The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-14
The TeIegraphers, Troubles.

New York, l3.-Tke subcommittee
of the United States Senate Committee
on Labor and Educati, n began lis 81 IS on
to-day in the postoffice building. The
mem bers present were Senators Blair Of
New Hampshire, chairman; George, of
Mississippi; Pugh, of Alaska: Call. of
Florida; and Aldrich, of Rhode Island.
There was no special subject of investig-
alton except rs to strikes and labor
movements in general, the object being
to obtain Information which may be used
in future. The first witness to-day WAS
| Master Workman John Campbell of
Pittsburg, who testified that he bad been
a telegraph operator over twenty years
aud been connected with the Knights of
Labor and Brotherhood OF Photographers
two years. There were between Is, 900
and 10 zoo telsETRUhers In the United
States and Cantd,, mem bers Of the
brotherhood, and the whole mem 6ership
was about % 900. The cause of the
sstlke was the refusal TO grant the de-
mand on the part Of operators for in
creased compensation for Sunday SER
vice. The salaries Of telegraph operators
wers systematically cut down, ard the OBJ
ject Of the strike was TO BRING the rate of
compensation b. ca 10 the form er Is dad
| Operators were now paid fixed salary
per month, the average rate throughout
being S54 for commercial Ope.atcr0 ard
| S39 a month for railroad operators. In
Pennsylvania, BIZ actual census, it
is S98,S5 per month. The rate Of w6ges
| tor frat class commercial operators now
ranged from. $50 to SS5 per month. Sal
aries in New York CITY we're higher than
those in smaller cities, with th ex option
Of New Orleans, Memphis ard Nash
vile, where the scale was abou. equal TO
that in this city. The lowest rste for
commercial operators WAS from $50
10 $40 PSF month for operators
Ut small way stations, Before
| the reduction Ia wages rates were IS to
40 per cent higher than al present. In
| 1870 first lass operators could make from
! $50 10 Sl20 a month. These rates ex-
tended pack to tbs beginning OF the war
when The scale was about the same as 1t
present for railroad operators, and that
for commercial little higher. The
| Western Union Company employ q
quarter OF al the opera Ors in the country
ind about two thirds ale railroad opera
tore. The American Rapid company
only employs one. fifth as many operators
/ as Iuo w 6sLoEH OulOus Luz protest %
the brotherhood was against all compa-
MES and all employers Of telegraph
operators. The rates of wages were not
considered sufficient to live on and were
much below those of common lsborers.
In many instances the companies were
able TO Lsy better rates to operators with
out increasing their rates for service to
the public. This was e7ident from the
large dividends paid by the Western
| Union. Besides, their facilities for trans
hitting messages had been increased by
the invention of the duplex and qusdru-
pick. There had been no reduction in
tariff in consequences Of these improve
ments, but on the other hand operators
wages we're reduced. The number of
operators had doubled since 1870 while
the facilities Of the companies had more
than doubled. 1he Western u mon in
that year handled 1000, 600 messages
and last year the nun Der was 50 OO0, eco.
Campbell reeited the history otthe strike
since it began.
| O3wego, I3.-.Four Of seven operators
here who went out on strike returned 20
their keys this morning.