The Birmingham age-herald., 1921-03-12
LABOR DEPARTMENT
 OFFERS SERVICES IN PACKING ISSUE
Packers and Employees Each Asked to Name Two Repre- Sentatives to Meet De-
 partment Agents
By Associated Press

Washington, March 11.-The services of the department of labor in settlement Of the controversy between packing house ing out of proposed wage reductions were offered in telegrams sent tonight to the unions and packers by Secretary of Labor Davis,
 Secretary Davis, who dispatched the telegrams after a conference with Presir dent Harding, also requested the pack. CTS and the employees each to designate two representatives to meet with de- partment of labor agents in an attempt to readjust the dispute which threatens to develop into strike
 The telegram, sent to Dennis Lane, sec- retary of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and Butcher Workmen of North America, at Chicago, and which was practically identical in text with the one sent the five big packers, follows:
 TEXT OF TELEGRAM
 "The federal government is deeply con- cerned about the maintenance of indus trial activities in fullest understanding and hopes there will be no interruption of the continuity of employment in the great packing industries. If the depart ment of labor can be helpful in pro- noting understanding and can aid in any way to avoid cessation of operations, such services by this department will be given most gladly.
 ..The whole problem of industrial read-' justrnent is of such widespread public concern that the department of labor, with the knowledge of the departments of agriculture and commerce, requests that two representatives of labor en- gagged in the packing industry report to this department to make possible such into the situation as may prove helpful in leading to a just and satis- factory solution
 T am sending like request to the employers and am acquainting them wltn this request to you. Surely there must be a just solution, and the good offices of this department are rendered m the hope of finding that solution so essential to the promotion of the common good.
 UP TO PACKERS
 Chicago, March f1.-If the federal of labor can obtain from the meat packers of Chicago promise to defer enforcement of their new wage and hour adjustment, effective Mon- day, the employees also will defer strike balloting. it was announced tonight by Dennis Lane. secretary-treasurer of the Meat Cutters and Butch CT Workmen of North America
 MT. Lane made this announcement on being informed of the offer from Washington of mediation by the de- partment of labor.
 T note" he said, that there is no whatever to- our existing agreement with the packers which we hold to be still in force. but which the packers abrogated. We mentioned this agreement prominently in our message to the President"
 We have always been ready and willingn continued MT. Lane, ito meet with the department of labor author ities. That's because it is this branch of the federal government which negotiated our last agreement with our employers. We shall be glad to mee. any one Mr. Davis designates."
 A statement issued by the American Association of Meat Packers today said that the possible strike of stockyarl workers had had no effect on the meat market.
 While live pork prices have risen [ cents in Chicago in two weeks, there has been no change in the other big meat centers. The local increase was due suspending of pork killing by sew eral smaller packers and the resultant competitive bidding of butchers who wanted to lay in large stock"