Arkansas weekly mansion., 1883-09-08
EPITOME OF THE WEEK.
Interesting News Compilation.
Strike and Labor Investigation.

StEihc anu lLsiDOF lnEeSC1SaClOn.
lscssion in New York City of the United States
Senate subcommittee on Labor and Edu-
catiOn-l
Before the committee on the :1th ult- DIR.
Norvln Green, President of the Western
Union Telegraph Company, testified that
the value OF Western Union stock is made up
OF The franchises, exclusive patent rights,
and eight hundred favorable contracts with
railroad companies The present capitali-
Zf'lnn "a IS <@'D 4 mile, whic. is only one-third
of being waterct. has been through a pro-
c,.,s or dlstila,ion The lines have been
OF Offices has been increased so that there are
h aW been ae1"1 @ The fr n"ter N G of @ @
SH,i0l,to in 1S-:,. T;lc receipts of the company
have reached nearly 81. o oo) annually. The
expenses arc about $a.G01.t01. The value of
the plant mas increased nearly ninety per
cCn,- The company is now earning eight per
served that since the Rrt:sti Government had
taken hold of the business of tc!egraphing.
checked in Great Britain, and the
,,h, eh1fi m advances Ivan, in .nl .mnutipies telHg- leg
Green sail that four-tenths of the expenses
OF the company consist of salaries. He denied
hood thai the wages Paid to the operators
aNcra"" S5i Il month. He presented a table
OF salaries TO stow that the average wages are
so month The average OF wages to I.;ftt
i2pcratcrS in the principal ofilces in England,
\. T Peel, thcn addressed the committee in
ft,vcr of ii Peoples bank. to enable any voter
,
said that as the Government gave the banks Il
chance TO get money free of interest, the
same right should he given the people.
Announcement was made that the commit
tee would divide its lahOrs- Senators Pu"h and
mOny, and Senators Blair and Call to remain
in New York City
The testimony of DR.. Green concerning the
telegraph business was cont tinucd before SEN
a'ors Blair and George, in New York, on the
3St ult. In rcpiy to ii question as to his state
men h1t n Z, ninrlS
crnmcnt would he more expensive and less
efficient than under Ii corporation, Green said
this woIIld bc due to the partisan system of
public appointments made Ill this country.
The postal telegraph might be adopted in this
nlcnts. such IA prevail in England and France.
could he used here. He being asked as to tine
the Western Union, Green declared that
all messages were sacred The company
lis employ whose integrity could be
questioned All messages were destroyed at
ceivc,I in New York daily ranged from 10000
to s5t0I. When the strike occurred it would
have been fatal to the interests of the com
pany to have yielded. as it would have been
an admission that the operators had power to
consent to any such conclusion. The relation
between the company and It's cnlpioNrs was
demand The salaries paid We're eGuItable and
just. The company would not admit the
right OF fsw nn em "ns 20 ''fiatS fhy 20 sbould
work. In answer to question as TO
whether it was not the pollcy or the com
panv 20 absorb all the other lines OF the
country. witness said they meant to cover the
entire cOuutry-thc telegraph business OF
the country. The consolidation OF telegraph
companies had not been followed by an in
crease of rates, except in cases where compe-
1itjon had brought the rates down below cost.
making an increase of rates abso lutcly ncccs-
sary- Rates had been reduced generally.
Witness iau@hingly alluded to MS experience
with Legislatures. rrmarking that he had u
take TN" LEGISLATURE down i'll the lunchrooInl !
and opCn Il bottle of wine so that they would
wait long enough to hear him on the subject
of free passes. The witness said: we have
given out a large nuInhrr OF telegraph passes
TO Legislators and various high Executive OF
ficcrs. They were merely of Il compliment
AIRY character. as there We're many prom
iucnt men who desired to let the people know
OF their movements and TO send messages TO
ie:ir nhnr lalhS OF OF pese compmentary passes
had been returned. the company was not par
solicited In regard TO the relationship cN-
jsting between the Western MON and the
purely of Il business character and as ii
was an exceptional business it required a
srcciai contract. The Associated Press claim
th. right of property in the news which they
obtain. they have their own methods OF
getting it. The committee adjourned to the
Sd.
Further testimony WAS given by DIR. Green
on the I'd. in reply to question as t.
whether he did not think it would be Il wies
policy Tor corporation to provide some main
terra .cs. for faithful AMI Iong-cnutinUcd scrv
ic- DIR. Glc ct said: 1T IL against the Hcnlt.
of American institutions TO pay pensions. bi
think thu. matter worthy Oi tOn%d'ritt ION
In Engl md believe. they .ivcap 'nSion after
thirty wears of service These cESlonS are
Pc. ii".,t"I o.: Il good record de- not thlhH
that mel w puli iO-cgo their pen>lCnS by go
ing ON 1t strike. he witnesses SAID thai thcrt
were scvcrl! organizations of Al beneficial
..!,;r-.ct-,- i'll the Western Union which aided
Tho in.,:-l,.rS N sickness or distress Ih.rt
N.~ uf:, society " Inch .r;t.-r one thousand dol
l:,rS L. g!tt. n i;tOVv OF Il deceased member III
r;.. ions would assist these organizations
il yvtsiiH ne thought. allay the discontcnt
W:.lt~s further questioned as TO wnethei
fEc Western Union could not DO some
thing to improve the condition OF It's en-
r,!Oyc-. and replied that corporations were or
.;t-rTyr,i { make money, and not pro b"tf
1.u:;.cn lie said thar while he had great sym
uarhv with the la|,orin- people. he would Ike
To- -. s.y,.~y man employed according to ms
tnh.frS Strikers for hi-hcr wares scn"raliy
,sr,.-.J fixtures Men most likely to re
t.rir.. increased wages were ihOSe VINO
stood by ti..ir employers Labor nrTiiniz;i
1inuS N!r. Green said. created Il fcennE ol
,iiStrs.S- between capital and labor, ana ClC
7. IN. ira.- mon more harm than good. lie d1C
not recognize III. right of any organization
&, ,iic:a ate terms to Employers ana WhcreNcl
rit"v gre s,gfuci upon such dictatlnn II wa:
slirf. to rc;i. and do them harm III the 1nei
yv,:,. entitled to increase OF pay they usually
.Ot il.