Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-08-19

TaE WKsTKRS tSloS CoMPASTI
Like many gigantic enterprises, the
Western Union was an oufgrowth OF
the war. During the rebellion the ex-
tent of the country covered By military
operations was 80 vast, and the neces.l-
ties for rapidly carrying orders and in
formation Was % important, that CON-
panies owning short lines were COM
PEELED TO act in concert to facilitate
bosiness- In all military districts gov
superintendents Of telegraph
linss vees Appointed, who bad Absolnts
oootrol over sueh Inns within thsir dis
t1iets. DARING ths ave ys11s Of the var
thS sysssm Of tala9faphy became
thor0uQhly established, and after its
close il vas an easy mattse 20 pat the
lpon conmescial baais,
and with the men in charge who bad
built up and developed The combination
The Western Union became the ersat
Telegraph m0o0poly Of the United
6eateA as eoes the IarRsse, richest and
stroneess in tbs world. The men WHO
oriRinased tie company ssiil control
and opsrste II, with the Rovernnent d.
restof Of teleeraphs during the var at
In head. With the RroAth Of the sys-
tam there has besn . commsnsufate in
Grease in The boaineas, until now
the company b transmit<inQ bstWesn
100000 and 100000 messages an
nuAty. =
win The vass tpcrsass In the number
Of employees and the business required
OF them, rules Of incsoaAinR severity
have beon adop&od, and - the supply of
operators has increased, wages have
been, II not rsdueod, made to depend on
little matters that we're annoying. With
1000 operators, each one Q minute
late, il would HakD about month's ser-
vice lest 70 the company, and hence
taIdins0 va made . Enable omission
of duty. This u only IN instance Of
the many rules of which operators COM
plain which have come into vogue.
With each infringement of their priv
ileQes the operators employed by the
company have for years been growing
more asd more FESTIVE, and il has not
tended TO quiet their apprehen-
sions TO zee every new rival line that
gave PROMISE Of furnishing . demand
for their services 20 into the rapacious
NAV of the Western Union az soon a.
IL was in position for business. In this
way the great company practically Was
enabled 70 control not only the supply
Of. bot demand for, operators. A. long
ago - 1859 the operators atarted an or
Ranixation for their mutual protection,
which vas known a. the "TeleRraphers'
Protective League" and extended its
organization all over the country, from
New York to San Francisco, having
from LOO to 1000 members. The OBJ
joct Of the organization was, a. Its name
indicated, the mutual protection Of
each other in their business. It was not
strange that the company should desire
to check the growth Of the organization
and weaken its hold upon it, employees.
This vss undertaken in San Francisco
bv an effort 70 prevent the operators
from joining II. The jansls in Cali
foyuia resulted In reducing the salaries
in that Office, and the operators prompt
ly left their instrumental, notified the
Offices along the line, and on the I'd OF
January, 1870, strike was made In all
the Offices Of the Western Union Com
pany In the United States. ALI the oper-
ators In Ban Francisco belonging to the
League left, those remaining being two
ladies and four men, who we're not MEM
beTs Of the organisation. The operators
simply asked that their salaries should
not b reduced, and that the San Fran
cisco operators be retained at their for
msr salaries. The pay then was $l20
q month for AYst-olass men. The strike,
however, increased in magnitude, and
every prominent Office In the country
va more or lees affected BY It. The
company on January 9Th declared, by
its secretary, that IL could submit to no
dictation ~ to the number Of men It
employed nor the wages paid them,
closing ito declaration BY saying !:
+" They must 10 under or We shall, and
We shall not. No one who has left the
Office will ever be allowed to return"
But ON January 9th the company put
ont q card In New York Offering amnes-
~ to all operators who would withdraw
from the league. The matters In dispute
between the league and the company
were finally left to q committee for de-
cisiou, Of which r. w. Pope was the
leading spirit. On the 18th Of January
Pops autographed the following to the
officers Of the league: IL have can
vassed the situation. and believe Il to be
useless 70 continue the strike. I here
BY absolve ell Western Onion members
from their oath, and advise them to re-
turn 10 their work."
Following the death Of the league two
protective aseocistions were formed. an
Eastern and Western, the principles
aud objects Of which we're similar. At
. convection held At Cincinnati. Ohio,
some two years ego. the two branches
we're censolidatsd under the name of
the Brotherhood Of Tslegraphsrs Of the
United States and Canada. Il 10 said
that ct that convention the sebjeot of
the preeent strike Was discussed and ar
Rued upon, and that from the e6eotinQ
Of that consolidation the simple aim
and object Of the organisation has been
to prepare for the strike that now pre-
walls.