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Show WIW1S IMH) IS LABOR REFEREE i CHICAGO. Dec. 25. John E. Williams, fuel administrator of Illinois, early today was appointed referee in all labor disputes dis-putes arising In the packing house industries in-dustries of the United States during the war. The appointment was agreed upon by representatives of packers and laborers labor-ers after conference with President Wilson's Wil-son's labor mediation board, which started start-ed yesterday morning and did not end unt II nearly daylight this morning. The I packing houses represented were the Armour, Ar-mour, Svvii'l. Morris, Cudahy and Wilson concerns. The agreement affects all of their plants, located in Chicago, Kansas Citv, Denver. St. Louis. East St. Louis, Oklahoma City, Sioux City, St. Paul, Omaha, and St. Joseph. Both sides agreed that while the United States is at war there shall be no strikes or lockouts in packing plants, and that Mr. Williams's decisions shall be final in all matters. The labor commission, headed by Secretary Sec-retary of Labor Wilson, ftime here a week ago, after the labor situation at the stockyards had reached a critical j stage. Since then representatives of the ! packing concerns and of the men have I been called into conference. ! Right of the employees to join certain i unions was the chief cause of the dispute. Stockyards workers some time ago demanded de-manded that their unions be recognized by the packers and that they be allowed to join any union they saw fit. The employees em-ployees aTso demanded increased pay, readjustment re-adjustment of working hours and the riyht io present their grievances to the packers through a committee. All of these matters and any others which may arise in the future will be settled by Mr. Williams, according to the agreement. Both employers and employees today expressed satisfaction over the agreement, which will go into effect at once. "The commission is gratified with the successful result of the conference," said Felix Frankfurter, secretary, today. "The packing industries are vital to America and to the allies. More than 100. '.uG workers are affected. The agreement agree-ment assures an uninterrupted meat supply sup-ply to the armies of tlie allies and is of vital importance to the country." |