Mexico weekly ledger., 1883-07-26
THE TELEGRAPH STRIKE.

The signal for the telegraph opera
tors strike was given at New York on
Thursday last, at noon, in the great
operating room of the Western Union
Telegraph Company, needed, rs far
as heard from, by the Brotherhood Of
Operators in the United States and
Canada. In some particulars, this
strike presents strong contrasts to
those that have preceded it. Nu-
merically. it is not as great as that
Of the Amalgamated Iron and Steel
Workers, Or Of the cigar manufacture
ers, only about eight thousand strik-
ers being reported but, unlike those
mentioned, which extended to only
one trade, it affects all business,
whether of a financial, industrial,
professional, speculative, or reporto-
rial and journalistic character. An
unusually wide interest is, therefore,
awakened, and the general public
looks with anxiety to e what will
be the termination. Thus far, the
proceedings On both sides have been,
as was to have been expected from
the character of those engaged in it,
orderly and systematic, and present
in the most precise and complete
manner the peculisrities of the strife
that is in progress in this country
between organized capital and labor.
They show more completely than
those Of any strike that has preceded
it that this contest is to be waged
hereafter by continental eombins-
tons, embracing, most probably, be-
fore q final solution is reached, all
industrial nations. There is nothing,
therefore, that can be of more signii-
canoe to those that look into it closely
than this strike, and that significance
cannot be either increased or lessened
by its immediate results, let them be
what they may.
More completely and extensively,
perhaps, than that Of any other incor-
porated monopoly has the stock Of
the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany been consolidated and watered.
Flom q few hundred thousand it has
been nominaily increased to over one
hundred million of dollars, and the
company, by reason of the greatness
and completeness Of its lines and ar
engagements, occupies q position i'm
parting to it facilities for injustice
and oppression greater than those of
ordinary associations. On the one
hand, its nominal stock, far exceed
ing the original cost Of its lines, gives
color to demands for the transmission
Of messages. which ordinary divi-
dends upon its actual investments
would not justify, and, on the other,
its practical monopoly Of the tele-
graphy Of the country tends to make
it sensitive, grasping and %tyrannlcal.
This is apparent in all its recent
actions. Knowing that grave causes
for dissatisfaction existed among its
operatives, it refused to listen to the
presentation Of them by a committee,
for the alleged reason that it did not
know whether those bringing them to
its notice were properly authorized to
present them, and upon receiving the
only possible evidence on that head
that could be given 1t VOWS vengeance
against those that have furnished it,
and, instead Of Immediately accom-
modating itself to its changed condl-
tons and furnishing facilities for the
conduct of its public and obligatory
business, it demands that every mes
sage entrusted to it shall be received
subject to delays and errors in trans
mission, and of being sent to its des-
tination through the mails, and with
out reduction Of rates.
The operatives claim there has been
systematic reduction Of wages, with
increase Of working hours on week
days and Sundays, in the United