The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-08-17
INVESTIGATING STRIKES.
Session in New York of the United States
Senate Subcommittee on Education and
Labor--An Investigation Of Strikes and
Labor Movements in General.

The sub Committee of the United States
Senate Committee on Labor and Education
began its session Monday in the Post-office
Building The members present were SEN
ators Blair, of New Hampshire, Chairman;
George, of Mississippi; Pugh, Of Alabama;
Call, Of Florida and Aldrich, of Rhode Is
land. The special subject was the inyesti-
CATION of strikes and labor movements in
general, the object being to obtain informa-
ton which may be used in future legislation
to prevent them.
The first witness Monday was Master
Workman John Campbell, of Pittsburgh.
He testified that he had been telegraph
operator over twenty years, and been CON
nected with the Knights of Labor and the
Brotherhood of Telegraphers two years.
There were between Is, 900 and $4,000 te-
legraphers in the United States and Canada
who were members of the Brotherhood, and
the whole membership was about o., 900.
The cause of the strike was the refusal to
grant the demand on the part of the opera
tors for increased compensation, decrease
III the hours of work and extra compen-
sation for Sunday labor. Since 1870 the sal
aries OF operators had been Systematically cut
down, and the object of the strike was to
bring the rate of compensation back tothe
former standard. Operators are now paid
fixed salary per month, the average rate
throughout the country being $54 for COM
mercial operators, and $50 per month for
railroad operators. The average rate for
railroad operators in Pennsylvania by actual
census is $685. per month. The rate of
wages for first-class operators now ranges
from $50 to $85 per month. The salaries
Now L
In the smaller cities, with the exception of
those of New Orleans, Memphis and Nash
vile, where the scale of wages was about
equal to that in this city, The
lowest rates for commercial opera
tors were from $35 to $40 per
month for operators at small way sta
tons. Before the reduction in wages rates
We're thirty-fve to forty per cent. higher
than at present. In 1870 first-class ope-
rat0r could make from 800 to $12O a
month. These rates extended back to the
beginning OF the war, when the scale was
about the same as at present for railroad
operators, and that for commercial a little
higher. The Western Union Company en-
ploys quarter of all the operators in the
country, and about two-thirds are railroad
operators. The American Rapid Company
only employ one-fifth as many operators as
the Western Union. The protest of
the Brotherhood was against all
the companies and all employ
ers of telegraph operators. The rate
OF wages was not considered suffi-
Gent to live upon, and was much below
that of common day laborers in many in
stances. The companies were able to pay
higher wages to their men without increas-
ing their rates for service to the public.
This was evident from the large dividends
paid by the Western Union. Besides, their
facilities for transmitting messages had
been increased by the invention of the du-
pick and quadruplex. There has been no
reduction in the tariff in consequence of
these improvements, but on the other hand
the wages of the operators were reduced.
The number OF operators had doubled since
1870, while the facilities Of the companies
had more than doubled. The Western I'm
ion in that year handled seuon million mes
sages, and last year tire number was thirty
five million.
Mr.. Campbell then recited the history of
the strike since it began. There was con-
vention Of the Brotherhood, held in Chicago
last March, at which bill of grievances
was drawn up. This was presented to the
different local assemblies of the Brother
hood throughout the United States and
Canada, who unanimously ratified the action
of the convention. The returns to the Ex-
ecutive Board were made about two months
ago, and the committee was instructed to
present the demand of the operators to the
different companies, and they were also
empowered to arbitrate upon all PROPOSE
tons that might be made by the companies.
Operators had frequently presented their
grievances to the local managers for in
arnacad hTt fboca ha1
garded. 1t is generally believed that the
Western Union Company had well-estab-
Hshed system of ack-listing men who made
application for increased wages and took
the first opportunity to discharge them upon
some preteXt or another. FaVoritism was
shown by all local managers, and skill was
at a discount. A system of intimidation
was practiced by the officials of the COM
pany. Since 1870 several movements had
been started to organize the operators, but
all failed on account of this system of in-
timidation.
SECOND DAY.
John I. McClelland, of the Brotherhood,
testified. He said the estimate cost of a tel
egraph line one thousand five hundred
miles long would be $725, 965. Telegraph
operators were generally young men, and
lived in boarding houses. They usually
come from the better class of society. The
morale of operators as a class had greatly
improved within the last ten years, and
this was one result of the organization
which had been effected Most of them
were SINGLE but some were married men.
| Witness thought $50 a month was reason
| bic estimate for food and lodging for
month for single man. Only one in
| hundred ever saved any money The high
| est paid operators did not receive enough
| to enable them to lay by anything for their
| support in old age. In 1870 the Western
/ Union Company required every man COM
| ing into its employ to take oath he would
never connect himself with trade or
| labor organization, This was called the
''iron-clad OATH" and was administered
to every person who took part in the strike
of 1870. Day operators worked from
eight a. m. to eight at night, and had but
| two or three hours to devote to amusements.
| A night operator had more time at his dis
posal. No such thing as vacation was
known in the telegraph business.
| III. w. Orr, of Philadelphia, member OF
| the Brotherhood of Telegraphers, said the
| salaries paid operators in that city ranged
| from $50 to $50 per month. An evidence OF
| the hostility of the Western Union toward its
employees was the policy Of reducing the
| salaries of its operators during the past ten
| years. The Western Union had also black
| listed men found organizing union or as.
| ISOLATION of operators.
President Arthur, while in Louis
vile, was presented by "a few of the