The Daily Ardmoreite. [volume] (Ardmore, Okla.) 1893-current, 1922-01-25
SECRET BALLOT
MUST Be TAKEN
ON ACTION NOW
Hope of Government Inter-
ventiOn Abandoned After
Long Parleys; Explana-
ton Is Issued.
WAGE REDUCTION IS
CAUSE OF FIRST ACT
Tentative Date Is Set for De-
cember 5; Only Voice of
Men Can Forestall.

OMAHA.-Striking packing house
workers over the country will vote
on whether or not the packing strike
shall be called off. This became known
last night when letters signed by Or
ficials OF the amalgamated meat cut
ters and butcher worlSrnen, calling for
referendum vote were received by
local packing house workers union
officials.
The letter said the hope of the gov
ernment intervening in the trouble
between packing house companies ana
the men had been abandoned and 1t
was thought best to call referendum
on the subject of calling off tho
strike.
The letter instructs local union Of
ficials to take the vote by secret bal
lot before o'clock Tuesday afternoon.
The strike has been in effect since
December s.
CHICAGO. - Effectiveness Of the
strike of packing house workers, con-
| tinuance or calling off Of which will;
be voted or tomorrow py locals
throughout the country on orders Of
the Amalgamated Meat Cutters ana
Butcher Workers of America, has
been denied by packers since its in.
ception December S. In some plants
admissions were made that for few
days work was lessened but recently
it was claimed all the plants had been
operating fully. The strike resulted in
numerous clashes between strike sym.
pathizers and the police in Chicago
liR-thc lynching of negro strike brUlk-
ers ut Fort Worth, Texas, and Okla.
homa City, Okla. Yesterday a total
or five men. two white and three
negroes at Oklahoma City were sen.
fenced to life Imprisonment for their
part in the lynching of Jake Brooks,
a negro strike breaker.
In Chicago hundreds OF policemen
were assigned to duty in the back
of the yards" district and in the
stock yards about the big packing
plants. The strike was called after
the majority Of the members of Anal
gamated Meat Cutters and Butchers
Workmen voted in favor of II after
n wage reduction in various centers
had been agreed on by plant councils
the packing houses not recognizing the
unions as existent, but agreeing TO
negotiate with committees from orga-
nizations Of their own employees.
The question OF reduced wages came
up upon the expiration OF the Al.
schuler arbitration agreements under
Which Federal Judge Alschuler actea
as arbiter in all disputes. This agree
ment went into effect in March. 1917.
and after being extended on several
occasions, expired on September Is.
1921.
Following expiration OF the agree
ment the union presented q proposed
agreement as a basis for negotiations
The packers, however, refused to ne
Gotiate with the union and announced
that they had met with employees rcp.
resentlng their Industrial relation
plan.' and that these representatives
had agreed 10 accept u wage reduc.
tion.
OKLAHOMA CITC.-John Nlalone
OF Fort Worth. district president OF
the union. declares the ballot would
be only n test Of the morale Of the
workers in feeling out" their ability
or inclination to hold out longer.
Malone said he would return to
Fort Worth, tomorrow to take charge
Of headquarters there. SO far as Is
known. he declared, there have been