Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1883-09-04
NoRVIN GREEN ON STRIKES.
Labor Organizations Not of Much Bene-
fit to the Men.

NEW YORK, Sept. 3.-President Green.
of the Western Union Telegraph Com
pany. continued his testimony to-day be-
fore the subcommittee of the Senate Com
mittee on Education and Labor.
which is investigating the relations
between capital and labor. Senator
Blair questioned the witness closely re-
garding the policy of the Western Union
Company toward its employees. He asked
whether, considering the extent of the
company's business and the profits arising
therefrom, it could not pay better wages to
its employees, to which Mr.. Green replied
that the Western Union COmpany's en-
plOyes were paid as well as any other
class considering their hours of labor and
the service rendered except the public
school teachers of the city. Senator Blair
asked whether the company could not do
something toward improving the cOndi-
tlon of its employees.
DIR. Green responded that corporations
were organized to make money. There
were few that he knew of that existed DTO
bono pUbtic0. In reply to a further qUes-
ton as to whether it would not be a wise
policy for corporations to reward faithful
and long continued service, he said
OF American institutions to provide pen
siOns. He, however, thought the ques-
ton as prOpOunded worthy of serious
consideration. Abiding to the English
system of giving pensions after thirty
years of service, Predicated upon a good
record, he said that he did not think a
man working under that system would
torego his pension by going on a strike.
The witness said that there were several
a hnnpfigial oh
among the Western Union employees,
which contributed to the relief of their
members in sickness or in other dis
tress, and provided for the wild
oWs Of those deceased. He
thought that if corporations
would aid such associations as these
among their employees, that it would tend
to allay discomfort. Speaking with respect
to the relations between capital and labor
the witness said that he would like to see
every man employed according to his
talents. AS he viewed it strikes to OBJ
tain higher wages had always been tail
ures. The men most likely to get promo
tiOn or increase Of wages were those who
stood by their employers. He did not
question the right of WOrkingmen to or
ganlZe, but in his experience such Organi-
cations had always been failures, and they
always created feelings of distruSt be-
lated TO do WOrkingmen more harm than
good. He did not recognize the right of
any organization to dictate terms to en-
plOyers. Strikes he believed were simply
matters of wages. There were hundreds
of the cOmpany's employees who would
not be satisfied if they were getting $3.50
per month. Speaking as to the wages paid
the Western Union employees he said
that the company had engaged and
brought out to this country WheatstOne
operators, and agreed to pay them $500
year. All of them were still in the pay of
the company, and their salaries had been
in no case reduced.
Railroad operators were paid a per-
centage on the amount of business handled
in addition to their salaries from the rail-
roads. On being asked for information as
to the process known as watering stOck'
he replied that he had no definite knowl-
edge on the subject. In answer to another
question he said that the capitalization Of
the company did not exceed the actual
cash paid for the stock. The company,
he said, realized 10 per cent. on their in
vestment. Seven per cent. is paid in cash
to the stockholders and 3 per cent. is re-
tanned to be given them in one shape or an
other,