Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1883-08-14
STRIKES AND THEIR CAUSES,
Meeting OF the SesaIe sus-CO m rnIftee
On Education ana Labor
To Investixate Labor Movements and
the EeteSrEpbte Troubles.

New YORK, Angus; l3-The s1t-commit
| lee oil the U nited States Senate Committee or
Labor and EdrcstioD, began its sessions to
| day in the postcffice building, The member,
prese being Senator Blair, of New Hsmp.
shire; Chairman George, OF Mississippi
Pugh, Of Alabama; Call, Of Floridq, and
! Aldrich, Of Rhode Island,
The special subject ofihvestigation i, strikes
and labor movements in general, the Object
being 10 obtAiE infotnatioc which may be
used in securing future legislation TO prevent
| them.
The first witness 10 day was Master Work
man John Campbell, CT Pittsburg. He tes-
ufisd that he had been 4 telegraph operator
over twenty year,, hsd been connected With
the knights OF Labor and Brotherhood of
leiegrapnefs two years. There we're between
1900 ard 19,o00 lelegrsphers 10 the United
States and Canada msmbers of the Brother
| hood, and the whole membership was about
22 600. The cause of the strike was the re-
tusai to grant the demand on the part Of the
operators for increased compensate de-
crease ia hours and extra compensation for
Sunday. Since 1870 the salzries of teIs-
graph operators had been SYSTEMS stically cut
down, and the object of the strike was to
bring the rate OF compensation back to its
former standard. Operators were now paid
a liked salary per month, the average rate
throughout the country being about S54 for
commercial operators and $50 per month for
railroad operators. The average rate for
railroad operators in Pennsylvania, by
actual census, is S3S So per month. Tue
rate of wages for hrst-class commercial
operators now ranged from $50 10 $85 per
mouth. The salaries in New York City
were higher than those 10 the smaller cities,
with the exception of New Orleans, Mem
phis and Nashville, where the scale of
wages was about equal 10 that in this city.
The lowest rates for commercial operators
were from s35 to $40 per moath for operators
at all way .atious. Before the reduction in
wages the rates were from thirty five to forty
per cent. higher than at present. In 1870
hrst-class operator could make from 500 to
$l20 a month. These rates extended back
to the time of the beginning of the war,
when the scale was about the came as at
present for railro ad operators, and that for
com mme-cial men a little higher. The West
ern Union Company employs a quarter Of
ali the,operators in the country, an 1 about
two-thisds are railroad OPERATOR. The
American Rapid Company only employs
about ope-htih as many operators as the
Western Union. The protest of the Broth
erhood was against all companies and all
employers of telegraph operators. The rate
of wages was not considered to be sufficient 10
live on, and was much below that of COM
mon day laborers In many instances. The
companies were able 10 ply higher wages TO
their men without increasing their rates for
service to the public. Tnis was evident
from the large dividends paid by the West
ern Union, besldes their facilities for trans
mitting messages mad been increased by the
invention OF duplex and quadruplex iHstru-
ments. There has been no reduction 10 tariff
in consequence of these improvements, but,
on the other hand, The wages Of operators
reduced. The number OF operators had
doubled since 1870, while the facilities of
companies had more than doubled. The
Western Uuion in thst gear had sahdieal
1000 900 messages, aud last year The number
was 35, ,o000 900.
Campbell reciied the history of the strike
since il began. There was a convention Of
the Brotherhood, ne said, held in Chicsgo
last March, at which a bill Of grievances
were drawn up. This was presented to the
different local assemblies OF the Brotherhood
throughout the United States and Canada,
who unanimously ratified the action of the
convention. Returns 10 the Executive Board
were made out Two months ago, and COM
Inittee was insti iucted to present the demands
of the operators TO the different companies
and they we're also empo gered to arbitrsie
upon all propositions that might be made by
| the companies.
On the 18th of July demand. were pre-
sented to the Western Uuiou, American
| Rapid, Baltimore and Ohio (eommer
| ciaD aud numerous telephone companies
l. The only answer yet received ls one
from the American Rapid Company, which
| has partially acceded TO the demands Of tht
| Brotherhood. The snswer of the Western
Union Company to the appeal of the opera
tors was that it was not known whether
the committee had authority 10 speaE
for the employees of the company. Camp
| bell said that pinety per cent. oil the EN-
| ploy es were members of the Brother
HOOD. Operators had frequently presented
| grievances 10 local managers for an increase
Of wsges, but these had bean disregsrded.
was generally believed that the Western
| Union Company had we'll established sys
| tenn OF black-lis.ing men who made spplics
| ton for an increase of wages, and took th'
6rst opportunity TO discharge them upoI
some preleIt or another. Favoritism wa
shown by local managers, and skill was al
discount. The system of intimidation we
prac,iced by the officials of the company
Since 1870 several movements had been start
| ed 10 organize the operators, but all failed ol
account of this system of intimidation.
| J0nn McClellan, an Olncer OF Inc DfO'nei
hood, aud an operator for fourteen year,
said the direct cause of the strike was tn
insult offered by the Western Union Com
pany to the committee of the Brotherhood 1
refusing to recngnizs or treat with them
Until then it had not been expected a strik
would occur, but it WIS though. the CON
pany would be willing to listen to the de
msnds of the men and come 10 some adjust
ment if possible. The grievances were res
ones, and if there had been spirit OF coz
cession manIfested by the company, the op
orators would have met them in this spiri
1t was shown that Gen. Eckert and othe
officers of the company had known of th
plans OF the Brotherhood before the strik
began. The compsny knew that grievance
existed, and that demands were TO be pre-
sented, aud hsd been busying themselv,
preparing to resist those demands ever sinC
March las. If the present strike w5s fai
ure it would sireugtht n the existing organic
tion instead of breakiUg lis power.
When asked whether he could suggest an
method BY which more equitable divisie
could be made OF the products of labor an
capital between employers and employe
Mcclellan said this would be impossible.
The inquiry will be continued to-morrol