Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1883-09-04
the LABOR cOMMIrrEE.
DR.. Green Continuing His Testimony on
Telesraphic Matters.
Nrw YORK Sent. 8.

NEW ORR, sept. D.
The Senatorial Subcommittee on labor and
education resumed its labor today. Only
Senators Blair and Call were present, Sena
tors George and Puegh having gone to New
England to take testimony there on the same
subject.
DR.. Green took the stand and continued
his testimony. The witness at the opening
corrected some evidence in the morning pa
pers of Saturday and remarked that Il did
saw that the profit from 1865 was made in
great part by the purchase of lines in stock
and not reported"
In regard to Whea;stone operators they
were still in the pay of the company and
their salaries had in no case been reduced.
The witness said in explanation that mes
sage could be transmitted more rapidly from
| New York to certain European points than
| between certain cities on the Eropean CONT
tinent, that the delay arose in crossing straits
and channels The distance across the Eng
| lsh channel was from Is to 20 miles and the
messages across that cable were worked by
| Morse instruments, while ON the longer dis
| tances. class messages were not worked by
manipulation, but by machinery.
! In regard to the paw given TO railroad OPP
orators. the witness such operators were paid
| 10 per cent on the business transacted, be
sides the salary they get from the railroad
company The telegraph service in London
was far better than in this city, because there
were separate wires in the former TO every
important point. Senator Blair asked
whether the Western Union. considering the
| extent of theiI business and the profits arts
| ing therefrom, could not pay the operatives
higher wages to which the witness replied
that their employees were paid as well as any
other class considering the hours OF labor.
! 10 hot for savar.1 ha
nected with railroad corporations, but at the
pre- sent time he was president of only rail
road in Nova Scotia.
! Blair asked the witness how much he real
lied on his investment.
| Witness-ren per cent.
| Blair-And the public will pay for this?
Witness-Ies, but the stockholders have a
right to claim il all the same.
Bldir-Your dividend, you say is only
per cent?
| Wimess-Very true, the stockholders have
right to utilize the balance ny accommodating
it for stock dividend
! Blair-Your surplus this year is Ssl 900,
900. and interest is paid how?
| Witness-Seven per cent. in cash to the
stockholders and the three per cert is re-
tanned to be given to them in one shape OF
another some day either as stock in the in
| Citdstu NdluS VI It's plpptIiN VI OtHtEWlst
Blair asked Green for an expression of his
opinion AS to the relations existing between
capital and labor.
| Green said that while he had great sympa-
thy with the laboring people he would like to
see every man employed according to his
talents. TO my mind, said he, strikes that
have been organized to secure higher wages
have proved failure. Not one in twenty
strikes that | ever knew of have been success
tul. Men most likely to get promoted or ad-
vanced or an increase of wages are those that
stood by their EMPLOYERS Men generally
faithful to their employers were certain OF
advancement. He did not recognize the
right Of any organization to dictate terms to
their employers, and whenever they presumed
upon such dictation it was sure to re act and
do them harm. Men skilled to an increase
of pay generally got it. The witness alluded
to money they had paid to widows and or
phans of deceased operatives for two or three
months, and mentioned one man who could
not possibly recover from sickness which
lasted nine or ten months during which time
he had been on half pay. Strikes, he con
tinued were purely a matter of wages. There
were hundreds he believed. who would moi
be satisfied If paid 81 30 month, they would
want $500 and so on
Recess was taken until afternoon.