The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1870-01-07
Telegraph Operators Strike
CARD OF O. H. PALMER
ADETAILED STATEMENT.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE, w. U. TEL. Co, }
145 Broadway,
NEW YORK, January 6. }

145 Broadway,
NEW YORK, January 8.
To the Public:
Since the publication this morning of
the card signed by the officers of this
company, explaining the circumstances
out of which the strike of the opera
tors arose, full and detailed statement
of what occurred in California has been
received from the company's agent, Mr..
Mumford. Thev are as follows: About
the middle of December, SupeTintend-
ent Gamble, desiring to readjust the
compensation of the employees at San
Francisco according to the value OF
their services, gave notice to two ope-
rators that after January lst their sala-
ries would be reduced from one hundred
and twenty to one hundred and fifteen
dollars, and to third that
his salary would be increased
from one hundred to one hundred and
twenty month, making an increase In
the aggregate compensation OF the
three of ten dollars month. Acting on
these notices, as is supposed, the opera
tors at San Francisco united in present.
ing a schedule of salaries which they
asked to have adopted. In this schedule
the two salaries which Mr.. Gamble had
proposed to reduce remained the same
and an increase of four Others was
asked for. Mr.. Munford so far assented
to the schedule as to make no reduc-
tiops of salaries and allowed a portion OF
the proposed increase. He at the same
time informed the operators that the
force in the Office was larger than was
justified by the diminished busi-
ness, the number of messages
being less than usual and the receipts
lighter. The operators themselves ad-
mitted that more men were employed
than was strictly necessary. To bring
the force thus into harmony with the
wants Of the business, two men were
dismissed, but they were not the men
whose salaries Mr.. Gamble had in the
first instance proposed to reduce. The
salaries of those men remained un-
changed, although one of them was dis
missed. After the reduction of the
price above mentioned, fourth man
refused to work at the schedule price,
although it was ten dollars a month
higher than he had ever before received.
Out Of this state of things the strike
arose. The facts thus explained fully
supports Mr.. Mumford's original state
ment-that he had reduced no salaries.
and had no intention of doing SO. He
had in fact increased them upon the
petition of the operators themselves,
and the only man who appears to have
left because he was dissatisfied with his
compensation, refused to work at an
advance of his salary of ten dollars
month. The strike, tBen, is not as the
operators here have alleged or sup
posed-a strike in resistance Of reduc-
tion of wages, general or special, but in
support of the claims of an indlvid-
ual whose salary has been raised,
but not to so high figure as he desired.
1t cannot be denied, IN view of all the
circumstances, that the whole body of
strikers throughout the Union have left
their work with view and purpose of
subjecting the business of the entire
country to delay and arrangement be-
cause seme John Smith, in California,
demands an increase of SO in his salary
and can get only $40. This is tho real
| issue, unless it is further claimed that
this company shall not be permitted to
determine how large force is necessary
to do its business and to increase or di .
minish it from time 10 time accordingly.
ISigned1 o. ii. PALMER,
Treasurer.