Connecticut western news., 1883-07-25
OUT ON A STRIKE.
The Great Body of Telegraph Operators
 Leave Their Desks.

| Leave Their Desks.
 The strike ordered by the Brother hood of Photographers in the United State' and Canada for better wages, shorter hours, and the same pay to both sexe' I for equal work, began at noon on Thurs day The Brotherhood reports that 7,o0O men and 1 1000 women went out on the strike in the United States anc Canada.
 The great operating room of the West l ern Union Telegraph Company in New York city was as busy as ever when the minute and hour hands of the clocks I upon the walls crossed each other al noon on Thursday. More than 450 op. l-erators were at work at the tables or the main floor and in the gallery. They appeared to be uneasy, turned to look l at anybody who came in, and exchanged glances with each other
 l Then little groups of two or three sci ] out to leave the room, until perhaps thirty had gone. A group of spectators at the entrance steadily increased in size Many of the spectators were operators of duty, who appeared to be expecting something.
 As the minute hand indicated ten min. 1 utes past 12, or noon Washington time Frank Phillips, cable operator, whose desk is near the middle of the room stood upon his chair and blew one short and sharp note on tin whistle. In. stantly 375 operators showed their chairs back from their desks and sprang to then feet. Then, in solid bodies, they pressed quickly and quietly toward the doors. A large number of young women were among them.
 Suddenly an operator waved his hat, with "Hip, hip, hurrah P and three echoing cheers were given, which were audible outside the building above the noise of Broadway.
 As soon as the strikers had left the building recruits for their places began to come in. At two o'clock 120 opera tors were at work, and at four o'clock the number had been increased to about 18O. Many of the number appeared to be proceeding very leisurely, and the striking operators, who appear to keeI informed about the situation in the office, say that not few are "dum- mies,'' set at the desks to make show of strength.
 At the same hour that the strikers left their desks in New York city, the mem- bers of the brotherhood all over the country did the same. The number oi strikers being fully 5000, including men and women operators.
 The complaint of the strikers is that during period of ten years they have been made the victims of several unjust and unnecessary reductions of wages at the hands of wealthy corporation, which has curtailed the compensation of it's employees to keep up the dividends on it's watered stock. They give figures to show that systematic reductions have been forced upon them at different times, year after year, by the Western Union Company, until s'sliding scale was adopted which had the peculiarity of sliding but one way, Land reduced the average pay in the United States for the various classes of operators to from $1O to SIS a week; and now they demand a general increase of but fifteen per cent.
 They say that as the profits of the company have risen the wages of the operators have fallen. They complain of excessive hours of labor, and that they are required to perform Sunday service without extra compensation, and put forth various other grievances.
 In reply to these appeals, the Vest ern Union has merely made the an- nouncement that grievances will be con- sidered only when presented by individ- 1als on their own account to the com mittee appointed by the company.
 THE LEADER OF THE STRIKE.
 A wiry man of about 35 years, of middle height, with keen gray eyes, sheltered by gold eyeglasses, with black hair, quick, decided way of speak ing, and pleasant manner, sat at a table in New York hotel parlor. This was John Campbell, of Pitts burgh, the District Master Workman of the Brotherhood of Photographers, which is also District Assembly 45 of the Knights of Labor. MT. Campbell is the chief officer of the Brotherhood, and re- mains in New York to take personal super vision of the strike, and to speak for the operators in every matter affecting their interests. MT. Campbell has been fo1 twenty years telegraph operator, and was for sixteen years in the telegraph office of the Cleveland and Pittsburgh Railroad For the last two or three years he has been in the Western Union office in Pittsburgh.
 'tAt midnight, Wednesday," said Mr. C., ''I sent a cipher telegram to all the officers Of all the lines in the United States and Canada affected by this strike, of which the following is trans lation:
 "Unless otherwise instructed, al members working for (nsme of the tele promptly at 12 o'clock noon, Washing ton time, Thursday, July 19. Commit no unlawful acts. By order of the Exec l utive Committee.
 JOHN CAMPBELL.
 ''That dispatch reached operators or and off duty.''
 THE FINANCIAL POSITION. In conversation with reporter, MT John Campbell, the leader of the strike movement, said: "The operators hay, no general fund for sustaining the strike although 8 majority of them have beel individually preparing for this emer gency. But the Knights of Labo make assessments to meet cases o this kind, and the order for thu appeal was drawn up day or tw' ago, in anticipation of our action of to day. We expect to be plentifully sup l piled with money, though we do not ex pect the strike to last very long. w have already offers of assistance iron various strong labor associations Som of the striking operators can find em ployment with the United Press Associ ation, which will need an extra force Otherwise the strikers will have holi day. The companies cannot get eficien operators to fill the places vacated b. the strikers. They can't get back goo 1 men who have left them for better em