| Show MURRAY EXPECTS RELIEF IN BUTTE Predicts Amalgamated Shut ShutDown ShutDown ShutDown Down Will Help Phone Situation AGITATORS ON THEIR WAY MONTANA LABOR CONDITIONS REPORTED IMPROVED Less strenuous times for the Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone company at Butte are expected by General Manager D S Murray as a result of the partial shutdown of the Amalgamated Amalgam ted proper properties properties properties ties Mr Murray returned from Montana yesterday after alter a visit of a week He says the labor conditions there as they relate to his company compan are generally Im Improved improved proved Service is being given ghen under practically normal conditions everywhere I except at Butte which has full rull toll service and limited local service The strike situation in Montana Is still alive to some extent but the strikers and their sympathizers do not seem to be bein beIn bein in touch with strike conditions in the theother theother theother other states In which we do business Mr Murray says I should say that people in Utah Idaho and Wyoming have about forgotten that we have a strike conditions have been normal so long with everything moving in the usual way wa but in Montana the they keep the memory of or strikes longer than they do elsewhere and so we have some difficulties left I We Ve are giving service In Bute and ind some local service but not general local service In other words we answer emergency calls such as doctors fire tire calls police pollee calls and others that the operators rs happen to have time to answer Plenty of operators have made application tion for employment In Butte but as asso asso asso so many of our lines have been cut and otherwise interfered with we thought we had better get them in condition before trying to give gle general service We VI are short of ot men at that point but the only other difficulties that exist in the state are a partial boycott at Livingston and a partial boycott at Billings In which places the business men to some extent were Intimidated by the local unions and a number of them ceased to use our tele telephones telephones telephones phones although In most cases they con continued continued continued to use ise their residence telephones and practically all residence telephones have continued in service Under the injunction granted by Judge Hunt of the United States court against Interference with ith our business by the unions matters of boycott such as this are not now particularly Important and gradually the people are resuming service Beyond these instances all the other cities clUes of Montana are in the usual condition except that here and there we are short of men although business is being taken care of In the usual way ay Interference being with Ith extension work The report today that the Amalgamated Mining tUning compa has issued an order to shut down at Butte will make it all the better for us as we are partially closed up In the parts of the state affected Instead of being short of men we shall probably have an overflow which we shall not be able to take care of I think our Montana conditions would have been tranquillized before this the same as asIn asIn asin In our other states except that certain of the agitators who were prominent in inthe Inthe inthe the whole movement to begin with have centered their attention on Montana be because because because cause It is a state more affected by labor conditions that any of the others Now this action of the Amalgamated company would seem to take the bridge out from under them and I have no doubt that our normal condition will come about in Montana easily when these agitators agitators tors tom have lost their Jobs |
