACKERS
 ASK ARBITER FOR 5
 CENTCUTINWAGES
lRepubIIean A. p. Leased wireJ

CHICAGO. June IA further wage reduction of five cents an hour for all packing house employees paid on an hourly basis and proportional cuts for piece workers was asked today by the Chicago packers in a petition filed with Federal Judge Samuel AL schuler, federal aroiter.
 The reductions. if granted. would affect approximately 6O.OOO workers in all parts of the country. The peti- tion asked that a rull hearing be held before June 19 and requested that the reductions be made retro active to that date
 Relief from the penalties imposed on the packers m the form of work ing-hour restrictions also was asked. With the eight-hour day in force. 1t was explained. the packers were guaranteeing forty hours of work per week and paying overtime after eight hours. It was suggested that this be changed to a guarantee of 4s hours work and the agreement obliging them to pay overtime after eight hours be abolished. Thus overtime would only be paid after ss hours work a week.
 The minimum rate now paid is 45
 
 from 53 cents in March following the abrogation by the packers in Feb ruary of a war time agreement under which Judge Alschuler was the medi ator- At that time the packers. after conferences with President Harding and Secretary Davis. ngreed to con tinue the arbitration agreement until September 1. and the employees agreed to accept wage reductions averaging about Is per cent.
 At present industry is passing through a period of depression" the petition said. but we are only in the first stages of business depression Although wholesale commodity prices have materially declined. interest rates and wages are still high. The history of business cycles shows clearly that both wages and interest rates must fall substantially from tho peak level before business can gel out of the trough of industrial de- pression. And even after the fall. q considerable interval Is generally re- quired before confidence Is restored and the upward trend again begins As proof of the fact that they ds not control prices. tne petition as. serted that the packers had continued | to do business at a loss amounting C millions of dollars. while the farmel was getting less for his product thar | he did during the war. It was as serted that if the packers could hav' gotten only one-fifth of a cent nor per pound for their output than the' received a normal profit would hay been earned Wages. it was asserted constituted 45 per cent Of their cos of doing business and these cost had increased despite drop in liv ing expenses and losses suffered b, stock producers and the packers.
 Compared to other days" it wa asserted. labor Is entitled to large share of what it produces. but it | clear that if that portion Is increases or allowed to remain at a point tha business is staEnant and the industr involved Is carried or. at a loss. th wage earner will suffer a loss a acute as that borne by the produce and investor.
 The farmer and the producer hay taken severe losses; the earnings e the investor are wiped out; relativel the wage-earner has not taken hi share of the burden of readjustment.