THE MEAT PACKERS' STRIKE. OVER TWO HUNDERED THOUSAND MEN INVOLVED.

Evening Post, Volume LXVIII, Issue 56, 3 September 1904, Page 5

THE MEAT PACKERS' STRIKE. OVER TWO HUNDERED THOUSAND MEN INVOLVED.

[rtIKSS ASSOCIATION.] NEW YORK, 2nd September. Ouo hundred and fifty thousand menthundlcrs throughout' America havo joined tho .strikers ut Chicago. Prices of meat havo risen 6s per cwt. The meat-packers' strike, which started at Chicogo, began on lslh July, and inyolyt'S over 200,000 men, directly or indirectly, in tlio eight cities concerned, while industries representing £30,000,000 aro affected. Almost immediately on the colling of tho strike (says a New York exchange) tho prico of meat was advanced by retailers, and within three days thoro w«s a jump in nearly every city cast of tho llocky Mountains of from 2 to 10 cents a pound. The strike caruo after prolonged negotiations and a final ultimatum by the- nion. Tho reason the strike- was called is a mooted question. The packers say that thp nion demanded a rlso in pay for unskilled labour; tho men say tliat thoy wanted to prevent a reduction in wngf?<. Up lo 28th May last the unskilled labourers worked under an agreement for 18 cents an hour, except in Omaha,' where- tho scalu was 19 cents an hour. On tho expiration of the agreement tho men demanded n 20 rent scale, and the puckers cut tlif wugos f loin 18 to 1?4 rents. Tho men Minn mluccd their demand to n return tfi the old scale, which was not foithrnimug. The uieii went out in the morning, ru'twiiiig up all work on liund fiiM, and were joined by tho girl employees. They declared that tho plants wero completely tied up. Tho puckers put their ollicc fon.es into the plant**, headed by tho managers of tho establishments, aiid began tho rapid employment of nun-union men, and .••aid that they didn't care whether tlio strikers ever came back. Tho strikers sought arbitration, broko off negotiations, declared tho packers' terms impossible., jiml came back for more, repeating tho oporation several times, until success seemed lo bo achieved on 20th July, the men currying their principal p«iiit — that all the striker* should receive their old places back in a specified time — 45 days. No cooner, however, was tho settlement announced than tho strike blazed forth in a more severe, form, and proeedings, which up lo this time bad been orderly, l»ec«nio riotous. Women engaged In tho fighting, and firearms wero iteed.

Tho first annual meeting of the Wellington College Old Boys' Social Club is to be hdd this evening. New numbers 1 are invited to Attend,.

(Received September 3, 8.12 a.m.) LONDON, 2nd September. Military circles at Tokio emphasise tho strength of Port Arthur, and urge patienco and persistency on tho part of the Japaneso troops.