American Federationist.

OFFICIAL MONTHLY MAGAZINE

DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS AND VOICING THE DEMANDS OF THE TRADE UNION MOVEMENT. PUBLISHED BY

THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR,

-AT

423-425 G Street N. W. Washington, D. C. Correspondents will please write on one side of the paper only, and address

SAMUEL GOMPERS, Editor, Washington, D. C. All communications relating to finances and subscriptions should be addressed to

FRANK MORRISON, Secretary, Washington, D. C. The publisher reserves the right to reject or revoke advertising contracts at any time.

The American Federation of Labor is not sponsor for, nor interested in, any souvenir publication of any kind.

Entered at Washington, D. C., postoffice as second-class matter.

amicable adjustment of the matters in controversy, either through correspondence or by having a dulyauthorized representative of the American Federation of Labor interview such firm for that purpose.

After having exhausted in this way every effort to amicably adjust the matter, and without success, the application, together with a full history of the entire matter, is submitted to the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor for such action as it may deem advisable. If approved, the firm's name appears on the "We Don't Patronize" list in the next issue of the AMERICAN FEDERATIONIST.

An international unlon is not allowed to have published the names of more than three firms at any one time.

Similar course is followed when application is made by a local union directly affiliated with the American Federation of labor. Directly affiliated local unions are allowed the publication of but one firm at any one time. When application is made by a central labor union on behalf of any one of its affiliated local unions, the application is taken up with the international union of such local for its approval, or otherwise, before any action is taken by the American Federation of Labor. If the application be approved by the international union similar course is followed as above. Central bodies are allowed to have published the name of but one concern at any one time.

Union workingmen and working women and sympathizers with labor have refused to purchase articles produced by the following firms-Labor papers please note changes from month to month and copy:

FOOD AND KINDRED PRODUCTS.

Bread.-McKinney Bread Company, St. Louis, Mo.; National Biscuit Company, Chicago, Ill.

Cigars.-Carl Upman, of New York City; Kerbs, Werthelm & Schiffer, of New York City; The Henry George and Tom Moore.

Flour.-Washburn-Crosby Milling Co., Minneapolis, Minn.; Kelley Milling Co., Kansas City, Mo. Groceries.-James Butler, New York City.

Meats.-Kingan Packing Company, of Indianapolis, Ind. Pipes.-Wm. Demuth & Co., New York.

Tobacco.-American and Continental Tobacco Companies.

CLOTHING.

Buttons.-Davenport Pearl Button Company, Davenport, Iowa; Krementz & Co., Newark, N. J. Clothing.-N. Snellenberg & Co., Philadelphia, Pa.; Clothiers' Exchange, Rochester, N. Y.; Strawbridge & Clothier, Philadelphia, Pa.; Blauner Bros., New York.

Corsets.-Chicago Corset Company, manufacturers Kabo and La Marguerite Corsets.

Gloves.-J. H. Cownie Glove Co., Des Moines, Iowa; Callfornia Glove Co., Napa, Cal.

Hats.-J. B. Stetson Company, Philadelphia, Pa.; E. M. Knox Company, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Shirts and Collars.-United Shirt and Collar Company, Troy, N. Y.; Van Zandt, Jacobs & Co., Troy, N. Y. Cluett, Peabody & Co., Troy, N. Y.; James R. Kaiser, New York City.

Textile.-Merrimac Manufacturing Co. (printed goods), Lowell, Mass.

Underwear.-Onelta Knitting Mills, Utica, N. Y.

Woolens.-Hartford Carpet Co., Thompsonville, Conn.; J. Capps & Son, Jacksonville, Ill.

Vol. XIII.

1881.

T

WENTY-ONE packing company officials and five of the corporations with which they are identified were indicted by the federal grand jury. Seventeen of the number, including the half dozen millionaires who control the meat supply of a large portion of the world, were indicted for organizing a commercial conspiracy, which resulted in increasing the cost of the meat to the consumer. Together with the company they represent, they are charged with conspiring to restrain trade and commerce, and to monopolize the meat product in violation of the Sherman anti-trust law of 1890. The remaining four officials are employes of the Schwarzschild & Sulzberger Packing Company, who are indicted for conspiring to secure rebate from various railways in connection with the shipment of meat.

In the event of conviction an individual is subject to a fine of $5,000 or imprisonment one year in the county jail, or both, on each account. In the case of a corporation only the fine applies. Of course, a corporation could not be put in prison.

Conviction of any or all of the four men charged with rebating involves fines of not less than $1,000, nor more than $20,000 on each account.

The beef trust is unlimited in power and resources; it ignores the courts, the legislature, and the government; it makes prices in the Argentine Republic and in London. It visits with its influence every table of the United States and extorts tributes in high prices three times daily, and further, it collects tribute from tables in foreign lands, and acts as though no power can stop it.

The beef trust has the railroads on their knees, handing over rebates on private car charges at the trust's dictation; further, it owns many steam and electric railroads and is reaching out for more.

The producers of the west feel its strong arm, the cotton growers of Georgia its dictation, the fruit growers of Colorado its mastership, and the price of fruits of California is made by it. Furthermore, the butchers and merchants of the east must sell all these products at the price this allinfluential power marks them. And no one dare say them nay.

This great power, the American beef trust, it is estimated, will receive $25,000,000 this year in rebates from the different railroads of our free land. There is, however, another thing rumored which is sad and alarming, and it is this: "So great is the

terror it (the beef trust) inspires in some quarters that citizens under the constitutional guarantee of freedom do not dare, even in the privacy of their offices or homes, to speak a word that this power would not approve. Multi-millionaires, railroad magnates, and captains of industry quail before it." That, indeed, is very sad that is a blow against liberty, and it is to be hoped these quailing gentlemen will find their tongues and cry out if they are displeased.

A thousand battles have been fought and won for liberty, and no man in America should be tongue-tied through fear. This is the land of free speech, and every one should exercise his privilege and speak the truth for liberty, purity, honesty, and freedom.

Unless the indictments have the desired effect, one can not discover by the method now in vogue that the greed of this gigantic corporation will ever become satiated. It continually wants more; it reaches out for new territory, new produce, new avenues for bringing in more wealth. Its influence is growing, and its dictation is becoming rapidly unbearable. Still, its stride is onward, calling for more influence, more money, more industries, more of itself.

In studying the growth of the meat business the student finds that it at first followed along natural lines of development, and not until it obtained gigantic proportions did it begin to grow unruly and tyran

nical.

In 1874 the number of cattle slaughtered in Chicago was 21,712; in 1890 the number was 2,206,185. The refrigerator-car in 1880 was an acknowledged success, and the refrigerator-car is the main factor which brought the beef trust into being. With the refrigerator-car time and space were annihilated. Meats and produce could as safely be shipped in July as in January, and as securely from California as they could from an immediate potato patch. The various products offered no difficulties. Dairy foods were brought to market fresh and sweet as were the fruit and vegetable products. Dressed meat could be laid down in any part of the world in perfect condition. The refrigerator-car did the business and turned over the world, as one great harvest field, to the meat magnates.

Between 1880 and 1883 the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad built two lines to Missouri river points, Omaha

and Kansas City. Mr. P. D. Armour was a director in the railroad and also held a powerful interest in the meat industry, with his hand, figuratively, on the lever of the engine that moved the refrigeratorcars. On the plea of securing a generous amount of business for the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railroad at its two new Missouri river points, Omaha and Kansas City, Mr. Armour induced the railroad to pay the packers mileage for the use of their refrigerator-cars; the railroad, in order to secure the business, did so, and the refrigerator-car was fully established from that moment with all its powers.

From east and west, north and south the refrigerator-car brought mileage into the coffers of the meat industry. Thenceforth all railroads had to pay refrigeratorcar mileage or get none of the great stockyard business. Not a field was left intact; the refrigerator-car tapped every section of the country. Melons were carried from Indiana to Oregon, and oranges from California to New York. The refrigerator-cars earned mileage for the gentlemen conducting the meat business at every turn of the wheels, coming and going.

The refrigerator-car is an ice consumer. The meat magnates quickly saw a source of revenue in the ice business and immediately took steps to secure it.

Up to this point of development the heads of the meat industry apparently followed logical, legitimate lines of spreading and enlarging their business.

The refrigerator-car came out of their brain power; every section of the country fell to their use the minute the refrigeratorcar stood completed; and every product, meat, fruit, vegetable and dairy foods, came under their control. Why should they not commence operating such a gigantic field, the whole United States, with the addition of foreign markets? The field lay smiling before them, ready to be plucked. Would not the best of men exercise their ability to gather the harvest coming through their own achievement? Thus far the heads of the meat industry obeyed natural laws of development, but here it stopped. In 1900, their power began to intoxicate them.

Fifty-four thousand refrigerator-cars are in daily operation, and the vast majority of them belong to the beef trust. When others than the beef trust wish to ship dairy products, fruits, or vegetables from any