The Portland daily press., 1883-07-19
WAITING ORDERS.
A Great Strike Likely to be Inaug
urated Today.
The Western Union Disposed to Fight
Rather than Yield.

New York, July 18-The committee of the
Brotherhood held meeting early this morn
ing. but what transpired could not be learned
Cipher dispatches were received by the COM
mittee from various points, where the opera
tors are in readiness to leave their desks at a
moments notice. IL was said that every
means would be taken TO render the strike a
general one, for in this event only would 1t be
successful.
An officer of the Western Union said today
that there seemed to be little possibility that
the company would grant the request, and
that strike seemed to be inevitable. The
demands were unjust and unreasonable, and II
strike should happen the company would
fight to the bitter end.
w j. Dealy, manager of the operating room
OF the Western Union, said he did not believe
a strike would be commenced with mature de-
liberations on the part of the operators This
morning there were only nine absentees from
the regular force The ordinary number OF
absentees was from 10 to 20. He said he had
at least 30 letters from employees of the COM
pany promising to stand by 1t in the event of
strike. There were 20 chief operators in the
office, each one having uuder him from Is to
rs men. This morning canvass was made
by these men among the operators to ascertain
If possible the real strength of the disaffeced
portion and how large force might be relied
on in case of strike. The first report showed
that out OF q operators IL were doubtful and
promised to stand by the company. Later
reports indicate that the proportion represeut-
ed the division OF feeling throughout the
whole force
CHICAGO, July 18.-The following telegraph
ic letter from President Eckert to Col Clowry,
the Chicago superintendent, presents more
fully than has yet been done the company's
side of the case:
To Il. @. Clowry, General Superintendent of
the Western Union Telegraph Company, Chi
cago, ILL.,:
committee Of six persons called upon me
yesterday and presented memorial addressed
to the Western Union Telegraph Company and
signed by themselves as members of the exc
cutiVe committee Of the brotherhood of Tele-
graphers of the United States and Canada.
The memorial calls upon the company for GER
tain concessions in regard to hours and rates of
pay, substantially in accordance with the pro-
gramme, with which you have been familiar
since their March meeting in Chicago. The
parties were asked IL they represented the en-
ployes OF the company, and upon replying
affirmatively they were requested to furnish a
list of such employees. This they were not able
to do, stating that 1t would require long time
to procure list, and they were here on ex-
pense. They were told that the company did
not know the committee or whether its mem
bers had authority from the Western Union
employees to present any demand, and we could
not deal with outside parties. Aside from the
questionable manner of presenting such me-
mortal. one demand is that both sexes shall re-
ceiye pay for equal work, and another 15 per
cent. increase Of all salaries. An operator now
receiving salary of $50 amonth would by this
plan get smaller increase than one getting $50
or $50 month, thus widening the difference
now existing. An $50 operator at present works
nine hours daily twenty-sx days month,
equal 70 "a 1900 cents per hour. Under the
schedule on the memorial the same operator
will receive W. per month for eight hours
daily, equal to about 30 per cent in addition to
the Sunday allowance just granted under the
new rule. This is the smallest increase de-