Show MAY GUT COT OF ITS KEY KEY-IN KEY fiEf MEN EN ENRio Rio Grande Said to Contemplate r plate Reductions to Equalize Equal Equal- ize New Law 4 4 OPERATORS WILL LL RESIST i 1 Members Order of Railway Rail- Rail Say 1 f 1 way Telegraphers is Strong i 1 Enough to Fight There Is a struggle le ahead that may develop to alarming proportions proportion If L the tho rumor current In circles of or the tho Rio Grande Crande system yesterday are art c- c r- r true rile It Is Jg stated that the system m contemplates reducing th the wages of Its tele telegraph operators as ns soon as ns the nine-hour nine law Jaw becomes effective which is next Wednesday Il It was stated In tho local ocal offic offices r r- yesterday that so far no official not notification noU- noU I j of an any change e In the wage wag wage 1 sc schedule for tor telegraph operators ha had hadI I I come from Crom Denver c r this fact tact the report that the tho railroad i I 1 company Intends Intend to attempt the re reduction Ie of tho the pay lay Is given credence I J among the men here i I 1 If It the rumor becomes a fact tact it ft Is IsI s sI 11 I pointed out that such an order would woul defeat the theer er very purpose purpose for Cor which the Order of oC Railroad Telegraphers Telegrapher has been working for Cor man many years When the movement mo to unito unit th the 4 i knIghts of the le key which culminated In the formation of or that powerful order was started Many telegraph railroads were handling J operators on I i all ail the work of tho the various local of of of-j j- j j- j flees ilces at a sa salary la I that it was as claimed was b by no means commensurate with T the responsibilities of oC their positions hale ivo JJ 0 y J Duties j J r. r c. c In addition to handling train orders I the ordinary station agent In the thc I smaller stations along the lines Jines of oC the railroads had to sell tickets handle i- i r jI F freight shipments throw baggage around do the local express business and l take lake kc chargo charge of or the hundred and ad andone one other details of manA managing a a. railroads railroad's railroads railroad's rail rail- railroads railroad's roads road's affairs in a community Those conditions have changed largely argel it is claimed because of the growing strength th of the Order of oC Railway Telegraphers The first was wasa a material Increase In salaries The most most recent effort of the order was in behalf of a law reducing the hours of or work worl Railroad telegraphers raphers assert that their duties are arc equally qually responsible responsible ible Ihle as those of ot brakemen and even oven conductors of trains while their pay ii I i is by no means commensurate and i th their fr hours were too long t For that reason they he worked for or 1 and secured the o of the so- so called nine-hour nine law which provides that men who have anything to do with the handling of or trains shall not be required to work worl more than nine hours in stations where continuous service serice Is required nor more than 1 13 hours In stations stations' where ont only one operator Is kept ept It is in itt retaliation for this say tho the railroad operators that tho the Rio Grande will attempt to cut the wa wages es of or its ke men Railroad officials would probably say ray a that hat the move is isI cont contemplated If such is the case care in I order to keep the operating expenses of the tho railroad within a certain limit Against l Cut In s. Railroad telegraphers were free to state yesterday that the they would not tolerate a cut In salary salar which they assert assert as assert as- as sert is 11 too small The They left leCt the tho inference that they would strike i if iC such a m move mc c were necessary to enforce enforce enforce en en- force their demands As ver very few o othe of the operators on the Rio Hlo Gran Grande o are ari are not members of the Order o of Railway Telegraphers it Is la asserted that a astrike astrike strike of the operators would mean a aI I complete up tie of or the system For that reason reason- the he situation is watched l. l L with keenest interest I In the office of the assistant superintendent super super- Li of the Rio Grande Grando yesterday yester- yester da lay day it was stated that that system has hns no agreement with its telegraph operators operators oper- oper and that the rules for the gov- gov o of or its were promulgated S t gated by the company itself It was stated therefore that so far as any contract goes the Rio Grande Crande could r I cha change ce tho the wages of Its tee telegraph raph men nt at an time any l J |