The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-01-07
card from the WesterR Unfoa TeIe-
graph Company.
EXECUTIVE OFFICE W II. T. Co.
145 BROADWAY. New Y0RK.
NEW YoRK. Jan. 6 1870.


EXECUTIVE OFFICE w. u. T. Co. J
I43 BROADWAY, New York.
NEW YoRK. Jan. 6 1870.
TO the Pebble:
Since The publication, this forenoon,
Of the card sigRed By the officers Of
tBis CcnPany, explaining the cream
stances out of which the strike Of the
operators arose. 2 full and detailed
sta emeDt OF What occurred ia Cali
fornia mas becn received from the
Company's Ageat. Mr. Muueord.
They are IS follows:
About The middle Of December,
Superintendent Gamble, desiring TO
rcaGjust tho compensation Of tho em
ployees at San Francisco according to
tue value Of their services, gave no
tiee - two operators that after Jan.
1st, their salaries would be reduced
from Sl20 10 S115 a month, and 10
third that his salary would b.
increased from 500 to 1920 4
month. making an increase iu the
aggregate compensation Of the three
OF ten dollars Month. Acting
On these notices, as II is supposed the
operators IN San Francisco united in
presenting scheduls Of salaries,
which they wished 10 have adopted ia
tdis schedule. The two talarioe
which MF. Gamble had pfoposed 10
reduce rcmsfned rs before. and an
Increase Of f0us Others was asked for
Mr. Mumlord so far assenied TO the
schedule as 10 make no reduction Of
salaries, aud allowed portion of ihc
proposed Increase. Ho al the same
tiwe Informed the operators that the
force ia the Office vas larger than was
justified By tie diminished business,
the uumber Of messages being less
tbsn usual aud tho receipts lighter.
The operators tham. elves admitted
that more men were employed than
was strictly necessary.
X bring tie l0ree thus into har-
mouy with tbs wants of tho business,
tWo men were disn issed, bu they
were not the Insn whose salaries Nr.
| Gamble had n the fiTst iusiauco pre-
posed TO reduce. fIhc salaries OF
/ those men Te1JalDed unchanged, al
thoUgh one o! thom vas dismissed
after The &c luction % .he price above
mentioned; and four more refused
4 to wo-k at the schedule price,
/ although il was cen co lars
a mouth higher than no had ever be
i fore recsiYed. Out oE this state Of
I things the strike arose. The facts
thus explain fully MUmford's original
t state naent, that he had reduced M sci
/ aries, and had DO infention Cf doing
so. lie had, ia fact, increased them,
/ upon the petition Of the operators
themselves, and the Ouly man who
appears 20 have lett because he was
dissatisfied with bis compensation
and refused 70 work at an advance in
/ bis salary Of SO month. TIE strike
then, ia not as the Operators here
have alleged aud supposed. strike
/ ia resistance TO a reduction Of wages
general or special. but IN support Of
the claim Of an individual whose sal.
arg has been raised, but not 10 so
high 3 figure as be desired.
1t Gao not be denied, in view of all
the circu Instances, that the Who'll,
/ body OF strikere throughout toe
/ Union have left their work with O
view and purpose of~subjeeting the
business Ci the entire country 20 de.
I lay and derangement because some
John Smith ia California, demandinC
az Increase o! twenty dollars ia bis
salary, can get only ten dollars Thi;
IS the real issue, unless II Is further
claimed that this company shall no'
be permitted to determine how large
a force Is necessary to do Its business
and TO increase or decrease, from time
to time, accordingly.
ISigned:l o. Il. PALMER,
Treasurer