Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1883-07-26
THE TELEGRAPHERs, STRIKE.

barrass the operations of the telegraph lines
covering the entire Union. In some cities
work is suspended altogether, and such is
the case in many of the smaller towns, while
in very few places, especially on the lines of
the Western Union, is the working force ad
euuate to the amount of business. The
number of operators engaged in the strike
is put down from at IL, 600 to 1000, and COM
prises the largest number ever engaged in a
similar movement in this country. They
are under an organization known as the
Brotherhood of Photographers, and the strike
was entered upon maturely and deliberately,
and, as is stated by the strikers, with the
full determination not to yield single point
of their demands. These demands, briefly
stated, are as follows:
l. The total abolition Of Sunday work as
compulsory duty, unless compensated as en-
ira service.
2. Eight hours shall constitute a days
work, and seven hours nights work.
3. Both sexes shall receive equal pay for
equal work.
4. A universal increase of fifteen per cent.
on all salaries now paid to be granted.
These demands were formally presented
to the company by committee of the Broth
erhood and rejected. Upon the rejection,
word was given, and instantly it was flashed
all over the United States, which was the
signal that the strike had truly commenced.
Public sentiment is generally in favor of
the operators. The case of the chief opera"
tor in Charleston is given as an illustration
of the situation in nearly all the principal
offices. After he quit work he said to a re"
porter for the Neacs and Courier: eve have
struck in obedience to orders from the eX"
ecutive committee of the Brotherhood, to
which we all belong. Ny individual griev-
ances are these: I have worked faithfully
for the company since / came here as chief
operator in 1875, and l am now receiving
$27 per month less in salary than [ received
when 1 came here, and the office is doing
double the volume of business with the
same force. The salaries of the operators,
too, have been cut down from $115 to $S5.
We don't think that we have been treated
right. We have nine hours work in the
day and seven hours in the night, the force
being divided into day and night squads"
Another version, as given by the operators,
is to the following effect: ''The Western
Union lines can be replaced for $40, 100000.
The stock is$80, 100000. Therefore the pub
lie is levied with tolls enough to pay eight
per cent dividends on s6O,QOO,O0O of stock
which don't represent one cent of actual in
vestment. Managers who pay themselves
very fat salaries and squeeze out of their
patrons enough to pay 81 100000 on water
in the stock, can afford to pay us, the bone
and sinew of the concern, liberal wages for
our work, which is wearing, responsible and
requires long years of practice at merely
nominal pay to fit us for it,"
AS to the duration of the strike there are
various opinions. The strikers say they in
tend to hold out to the bitter end, and they
are backed by the trades-unions all over the
country; while the Western Union, with
it's extensive resources in money and busi-
ness influence seems equally settled in the
determination not to yield to the operators
demands. The chances are that the COM
pany will win.
The strike and it's probable effects are
variously discussed by the daily press. The
Augusta Chronicle advances the idea that
Jay Gould will make it pay as a stock
iobbing operation. That paper of Friday
says:
The end of the trouble is not nigh. A
prominent Northern operator when asked
if the company could afford to allow $780,
600 day to slipaWay from them, answered:
"Why, I am surprised that none of you
newspaper men tumble to the stock jobbing
money that Jay Gould can make out of the
strike, even if he lets the strike 60 on tWen-
ty DAYS and loses S2,OOO,OOO. Since Satur-
day the mere rumors of a strike have sent
the stock down from 81 to 70. If a strike
comes there is no knowing how low it will
go, and when it gets way down don't you
forget that Jay Gould's brokers will gather
it in. Of course the telegraph service of
the country will be largely crippled all this
time, and a good many operators will also
be financial cripples and willing to go back
on any terms. Even though they should
be taken back on their own terms the sud-
den rise in the stock will make fortune
for Jay Gould and his crowd, beside which
the $2,000,000 loss in receipts will be as a
drop in the bucket"
"Do you think the company can find ope-
rators to take the place of the strikers" :"
"No, sir, not in three years. The super
intendents all over the country will find it
hard work to get first-class men to work
their heaviest wires. The idea that stu
dents from the plug factories can fill the
bill is ridiculous. This is going to be con-
test between the old operators and the COM
pany. Neither one can get along without
the other, and the question will be decided
in favor of those having the longest finan-
cial wind. 1 wish 1 was as confident as
some that Gould will be Winded first. If
the men and women will work together
and not weaken for month, they can have
things their own way forever after, but If
they yield, the Western Union will be more
arbitrary in the future than ever before.
"There are great many poor operators in
the country" the gentleman continued,
''and how can it be otherwise when such
ridiculously low salaries are paid" He
then quoted an accident on a Connecticut
railroad the other day, caused by the blum
dering of youthful, underpaid and over
worked telegraph operator.
The New York Herald reviews the situa-
tion and after discussing the strike in its
different aspects, takes up the company's
duties and obligations to the public" AT
ter stating these in general terms, it goes on
to say:
In view of these considerations there are
imposed upon great telegraph company
obligations to the public which cannot be
disregarded and duties which cannot be neg
lected. It is bound to give the people
never-failing facilities for communication.
1t cannot close its offices and stop its instru-
ments for any cause which human foresight