The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-01-25
CALL STRIKE OFF?
Packer Employees Vote Today
on Return to Jobs.
Danger if Forced to Accept
Lower Wage Says Chief.
HOPES FOR INTERVENTION GONE
Packers Unhurt by WaIkOut of
Union Men.
Have Been Idle Since December
5-Many Disorders.
HOPES FOR INTERVENTION GONE
(By the Associated Press.)

Chicago, Jan. 25.-If the striking
packing plant workers are forced to
accept wages which they declare were
in reality fixed by the packers it will
bring guerilla warfare to the pack
ing plants, Dennis Lane, secretary of
the Meat Cutters union. declared to-
day. The strikers will vote on calling
off the strike tomorrow at 8 o'clock.
Results are expected to reach union
headquarters here by o'clock, Mr..
Lane said.
The effectiveness of the strike has
been denied by the packers since its
inception December 5. Last week
when a final effort was made by the
government to institute conciliation
proceedings the Armour and Swift
companies announced that they had
nothing to arbitrate and that they had
all the employees they could use.
Danger Yet to Come.
Secretary Lane said today that eco
nomic necessity might force the union
men to declare the strike off.
eff the men are forced to submit
| to the packers it does not mean we
are defeated" Mr.. Lane said, but
it looks like the beginning of guerrilla
=, warfare in the plants l believe that
| the men individually. are in such a
frame of mind that the lives and
homes of packing companies OFFICIALS
are in danger"
| off the strike said the union had been
notified that the department of labor
| had put forth every effort to bring
| aboAt mediation or arbitration with
out success. The department there
| fore advised the strikers not to hold
out any longer, "in the hope of in
ttervention thru any government
/ agency"
| The strike resulted in numerous
| clashes between strike synpathizers
and the police in Chicago and in the
| lynching of negro strike breakers al
terday at Oklahoma City five men
| three white and two negroes, were
sentenced to life Imprisonment fol
| 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 a ma.
jority of the members of the Amalga.
mated Meat Cutters and Butchers
Workmen of America voted in favor
of it. after wage reductions IN vari-
Gus packing centers had been agreed
on by plant councils, the packing
houses not recognizing the unions As
existent but agreeing to negotiate with
! tCOIIIlltlSSS from OTSan1ZaIlOn Ol
their own employees.
Attemps to bring the representative.
of the union and the packers togethei
through federal mediation failed wheI
the packers asserted that there was nj
strike SO far as they were concerned
that their plants were operating a
normal and that they were in agree
nent with the men whom they hae
employed.
I No Hope of Intervention.
Omaha, Jan. 25.-Striking packing
/ house workers over the country will
vote on whether or not the packing
strike shall be called off. This became
Known late last night when letter
Isigned by officials of the Amalgamatet
Meat Cutters and Butcher workmeI
calling for referendum vote were re
lceived by local packing house workers
union officials.
The letter said that hope of govern
ment intervention in the trouble be
tween packing houses and employe
had been abandoned and it wa
thought best to hold a referendum oil
the subject of calling off the strike
The letter instructs local union Off
cials to take the vote by secret ballo
before 8 o'clock Thursday afternoon
n. C. Strikers Called To Vote.
Kansas City, Mo, Jan. 25.-Undel
instructions received today from ma
tional union officials at Chicago
packing house workers of Kansas City
Kan. will vote tomorrow whether O
not to call off their strike.
It was believed the vote here viii
be in favor of returning to work Th'
strike has been in progress for tvs
months, but the packing plants her
have remained in operation
Oklahoma City Men to Vote.
Oklahoma City, Jan. 25.-Union or
! -lr4 r4yl1
plant strike here will ballot tomorrow
in an effort to decide whether or no
. the strike, which has been in progres
: since December 5. will be called of
This announcement was made toda
, by Fred Kemp, secretary of the loca
: Butcher Workmen's union.
TmAN REcORnC nE, POII1tICAIs