New-York tribune., 1921-12-03
Kansas Plans
Operation of
Packing Plants
If Employees Fulfill Their
Threats to Walk Out.
State Will Face Prospect
of Selling Properties
Industrial Court to Act
To Hold Hearing To-day,
When Attenlnts 10 Effect
Compromise Will BE Made
Special Dispatch to The Tr,nuu.


TOPEKA, Kan, Dec. 2.-Kansas NAV
again try state operation of industries.
# the racking-housc employees fulfill
their threat of walking out on Monday
the state faces the prospect of selling
and operating the plants in Wichita,
Topeka and Kansas City. Kan. Attor-
ney General Hopkins to-day filed a
complaint in the Kansas Court of In
dustrial Relations, after conference
with Governor Henry j. Alien, in which
he asked the court to act. The court
will decide tomorrow at a hearing in
Kansas City what action it will take.
In event the Kansas City hearing
fails to effect a compromise or an
agreement to bring the dispute be-
tween packing interests and employees
in Kansas before the labor court for
settlement, court action will follow.
None of the court judges would define
plans under consideration. 1t was ad-
mitted, though, that there are two ave
nues OF action.
The first move may be to enjoin Of
Acers OF unions affected by the strike.
A writ viii. be asked, it was indicated,
only in event the dispute cannot be
brought to the attention of the labor
court for settlement. The petition
from the Attorney Generals Office ask
ing the Industrial Court to intervene
cites tifty-nine officers of laoor unions
as parties who may be concerned by
action of the Kansas court. Eight
packing plants are also affected by the
hearing.
A second step in the strike situa-
tion would be through application to
the state Supreme Court for appoint
ment of a receiver to take over the
packing houses. Such a move would
result in, state operation of the indus
tries and volunteer workers would be
enlisted to take the jobs Of strikers.
This was the course followed by the
state in 1919 when it took over the
coal mines during a strike.
Members OF the Industrial Court and
Governor Allen said they would go
into the packers strike thoroughly,
since it was of q general nature and
threatened tie-up vitality affecting
both markets and meat supplies. Ac-
ton will be taken under a provision in
the Industrial Court law defining the
packing industry as vested with pub
lie interest.
KANSAS CITY, Mo-, Dec 2.--Execu-
tive boards of ten packing plant unions
in Kansas City, Kan, summoned to ap-
pear tomorrow at a hearing before
the Kansas industrial Court on the
threatened packing strike as it affects
Kansas, late tonight voted unani-
nously to ignore the courts order.
CHICAGO, Dec. 2.-All employees of
Armour & Co. who 60 on strike next
Monday in accordance with the order
of the Amalgamated Meat Cutters and
Butcher Workmen of North America
will lose their jobs and place them
selves beyond the protection of the
plant conference board and divisional
committees.
Conflicting reports from the unions
and packers in various parts of the
country to-day showed wide diver
gence Of opinion regarding the effective
Aass of the coming strike. Union Off
cials asserted that between so and 95
per cent of their men would walk out
Monday and continued plans to make
the strike effective.
Representatives Of the packers were
inclined not to take the strike seri-
cusly, asserting that the plants would
continue to operate, while some even
expressed doubt that the strike would
occur.