Daily globe., 1883-08-16
THE TELEGRAPHBRS.
A CONFERENCE.

New YORK, Aug. 15.-At noon to-day a
committee of six striking operators,
formerly employed by the Western
Union company, waited on Gen. Eckert
and asked for an interview, which was
granted.
The committee said they represented the
Morse operators of the Wheatstone opera
tors and the line men in the employ of
the Western Union, but that their call was
not to be considered as a weakening on
the part of the Brotherhood. Their pur-
pose was to inquire on what terms the
men would be taken back into the service.
Gen. Eckert said he would recommend
that those now out should apply to their
respective superintendents as to terms for
resumption of work.
EVERYTHING QUIET.
New YoRK, Aug. 15.--Western Union
officials said this morning that everything
was remarkably quiet. The wires had not
been tampered with last night and con-
sequently there was no delay in getting
at work this morning. They also stated
that business was increasing every day
and they were able to handle it promptly.
The attitude of the Western Union com
pany remains unchanged as regards the
strike.
IMPORTANT FACTS CoRcERNING STRIKES.
New YORK, Aug. 15.-The United States
senatorial subcommittee on labor and
education continued its inquiry to-day re-
garding the telegraphers' strike The ex-
animation of John S. McClelland was re-
sumed. He submitted IN accordance with
the request of the committee quantity of
evidence which he had prepared in re-
gard to the iron-clad oaths which employees
IN the various Industries were in the habit
of administering to their workmen when
they resolved them into their service.
Witness said the Western Union company
adopted plan of making operators take
an oath that they would not join union,
and he could produce employees who could
prove it. Threats had been made
by many of the railroad companies that
they wou'd discharge any man whom they
discovered to be member of the brother
hood of telegraphers, among others the
Pennsylvania railroad and Michigan Cen
trail company had employed this means.
Other instances of the means tried by CAP
ital to enslave workingmen were given by
the witness,
Witness also furnished statistics regard.
ing the strikes which had occurred during
recent years, Since 1870 the number of
recorded strikes which had occurred in Eu-
rope was 1852. The trade
in which the most frequent
strikes occurred was the coal miners and
building trades come next. Statistics
showed that during ten years 9,027 weeks
or 81, ,162 days have been lost by men who
engaged in them, representing wages
amounting to $22, ,237,75O. OF the entire
number of strikes occurring seventy-t two
were known to have been won by work
men, 189 lost and ninety-one compro-
missed, leaving about 1000 unaccounted
for and which in all probability had been
lost by those who engaged in them.
The remedy suggested by the witness
for securing more equitable distribution
of wealth between the laborer and capital
ist would be that the government should
take charge of all branches of industry,
as it has in the mail carrying for the
country. This system could, he thought,
be applied to all private industries as we'll
as to the telegraphic industry.