Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1883-08-13
A BALTIMOKE SENSATION.
EK.Fire Commissioners Presented ia
Malfeasance in Office.

MaI1eaSanCe In OFFICE
BALTIMORE, August la-The grand Jury today
presented all the members OF the late commission
OF the fire department OF this city for malfeasance
Whyte, ex-of1cio presidentand s. W. Register .Thos
W. Campbell, J. Frank Morrison, Samuel Hanna,
bartholomew +. Smith and Charles B. Sllngluf.
Bail was fixed at So 600 in each case. The present.
ment caused great excitement and astonishment
about the city hall and court house. The late
ooard was suspended recently by the appointment
OF charges made by the present 1re marshal
The Laurencebnrg, Ind, Bank Failure
LAURENCEBURa, IND, August 13-Bank Elk.
amlner Hayes and the committee of bank de-
OF the City National bank. The books have been
found to be correct, and enough Is known to JUS
thy the statement that the depositors Will be
fully paid. 1t is thought it may be a month be-
fore payment will begin. The rumors OF trouble
at the Peoples National bank are declared to be
wholly unIounded, and the excitement has died
out.
Strikes and Labor Movements.
INVESTIGATION BY THE SENATE SUBCOMMITTEE.
NEW YORK, August 13-The subcommittee OF
the us. Senate committee on labor and education
ing. The members present were, Senators Blair
OF New Hampshire chairman; George, OF MiSSis-
sRR; p ~ Of Call Of Foda and
the subcommittee investigation is strikes and
labor movements in general, the object being to
obtain information which may be used in securing
future legislation to prevent them. The commit
tee held several sessions last winter, when num-
Der OF witnesses were examined.
MASTER WORKMAN CAMPBELL A WITNESS
The first witness to-day was Master Workman
John Campbell, OF Pttsburg. He testified that
he had been telegraph operator over twenty
years, and had been connected with the Knights
OF Labor and the Brotherhood OF Telegraphers for
two years There were between eighteen
In the United States and Canada who are men,
bers Of the brotherhood, and the whole member
snip is about 81, OOO The cause Of the strike was
q o16n M thn apf oP RI
orators for increased compensation, decrease In
the hours, and extra compensation for Sunday
tors had been systematically cut down. and the
oBJECr OF THR TELEGRAPHERs' STRIKE
was to bring the rate Of compensation back to Its
rate sSous ao ts oo %0a9 b sas sS
ga for commercial operators. and $50 a month
sus is 1885 per month. The rate Of wages for
$50 to SIS per month. The salaries in New York York
city were higher than those in smaller cities, With
sSH oshpT11a OF New r., Orleans Memphis and
The lowest rates for commercial operators were
from SIS to SO month for operators at small way
stations Before the reduction in wages the rates
were from IS to 40 per cent higher than at present
In 1870 hrst-class operator could make from $50
the time OF the beginning Of the war, when the
scale OF wages was about the same as 1t is
at present for railroad operators, and that for
commercial men q little higher. The western
Union company employs quarter Of all the opera
tors In the country, and about twothirds are rail-
road operators. The American Rapid Company
employs only about one-f1fth as many operators as
the Western Union.
THE PROTEST OF THE BROTHERHOOD
was against an companies and all employers OF
telegraph operators. The rate of wages
was not considered sufficient to live upon,
and and ,. was much below that Of common
were able to pay higher wages to their men with
out increasing thetr rates for service to the public
This was evident from the large dividends paid by
the Western Union. Besides this the facilities for
transmitting messages has been increased by the
invention OF the duplex and Quadruplex instru-
ments. IAeee had been no reduction 10 the tariff
IN consequence OF these improvements, but ON
cut down. The number OF operators had doubled
since 1870, while the facilities OF the companies
had more than doubled. The Western Union In
that year handled 600 900 messages, and last year
the number was 81, 1000
HISTORY Oh THE STRIKE
Mr. Campbell related the history OF the strike
since its beginning. There was convention OF
March. at which a bin Of grievances was drawn
up. This was presented to the different local as.
semblies OF the brotherhood throughout the Uni
ted States and Canada who unanimously ratified
executive board were made about twomonfhs ago,
and the committee was instructed TO present the
demands Of the operators to the different COM
panles. and they were also empowered TO arbitrate
Saratoga Races To-day.
6A1AToGA, n. T., August 1&-First race. one
mile and seventy yards. ViolatoF nrst, Brocade
second. and Referee third. Time, 80
Second Tace. ee-QuarteIs Of . mile heats; the
ana Little Emily third. Time, 1:lek.