Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 95, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 22 July 1904 — BIG STRIKE BEGUN. [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BIG STRIKE BEGUN.

FIFTY THOUSAND STOCK YARDS EMPLOYES QUIT WORK. Labor Tie-Up Affect* Nine Great Centers—Demand I* for More Pay —Notice* Sent Ont to Stop Shipment* of Live Stock, The great stock yards strike, expected to paralyze the meat industry for a time at least, began Tuesday. Owing to the refusal of the packers to grant a demand for increased wages, ■what promises to be one of the most extensive strikes in the history of the packing industry of the United States was begun in Chicago, Kansas City, Omaha, St Joseph, Mo., and other cities where large packing plants are located. If prolonged, this strike is expected to cause such widespread inconvenience as was never before equaled, except by the anthracite coal famine of two years ago. No one can foretell how long the strike will last Meat in Chicago took a big jump in price at once. Within a short time it will be impossible for the city householder to secure meat at all, unless the packers succeed in running their establishments with nonunion labor. More than 45,000 men and their families are Involved in the movement which has enforced this great Idleness. In Chicago alone 18,000 men are on strike, and 10,000 more workers, whose services as electricians, steamfitters, firemen, engineers, car workers, painters, clerks, bookkeepers and teamsters will not be needed, will be thrown out of employment

What Men Demand. A uniform rate of wages, the minimum to equal the maximum now paid, a stationary date for the expiration of all agreements, a fixed "living” wage for unskilled workers, non-restrlction of union influence and no more than ten hours a day’s work, are some of the essential requests of the union which have been Incorporated into a platform upon which the general officials have accepted the strike power. Anti-union, anti-increase and opposition to all demands is the platform upon which packers representing an aggregate wealth of $107,000,000 have decided to fight The packers, it is

eaid, have advertised for thousands of countrymen to replace the strikers. The advertisements say the men are to eat and sleep In the plants Other Stock Yards Strikes. The last time the Chicago stock yards plants were tied up was in 1894, during the great railway strike. For six weeks all the industries Were practically tied up, no cattle being received and none slaughtered. A mob of from 5,000 to 10,000 men, women and ehll-

dren held possession of t)ie streets In the vicinity of the yards, and at last President Cleveland Intervened and •ent regular troops to Chicago under Gen. tfelson A. Mlle*. This put a quietus on the rioters and prevented Interference with the employment of non-union men, allowing business to be resumed. The stock yards employes had no grievance of their own, but those that struck went out In sympathy with the railway strikers. Ih 1886, the year of the Haymarket riots, another attempt was made to tie up the yards, but success. More recently was the attempt of union teamsters.to tie up the meat industries not long ago, when rioting became general in the of Chicago. This strike was only settled after (Wholesale arrests, scores of street blockades, and when Chicago was threatened with a meat famine because of the determination of union (workers to prevetn the packers delivering any supplies.

CHICAGO UNION STOCK YARDS—"THE WORLD’S BUTCHER SHOP."

ENTRANCE CHICAGO STOCK YARDS.