Show r TheT The Telegraphers Telegraphers' Strike Striker Member A St r of f No 10 80 I I L The arrival of Labor Commissioner Nelll Neill in San Francisco with three members of or the telegraphers' telegraphers executive tive tivo hoard board in an endeavor to settle the differences existing between the telegraphers and the tho Western Vestern Union and Postal Telegraph comp companies nies in that city may avert what threatens to tobe tobe tobe be one of oC the most disastrous strikes strike In recent years President Sam Small Smal of the telegraphers had exhausted al all efforts to settle the strike now pendIng pendIng pending pend pend- Ing in San Francisco and was on th the point of or extending It to other cities and anti possibly throughout tho entire country countr which would have resulted in paralyzing paralyzing paralyzing ing ing- the entire business world Few realize the significance of or the complete complete com corn of the telegraph service c While the troubles between the operators op op- op- op orators craters and the two telegraph companies compa compa- lea nies have been blen prominent in the public pub pub- lie lic eye only onh a a. little more than a a. month they have been brewing browing- for the last six months In fact Cacti the first definite and apparent move occurred November 20 of or last year car when the telegraphers o othe of oC the Chicago office of tile the Western Vestern Union signed a formal Cormal petition asking for a ten per cent Increase In wages This petition was followed by similar petitions from operators In all the principal cities of ot the tho countr country Salt Sal Lake Included No attention was paito paid pait to o the request of oC the by b the company evidently for three months months In n tho the meantime the operators believing bellev- bellev ing ng that their petitions wore were Ignored joined the Commercial Telegraphers Telegraphers' Union of America In great numbers throughout the country Last February February February ary the Western estern Union agreed to give the men a n ten per cent Increase In salar salary salary sal sal- ar ary at the principal cities to take ef effect effect ef- ef March arch 1 The rIme Postal followed suit but went one better b by including all offices The Western Union shortly shorty short short- I ly y afterward included all offices in Its I order Increasing the salaries Faith Is Doubled This was satisfactory to tho the operators operators opera- opera tors ors and all nil might have havo been well were verc It not Co for I the fact according to the he union officials that the increase was vas not made in good faith that the com company pan has established the sliding cale scale system which eventually would bring iring the salaries down to tho previous schedule ed u I e and th that at ti discriminations nations vere were made against men belonging to o othe the tic union During the tho fir first t part parl of oC April the New York of tho the Western Vestern Union Unton was vas strongly organized and several members began wearing tho the union em- em lem 0 on 1 th the tho lapel of their c coats It l is s stated oy fly trio union mat a 01 It ii those who wore the tho union button hutton were Immediately discharged on the ground ro of or being agitators Some of men had been heen in the employ of the company several everal years and were considered faithful workers That precipitated the whole trouble trou trou- ble lle A committee of Western estern Union demanded that the men bo hI reinstated and upon being ignored by bythe time the olf immediately in charge took the matter up ur h before fore President dowry dowry- No satisfaction tl being given cn by hy that official the operators determined determined determined deter deter- mined to take up their grit grievance before before be hf fore the time directors of oC the Western tern Union In the meantime strong grievances had been sent 8 nt in by ly h telegraphers throughout the country to President Small of or the tIme telegraphers' telegraphers organization tion complaining against discriminations and asking for a readjustment of or working hours These TheRe were embodied embodied em m bodied in the list lIt of grievances to the time hoard of directors In addition to the rC request for the reinstatement of time the I discharged op operators tho the principal features of the list of grievances was wasa a Q request of or an hour eight da day the furnishing of t typewriters by the time company com con pany and bettor better sanitary quarters rs for forthe forthe or orthe the operators in tn the time large largo cities Th The The- Splitting SlItting nock Hock The board of or directors however re refused refused refused re- re fused to consider the grievances grievance thus sanctioning the thc stand of oC R. R C. C Clowry president of or tho the Western estern Union A I strike seemed Imminent The J executive board of oC the telegraphers was in dally daily session and the operators were sending In demands to President Small naIl to order a walkout The Civic Federation of or New York tried to bring about aboul a settlement but without suc sue cess Finally Pre President Roosevelt Roose was appealed to b by President Small and Labor Commissioner Neill Nelli was sent to Now New York to see ee what could be done While all nil this was taking place in inthe inthe inthe the East the San Francisco operators were carrying on a campaign o of their own In view of the tremendous In Increase Increase Increase In- In crease in the cost of oC living in Frisco and Oakland since the earthquake and fire the operators operator demanded an Increase in increase In- In crea crease e of oC 2 25 per cent and the of or tho the hour eight-hour da day They drew up a working schedule which was sanctioned by hy the local and nd on May 6 the time petition and schedule were presented to Superintendents Jaynes and respectively of the Western Union and the Postal No 0 attention was paid to to the de demanda demands de- de mands manda of oC the men and the I hitter then threatened to walk out in A i. bod body They Ther were helcl hekl in Ih their places place however hO only by Pre President Small until the re result result re- re sult salt of his negotiations with the Western West Vest em ern Union higher officials in NewYork Now New York was determined I Walkout at nt Oakland When It seemed that Commissioner Neill's efforts toward securing a u conference conference con con- ference between betseen the company compan and the union officials were futile President Small abandoned further negotiations negotiation and slipped quietly to Oakland land which since the he fire firo and earthquake really means San Francisco to direct the struggle there Efforts Effort were made to secure a satisfactory conference with Superintendent Miller of oC the Western Vestern Union and Superintendent of oC the Postal but without result and early earl in Juno time the operators of oC both companies In Oakland and San Francisco Francisco Francisco Fran Fran- cisco were called out It had been reported t that mt a a. settlement settlement settle settle- ment mont wa was effected in New York through tho the efforts of oC Commissioner Neill on the basis of a letter written to lo o him b by President dowry Clowry in which the he latter staled stated that lint no ions lions would bo be made against men who vho wore were members of oC n a labor lubor organ organ- allon and that prompt hearing would be given by the district superintendent to o any grievances that might arise arise- The Thc union claims the tho company vio- vio this agreement by refusing to hear the operators while the t s says ys he lie Is willing to hear heal the time grievances o of the tho men individually Snit Salt Lake Ono One of or First At an any rate th there re ro is a wide breach between the time operators and unel the telegraph tele tele- graph companies and Commissioner loner Nelll Neill will vill ho bo entitled to great credit if he le succeeds in bridging tho the span While at al present the strike is local at atan atan San an Francl Francisco co and anti vicinity President Small says a s 's that If no nn agreement I is reached cached soon ho ht will bo ho compelled to call out the men mn in Chicago New Nev ew York and possibly in ev every ery ry elt city and anti town in th time United States State In such an event It II I Is believed hell Salt Lake will he be one of tho ho first to lo go out mit as this is if an important im urn- relay station for both hoth companies companies com corn panics anti and employs a large number r of men The operators of Salt Lake arc strongly organized and anti determined 1 ItIs Iti it itis i is said Some of them wanted to go out in a body hody at once but hut all nIl have havethe tho the utmost confidence In their leader and appreciate the wl wisdom dom of or his conciliatory con con- dilatory dilator and ond conservative methods Whether or not New York will be he called out Is not hot known at nt this hour There seems to be a likelihood that lint it will Twenty six ix hundred men will willbe Ili be affected in the Western estern Union anti Postal PORtal offices The rhe calling out of or NewYork New New- NewYork NewYork York would seriously affect busine business busi busi- ne ness conditions condition throughout hout the country especially would it affect financial anti and commercial affairs Cable service on the Ian land II end would practically pm-ac- pm be at a standstill for tor a n time at nt least |