National Republican., 1883-08-14
About One Hundred and Fifty Lines Severed
In and About New York.
The Mischief Said TO Be Done Un-
doubtedly by Experienced Hands,
Master Workman Campbell Gives Senator Blairs
Committee History Of the Strike
John McCIelIand Says IL Was Begun to
Resent an Insult.
THE WIRE CUTTERS.

pany, said this morning that since 8 o'clock
last night $50 wires had been cut The com
pany is short about twenty-five wires ON the
Albany circuit comprising wires Of the Mu-
tual Union, the American Union, and the
Atlantic and Pacific companies. Twenty
four wires were also severed on the southern
route between New York and Newark.
Twelve of the south way wires are also cut.
Two Pittsburg lines were cut this morning.
Fhe eastern lines are all o. X. Twelve of
the gold and stock wires were cut in this
city between midnight and daylight The
Western Union company has employed do.
tectives to watch their wires, but so far no
EAports of arrests of wire cutters have
been made. Press Agent Somerville also
said tat the states in which wires were cut
would have to pay for the damage done and
the expenses of repairing them. The striking
men persistently deny that they cut any of
che wires. OF the 1853 Offices of the company
in this city II are now open. 1t was said
that one of the striking operators in this city
and another at Long Branch had returned to
work to-day.
Manager Sink, of the Western Union, says
that twelve men have returned TO work to-
day, two at the main Office four at branch
Offices one Mt Pittsburg, and four at Oswego.
The wires he said, have all been repaired,
and everything is in good working order.
". de-.
were cut in this city this morning. The Cen
tral railway station at Roselle was visited
and three wires were cut. To the south of
Elizabeth more wires were severed The cut
ters evidently boarded milk train and rode
to Jersey avenue in this city, where thirty
two wires We're cut. They then crossed the
Jersey avenue bridge over tho canal and
severed thirty-fve wires. Two of these were
the fire alarm telegraph, and the consequence
was when the line-was cut an alarm on the
bells was sounded. A gang of linemen was
sent over from New York, and they crossed
the Central railway ferry. On this side they
found waiting for the boat TO cross to New
York one of the striking linemen. He is sus
pected of being one of the offenders, and will
be arrested or put under close surveillance.
ELIZABETH, N. j. Aug. 13.-Last night
between and $3.50 o'clock forty-eight wires
belonging to the Western Union and Con-
tinental Telegraph companies and the Phila-
delphia and Reading Railway company were
cut near Dark lane, in this city, 1t is sup
posed that somebody acquainted with
telegraphy cut them, as the large six gauge
wires could hardly be cut by inexperienced
men.
OswEGo, N. Y, Aug. 13.-Four of the
seven operators here who went out on strike
returned to the keys this morning.
WILMINGTON, N. c., Aug. 13.-The strike
here has ended The two striking operators
who remained here have given up the fight
and been reinstated in their former position.
PHILADELPHIA, Aug. 13.-The situation
remains unchanged here. Superintendent
Leublin returned from Washington tonight,
bringing with him two of the operators who
went to Washington two weeks ago to re-
enforce the Western Union at that point.
One striker, "Andy" Swami, of New York,
went to work here this evening
PITTsBURG, Aug. 13.-The Western Union
othce here gained one operator from the
ranks of the brotherhood, and to-day two
Others signifed their intention of returning
to work tomorrow.
SENATOR BLAIR's INVESTIGATORS.
New YORK, Aug, 13.-The subcommittee
of the United States senate committee on
labor and education began its sessions to-day
in the postofice building. The members
present were Senators Blair. of New Hamp-
shire, chairman; George, of Mississippi; Pugh,
of Alabama; Call, of Florida; and Aldrich of
Rhode Island The special subject of the
subcommittee's investigation is strikes and
labor movements in general, the object being
to obtain information which may be used in
securing future legislation to prevent them.
The committee had several sessions last win
ter, when number of witnesses were exam
ined. The first witness to-day was Master
Workman John Campbell, of Pittsburg. He
testified that he had been a telegraph
operator for twenty years, and had been
and the Brotherhood of Telegraphers
for two years. There were between
$4,000 and $4,000 telegraphers in the |
United States and Canada who are |
members of the brotherhood, and the |
whole membership is about $4,000. The |
cause of the strike was a refusal to grant a |
demand on the part of the operators for in |
creased compensation, decrease in the hours, |
and extra compensation for Sunday work |
Since 1870 the salaries of telegraph operators
had been systematically cut down, and the |
object of the strike was to bring the rate of
compensation back to its former standard |
Operators were now paid fixed salary per
month, the average rate throughout the |
country being about S54 for commercial oper-
tors, and $3.50 month for railway operators |
The average rate for railway operators in |
Pennsylvania by an actual census is 1888 |
per month. The rate of wages for first |
class commercial operators now range from |
$50 to $50 per month. The salaries In New |
York city were higher than those in smaller |
cities, with tho exception of New Orleans, |
Memphis and Nashville, where the scale of |
wages was about equal to that in this city. |
The lowest rates for commercial operators |
were from $50 to $40 month for operators at |
small way stations. Before the reduction in |
wages the rates were from 30 to 40 per cent.
higher than at present. In 1870 first class
operator could make from 500 to $120 month.
These rates extended back to the time of the
beginning Of the war when the scale of wages
was about the same as it is at present |
for railway operators, and that for com
mercial men little higher. The Western
Union company employs u quarter of
all the operators in the country, and
about two-thirds are railway operators The
American Rapid company employs only about
r. 18th as many operators rs the Western
Union, me protest. of the brotherhood was
tliN telllist al coInPahies and all employers of
telegraph. operStors. The rate of wages was
NOT consldsFed sufficient to live upon, and
was hucg~below that of common day aborors
IA ihahy instances. The companies were able
y 'ncl Sasing their rates for service to the pub
iGSt This was evident from tho large divi-
dends paid by the Western Union. Besides
this, the facilities for transmitting messages
had been increased by the invention of the
duplex and quadruplex instruments,
There had been no reduction in
the tariff in consequence of these
improvements, but on tho other
hand the wages of the operators were cut
down. The number of operators had doubled
since, while the facilities of the companies
had more than doubled. The Western Union
In that year handled 100000 messages, and
asst year the number was 3j,000OOO. Mr..
Campbell related the history of the strike
spce its beginning, There was a convention
o. the brotherhood he said, held in Chicago
lat March, at which bill of grievances was
drwn up, This was presented to the differ
en- local assemblies of the brotherhood
th4ughout the United States and Canada,
vii unanimously ratified the action of the