Mt. Pleasant Pyramid | 1918-07-19 | Page 2 | Approves Wire Control Bill

APPROVES WIRE CONTROL BILL. President Signs Measure and May Take Charge of Telegraph Lines Soon. Washington. President Wilson on July 16 signed the wire control resolution reso-lution of congress by which he Is authorized au-thorized to take over and operate the telegraph and telephone lines of the country for the duration of the war. Under the resolution the president Is authorized to act in his discretion. He will net within a short time. There are a number of circumstances surrounding sur-rounding the operation and control of the telegraph, telephone and cable lines in connection with war work which give him grounds for immediate action for the good of the country. Wage adjustments and the right of the employes to organize are pressing questions which already have threatened threat-ened a strike under private ownership nnd control. A strike already had been called on account of the unyielding attitude at-titude of the Western Union officials in conforming with the declared policy of the national war labor board, which recognizes the right of employes to organize. The strike order was rescinded re-scinded to wait upon the action of congress con-gress in giving the president authority to take over the telegraph and telephone tele-phone lines.