The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1883-08-15
Statement of Members of the
Brotherhood.

New York, IA. - The United
States senatorial sab committee in
labor and education, reassembled to-
day. John McClelland, member of
the brotherhood of telegraphers, re-.
summed his testimony. He said the
estimated cost of a telegraph line
1900 miles long, would be $725,965
The telegraph operators vera gen.
orally young mep, and lived in board
ing houses. They usually come from
the better class OF society. The
morals OF operators as class Rad
greatly improved within the last
zen years, ard this was one result
Of the organizations which had been
effected. Ed Dst of them were single
but some were married men. Wit.
ness t1ovgnt that $50 a
month was reasonable e3tsmate
for food anu lodging 10 single men.
Only one in a hunired ever saved
any money. The highest paid Oper-
atOrs did not receive enough TO ena-
bic them to lay by anything for
their support in Old a.e In 1910
the Western Union Company re-
qulred every man coming into its
employ TO take an oath that he
would never connecS him self with
any trade or labor organ !tion
This was called the iron clad oath
and was administered to every per-
son who TOOK part in the strike of
1870. After The existence of the
Photographers Brotherhood was
made known, railroad superinten.
dents IS; uad circular which WAS
sent 10 every employee of the com
pany, forbidding him to connect
himself with any organization, I'M
der a penalty of dismissal. Day
operators worked from am. to 5
pm and had but two or three hours
TO devote to amhsemeutS. Night
operators had more time at their
| disposal, but no such thing as vac
alton was known in telegraph bust
ness. Thomas O'Reilly. telegraph
operator of twelve years experience
has charge of the Wheatstone in.
IstrumenCs in the Western Union
Office. He had been an operator in
that system for ten years in Scot.
land. He came here about year
ago. The Western Union company
gave them go a month as retaining
fee until thew heatstOne instruments
should arrive. Promises were
repeatedly made that Wheatstone
men should receive as much IS first
class Morse operators. On the 18th
of last February it was announced
that the Wheatstone system would
begin operation, aud wheatstone
operators Wer6 told that their sal.
aries would be $50 per month,
The operators on the other side
were better paid; they had three
weeks vacation each year, with
salary, and during sickness received
Ealf pay. After beng certain
number Of years in The service, and
their record being good, the opera
tors received a pension for life
some time at full pay, when hl
becomes superannuas ed. JobI
b. Taltvall, al operator en-
ployed by the Associated Press
confirmed the testimony of the
previous witnesses In regard to tbs
strike. W. H. Orr, a Philadelphia
member Of the brotherhood Of tel
egraphers, said the salaries paid
operators in Philadelphia ranged
from $40 10 $50 per month. One Of
the objects of the brotherhood was
TO establish a company on q CO
operative system, by which the
operators should own their OWL
lines, and thus be enabled to protect
themselves against their employers
An evidence of the hostility OF
the Western Union company to-
wards its employees, was system.
attic policy of reducing the salaries
of its operators during the past ten
years. Witness also testified TO the
practice of the Western Union in
Establishing men found organizing
a union or association Of operators.
Eugene J. 0'Connor of Boston
chairman of the executive board OF
the Brotherhood of Telegraphers
rave statistics of the growth of the
| Western Union company since 1856
70 the beginning of the strike OF tbs
Brotherhood.