Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1883-07-20
AID Fob rae srkIkERs.
A Good Supply Of Funds-Hslp from Outside
Sources.

acoede to the demands of the
operators. but as no reply was re-
oeived it was decided to let mat
ters take their course. The instruc
tions were not countermanded, and at
noon the operators in two hundred cities
in the United States and Canada struck.
The operators of the Western Union,
Mutual Union, American Rapid, Balti-
more & Ohio. Great Northwestern, of
Canada, and Mutual Union, Of Canada,
joined in the strike, and the linemen of the
telegraph, telephone and electric light
companies. The brotherhood numbers
about 1000 men and 1000 women. Mr..
Campbell stated that the strikers are
plentifully supplied with funds. As the
brotherhood has large striking fund and is
also an assembly of the Knights of Labor,
application was made several days ago
to the central committee of that organiza-
ton for aid, which was promised them.
Communications had also been received
from several Of the largest labor unions in
the country, including the Amalgamated
order Of iron and steel workers of Penn
sylvania, Offering substantial assistance in
case it should be needed. Mr.. Campbell
thought that many of the operators would
succeed in getting situations.
In regard to the prospect of the com
pany securing new hands, he stated that
their only resource would be in employing
few third-rate operators from the cOun-
try and that no good men were left who
were out of work. It would be impossible
to employ students and those not
thoroughly acquainted with the work. to
do it satisfactorily. aud especially in the
matter of press dispatches, where great
care and accuracy were required. The
English operators, he said, wero in sym
patby with the movement and informed
the brotherhood that none Of them would
come to this country as reported.
Arr1rUDh ur THE GOVERNMENT.
Conditions of the telegraph Law OF 1866
How Franchises May bo Forfeited.
A telegram from Washington calls at
general may have something to say about
the great strike of the telegraphers.
It seems that the United States govern
ment, and probably every telegraph com
pany in this country, have substantially
recognized this principle in accepting the
conditions of the telegraph law of 1866.
That law is capable of broader construc.
ton, possibly, than the telegraph compa
nies themselves understand. BY the ac.
ceptance of it's terms it has become con.
tract between the government and the
telegraph companies. The provisions of
the national law governing telegraph com
panies are briefly these All telegraph COM
panies which filed their acceptance of the
act Of July "a, 1859. and the amendments
thereto, are entitled to the use of the
public domian for the construction aud
maintenance of their lines, and of mater
ials from the public lands, but these
rights are not transferable. In return for
these concessions the government have the
right to priority in the Transmission of all
messages over the lines of any telegraph
company to which has been given any of
the rights indicted. The government may
for any purpose in its discretion, purchase
any or all of these telegraph lines, not on
the basis of their watered stock, but after
an appraisement by five competent, disin
terested persons, two of whom are to be
selected by the postmaster general, two
by the company interested, and one by the
four SO previously selected.
There is one clause of the act which
might prove to be serious one to all tale
graph companies, and as to which the
companies could not plead strike in OK
cuse. The law provides that whenever
any company which has accepted the
terms of this act by filing written &C
ceptance "sha!l, by its agents or EN-
pl0yes, refuse or neglect to transmit any
such telegraphic communications (mean-
ing government messages, to which
priority must be given, and all signal
service messages from the northern lakes
and seaboard), such telegraph company
shall be liable to penalty of not less than
800 and not more than 81 600 for each
such refusal or neglect" The government
and the psople whom it represents have
great interest in the weather reports and
signals. If the operators by their strikes
shall prevent the transmission of these
messages, it will be seen that the com
panies are clearly liable. for the act has
expressly taken into consideration the
possibility that the neglect or refusal to
send such messages might be caused by
the acts of the agents or employees.
For tho last fiscal year fifty-five tele-
graph companies in the United States had
accepted the provisions of this act and
filed their accsptances at the postoffice
department. They embrace practically
all the companies of tho United States, the
most of the leading ones of which, hav-
ing taken advantage of the provisions as to
the use of the public d,main are subject
to the penalties for the non-transmission
of government messages. The following
are the names of the companies to which
these provisions are applicable The
American Submarine, the National, the
Globe Insulated Lines, International, the
Atlantic and PAsific, the Franco American
Land and Ocean, the Globe. Mississippi
Valley, National, Western Union, North |
Western. Great Western, Franklin, Insul- |
ated Lines, Pacific and Atlantic, Atlantic |
and Pacific states, the Eastern, Delaware
river, Cape May and Shore, Peninsula.
the Ocean. American Gable, Southern & |
Atlantic, International Ocean, Missouri |
river, Marine & Inland Atlantic & Pacific, |
New Jersey & New Enpland, American |
Rapid, Central Union, New York Land |
and Ocean. Deseret, American Union. New
York Wabash Railway, American Union,
of Missouri American Union, New Jer
sey !; Baltimore g. Ohio, American Uoiou,
Baltimore Deer Lodge, American Union,
Pennsylvania American Union, Indiana
Cheyenne & Black Hills, American Union,
Ohio; American Union, louisiana Bal.
timore & Ohio, Wabash, st. Louis s.
Pacific, Frontier. Baltimore & Ohio,
Illinois Bankers q Merchants', Mutual
Union. Illinois, Mutual Union, Missouri
New jersey Mutual, Bsltinore & Ohio,