The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1883-07-26

| during that time, and are now doing three
| times the amount of work done i'll the open
| ing month. they have not yet received
any intimation that their interests OF sal
aries, which they deem wholly inadequate,
are to be improved
| STATISTICS.
| The Brotherhood of photographers has u
general statiStician also Il local statistician
| i'll nearly every city and toWnin the United
States and Canada. Complete statistics
have been gathered, and show the follow
| ing general average of wages paid at the
present time; The average pay for COM
mercial operators in the United States is
$54 43 per month; average for commercial
operators of Canada is 1881 40 per month
average of railroad operators i'll the United
States if 500 SO; average for railroad. opera
| tors in Canada is 500 Il. 1t should be
| bourne in mind that operators are not al
lowed extra compensation for Sunday work
and that railroad operators at stations
where but one man is employed are requir-
| ed to work from fourteen to sixteen hours
| per day, and on many roads are required to
sleep in or convenient to their offices, SO
| that they may be called to receive orders
| for delayed and obtain help for wrecked
trains. These calls are on many roads Of
| frequent occurrence.
| On the other hand the Companies an
nohnce that they are ready to treat with
their employees, to listen to all Of their
| grievances and give them respectful con-
sideration, but that they do not and will
not recognize the right Of the Brotherhood
| to speak for the operators in their service.
j. Gould's statement Of the situation is
gained from the following interview held
on Thursday
| Mr.. Gould was found at his office, ut No.
II Broadway, early in the afternoon. The
strike had failed, apparently, to disturb
him in the slightest degree on the con-
trary, he seemed to be in exceedingly good
| hlmor.
! II have just come from the Western
| Union building he said, after calling the
reporters attention to the strength Of the
stock market, '.and | should hardly know
that strike had taken place. | went
| through the operating room, and apparently
there were as many operators as usual.
You would not have noticed any change
from the usual appearance of the room.
L was much pleaSed-but not greatly sur
priSed-for General Eckert has told me all
along that the TelegrapherS' Association
Overrated its strength. 1t was gratifying
| to learn that the best operators remained
| loyal to the company. About q hundred
| of them, think, did not leave the room,
| and when | was there the number of OPP
orators at work was over one hundred and
| fifty. / do not see that the strike is not
| about over. | was told that there had
lbeen little interruption in business that
| the work had been kept well up all the
| time. do not think that the public will
| be caused any serious inconvenience. Y on
see we have maintained q great many Of
| fees that did not pay the expenses, just to
accommodate the public in the fullest man
ner. 1t is rather to the advantage Of the
company that these should be closed. In
deed, [ believe that the strike will prove
to be benefit to the company. We shall
be able to cut off some unnecessary ex-
penses, which otherwise we could not have
done conveniently. | am sure that the
company will be helped by the strike The
price of the stock since the strike was
made shows, does it not, that the street
looks at the matter in the same way? /
am sorry that there should have been
strike, for the telegraphers will be the
principal losers by it. | think it must
have been instigated by persons here in
Wall street,
s'That suggestion has been made several
times, +" the reporter interrupted. Have
you duly duIllOIlty lOI III !
s'Any one who has been in Wall street
for twenty years. Mr. Gould replied,
smiling slightly, ''knOWs many things by
intuition. He does not require authority
for his opinions. / have no absolute all-
thOrity for thinking that speculation has
had great deal to do with causing this
strike; but | know it intuitiyely. | am
sure that | am not mistaken. The strike
is practically over, and it has not disturbed
the cOmpany's business much. We get
dispatches from Chicago and other points,
announcing that new men are applying for
work constantly. The operators must be
disappointed at the result, but many of
them joined the Brotherhood thinking that
it was simply amutual relief OF benevolent
association. My private operator in the
office here, it seems, was a member of the
Union, but when the strike was ordered he
renowned the oath, and volunteered to
work for the Western Union. lie said
that he did not know when he joined the
brotherhood that he was to be forced into
strike. | think that many have been
mlsled in the same way. l am told that
many OF them will not consent to the die
tatlon OF the Association. The strike Will
be a benefit to the company and to the
stock market, too. This trouble has been
hanging over the market for some time,
finally"
In regard to the fact that a large number
of telegraphers were to be brought from
England, Mr. Gould declined to speak def
nitely. He said that he did not know any
thing about the matter.
y The changes in the situation since the
strike comm enced have been nearly all i'll
favor of the operators. They seem to be
Strengthening day after day. and 1t will be
but short time until the companies will
have to give in. President Arthur is said
to have expressed sympathy the strik-
ers, and number of prominent commercial
men and Boards of Trade are outspolxen
in their condemnation Of the companies.
BY the giving away Of q pier on which
q large crowd of people were awaiting the
arrival of a steamer, nearly one hundred
lives were lost on Monday last at Trivoli
some ten miles from Baltimore. The party
was made up of excursionists who had
been out for q days pleasure, and We're
s. /