The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-14
THE TELEGRAPHERS' STRIKE
THE SENATE COMMITTEE ON LABOR
AND EDUCATION AT WORK.
Investigating Strikes and the Labor Move.
mcnt In ticneraI-Niaster Workman Camp
bell Testif's Regarding Telegraph Bust
ness, as TO What IL Was and WhntitI..
LBy telegraph 70 the Disnatch. l

a.
lBy telegraph 10 the Dispatch.l
NEW YORK, August I3.-The sub-com-
mlttee OF the United States Senate Com
mittee on Labor and Education began it,
sessions to-day In the post-otfice building.
Inc members present were Senators Blair,
OF New Hampshire (chalrman) George OF
Mississippi, Pugh OF Alabama, Call Of
FLORIDA, and Aldrich Of Rhode Island.
The special subject OF the subcommittee
investigation is strikes and the labor move
ment In general, the object being to obtain
information which NAV be used in secur-
ing future legislation 10 prevent them.
The committee had several sessions last
winter, when number Of witnesses were
examined.
The first witness to-day was John Camp
bell, OF Pittsburgh, master workman OF the
Telegraphers' Brotherhood. He testified
he had been a telegraph operator over
twenty years, and had been connected
with the knights OF Labor and the Broth
hood OF Telegraphers for two years. There
were between $4,000 and 10000 telegraph
crs in the United States and Canada who
are members Of the Brotherhood, and the
whole membership is about 22,0OO. The
cause OF the strike was the refusal to grant
the demand on the part Of the operators
for increased compensation, decrease in
hours, and extra compensation for Sunday
work. Since 1870 the salaries Of telegraph
operators had been systematically cut
down. The object OF the strike was 10
bring the rate OF compensation back to its
former standard. Operators were now
paid fixed salary per month. the average
rate throughout the country being about
! Sol for commercial operators and $50 per
month FOR railroad operators. The average
rate ior railroad operators in Pennsylvania,
by an actual census, Is $3.50 per month.
| The rate OF wages for tirst-claSs commercial
operators now ranged from $50 10 $50 per
month. Salaries in New York city were
| higher than those in smaller cities. with
the exception OF New Orleans. Memphis,
and Nashville, where TIE scale OF wages
was about equal TO that in this city. The
! lowest rates for commercial operators were
| from S3j 10 $40 per month. For operators
at small way-stations before the reduction
| in wages the rates were from 50 10 40 per
cent. higher than at present. In 1870 first
class operators could make from 800 TO
| S120 per month. These rates extended
back 10 the time OF the beginning Of the
war, when the scale OF wages was about
the same rs it is at present for railroad
operators. and that Tor commercial men
| little higher. The Western Union Com
pany employs Il quarter OF all the Ope-
rators in the country, and about two
! thirds are railroad operators. The Anne
rican Rapid Company EMPLOYS only
about one fifth rs many operators
as the Western Union. The protest OF the
Brotherhood was against all companies and
all employers OF clcgraph-opcratOrS. The
rate Of wages was not considered sufficient
| to live upon, and was much below that OF
common day laborerS. In many instances
the companies were able to pay higher
wages TO their men without increasing
! their rates for service To the public. This
was evident from the large dividends paid
| by the Western Union; besides, the iacili-
| ties for transmitting messages had been in
creased by the invention Of duplex and
quadrupleX instruments. There bad been
no reduction in the tariff in consequence
OF these improvements, but, on the other
hand. the wages OF operators were cut
down. The number OF operators had
doubled since 1870, while the facilities OF
the companies had more than doubled.
| The Western Union i'm that year handled
| 1000, 900 messages, and last year the num-
Der was 35,000,000.
Campbell related the history OF the strike
since its beginning. There was conyen-
ton OF the Brotherhood, he said, held in
Chicago last March, at which a bill OF
grievances was drawn up. This was pre-
scented TO the different local assemblies OF
the Brotherhood throughout the United
States and Canada, who unanimously rati-
! fed the action Of the Convention. Returns
| to the Executive Board were made about
two months ago, and the committee was IN
strlIcted 10 present the demands OF the
operators TO the different companies. and
| they were also empowered TO arbitrate upon
any propositions that might be made by the
companies. On the 10th OF july the de-
mands were presented to the Western
| Union, the American Rapid. the Baltimore
and Ohio commercially, and numerous tcle-
phone companies in the city. The only
answer which has yet been received Is
! from the American Rapid Company, which
has partially acceded TO the demands OF the
Brotherhood. The answer OF the Western
| Union Company to the appeal OF the opera
tors was that il was not known whether the
committee had authority 10 speak for the
employe, of the company. Campbell said
! that 30 per cent. OF the employees
were members Of the brotherhood.
| The operators had frequently presented
grievances to local managers for increase
of wages. but these had been di,rcgardcd.
/ II was generally believed that the Western
Union Company had 4 well-estlblshed
! system OF black-listing men who made ap-
plications for increase OF wages, and took
the first opportunity Of discharg!ng them
from MS employ upon some preieXt or
other. Favoritism was shown by all local
managers, and skill was at Il discount. n
system OF intimidation was pTactlced by the
officers also OF the company. Since 1870
several movements had been started TO or
| ganiZe the operators, but all had iail-
| ed on account Of this system OF
intimidation. Campbell also intimated
that 10y the process OF watering its
stock, practiced by the Western Union
whenever it had absorbed a competing line,
the company was now paying at least IS
Dcr cent. dividends on the real value OF its
Stock. lie also stated that the work OF the
GENERATORS was very wearying and exhaust
ing. and men seldom lived long who con-
tinued in the business. Many left it after
following it for score ofyears, and this was
about the limit OF an average mans en-
| durance.
John Mcclellan, an officer OF the Bro
therhood and an operator OF fourteen
years standing, was next examined. lie
said that the direct cause Of the strike was
the insult offered by the Western Union
Company TO the committee OF the Brother
hood on refusing 20 recognize or treat
| v,;tb tbem. Until then il hadn't been eX-