Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-19
LINEMEN's INTERESTS,

! LINEMEN's INTERESTS.
! SECTION l. That eight he urs shall con-
stitute regular days work and that COM
peusation at the rate of two days pay be
| allowed for all Sunday work. That the
lowest salary paid a regular lineman shall
! be s65 per month and for helpers $50.
That the duties of lineman be confined
solely to their legitimate work.
wHEATs1 ONE INTERESTS.
SECTION. 1. That the salaries of first.
| class Wheatstone operators be increased
| to $75 per month and second class operators
to $50 per month, aud that they receive in
addition the Is per cert increase asked
for Morse operators.
SEC. 2. That the working hours of
WheatstOne operators be the same as
Morse operators.
A reply at the earliest possible moment
solicited. Very respectfully,
EUGENE J. O'CONNOR, Chairman.
MORTIMER D. SHAW, Secretary.
JOHN CAMPBELL.
ROBERT EWING.
HARRY w. ORR.
ROGER ]. MULLIN.
JOSEPH II. FORD
Executive Board.
The document presented to the Rapid
telegraph company differed from that pre-
sented to the Western Union in that it did
not contain the clause referring to Wheat
stone operators. The WheatstOne iustru-
ment is not used in the Office of the Rapid
telegraph company
How lL Was Received.
When this was presented in person the
Western Union telegraph company gave
no reply. The Baltimore & Ohio and the
American Rapid telegraph company report
ed that they had the demands under con
sideration and were awaiting the action of
the Western Union company Vice President
May, of the Rapid company, said that the
Western Union had such preponderance
Of telegraphic business that all the other
companies were obliged to follow its lead.
If it granted the demands of the brother
hood the other companies would be COM
PEELED to do likewise. Superintendent
Philips of the United Press association,
said that his operators would not strike,
vance if the Western Union company con-
ceded it. The operators of the associated
press already receive higher pay than the
other men are striking for, so that no
troubls was anticipated there.
Cyrus w. Field, director, said that the
,mpany desired to pay its employees pro
per wages. He thought the demand for
increased pay should come from the en-
ployes themselves and not from an associa
tion OF which the company had no knowl
edge. The demands would be considered
to-day, at the meeting of the executive
committee. w. G. Humstone, superinten
dent of the company, said that every
thing was in abayance, pending the meet
ing Of the executive committee, at noon
to day in the Western Union building.
There seems little reason to believe that
the demands of the operators vii! be
granted. Mr.. Humstone said that the de-
mapds were excessive and ranged from
twenty-six to seventy six per ceut, jn-
crease on the present pay, for reg0Ar
operators asked for fifteen per cent. more
salary and eleven per cent. shorter time,
thus making twenty Six per cent. advance.
For the Wheatstone operators they asked
that their present salaries be raised to SIS
a month. This would be an increase of
fifty per cent.-would make seventy six
per cent. altogether. The Wheatstone
system was merely all experiment and in
case of strike it would be discarded and
the operators would be discharged.