The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-07-19

under the new system OF computing Salaries,
a trihe over $780, In the course of year
this makes a difference to the company of
sos on each man. He can't help but make
IS more per month than formerly, unless he
lays Off and fails to work his full time.
Where we formerly paid s.. 80 for eight hours
extra service to a $50 man we now pay 81 So
for seven hours. An $50 man receives $3.OS
for seven hours, where formerly he received
$2.65 for eight hours work This ratio of in
crease is preserved down to thecheapest man
we have on the force. If the men would
only take the trouble to inform themselves
they would see where they have nothing at
all to complain about"
The above figures were shown to one of the
chief representatives of the Brotherhood, and
he was asked if he had anything to say on
the subject. He replied
1T is true that some OF the best operators
by working four hours overtime daily seven
days in the week can make as much as $50
per week But this is killing work. Every
man who engages in it sacrifices his health
and discounts his chances of attaining even
middle life. Is it not confession of op-
preston on the part of the company that one
of its officials should make such a statement
as you have shown me? Compensation at
$134 per month for twelve hours continuous
high-class skilled labor seven days in the
week and every day in the month is, | con-
tend, disgracefully inadequate. In a month
of thirty-one days this yields an average OF
p1.0Z per ul6n. or % Genus per nOur. n SOOu
bricklayer works but ten hours day and is
paid $4 per day, or 40 cents per hour. Is not the
labor OF a first-class STAR operator-for they
are the only ones who receive the wages you
speak of-worth at least as much as that of
bricklayer?
"There is another point: A high-grade
telegraph operator not only renders service
of a superior kind, requiring education,
training and good mental abilities, but he
performs labor of an exacting and exhaust
ing character. Iassure you, speaking from an
experience of sixteen years. that an operator
WHO takes long pieces, such as press M after,
very rapidly Tor eight hours is subjected to
a severe bodily and mental strain. Many
time have | risen from my key after such
period of labor with my brain in a Whirl, my
thoughts confused and bewildered, feeling
precisely as suppose one of you gentlemen
of the press may feel after over-exerton in
writing. Telegraphing is not brick-laying or
sewer-building; it is a far different and higher
order of work, and it ought to be at least as
we'll paid
II have one question to ask. Do you hap
pen to number among your acquaintance
many old telegraph operators? If not, will
you inform me what becomes of the men
ems aged in this calling. Either they die
young or the service is not in all respects
so desirable and so very remuneraUive as
some of the high-toned officials of the West
ern Union would have the public believe"
VIEWS OF ANOTHER LEADER.
Several leading members of the Brother
hood were interviewed yesterday and one of
them spoke as follows:
'"rhe impression seems to prevail and is
encouraged by the telegraph officials that the
present trouble with the telegraphers is due
to the fact that they misunderstood an order
recently promulgated by the Western Union.
The truth is they have been subjected to a
sliding scale that invariably slides to the ad-
vantage OF the corporation and consequently
to the disadvantage of the employees The
rule upon which so much stress is laid is
merely a sop thrown at the eleventh hour to
create a false impression, i. e., that the ope-
rators exasperated at what they deemed an
injustice, were hastily pHeparing and
making injudicious demands Now the fact
is, they have been at work getting ready for
the move they are now making for the past
three years, and the demands made have
been in the hands of the executive commit
tee of the Brotherhood for the las five
months, the only thing left for the executive
committee being to fix the most favorable
date.
"If we are of such vital Importance to the
business public, and are to continue so, is it
not to the interest of the public, and espe-
cially the business portion, to see that men
whose work is of so much Importance and
upon whose accuracy they frequently make
transactions upon which their whole fortune
depends, and when travelling their lives will
be the forfeit if an error is made, should be
men well qualified, steady and attentive to
business? Will constant reductions en-
courage such men to remain in the business?
They are now paid less than any other class
of skilled labor. Is this just or reasonable?
Do the public and press wish to uphold the
companies in keeping the salaries so low that
men of ability and experience will not re-
main in the business, and thus trust their
lives and property with inexperienced and
incompetent persons?
Admitting that the rule as now explain
ed is some improvement, it does not reim-
burse us for what we have lost and suffered
at the hands of the Western Union in the
past. We are endeavoring to elevate the So
cial and moral status of our brothers, and
should receive as we deserve, the assistance
of the press and the public at large in
praiseworthy effort to put ourselves in con-
dition to render faithful, secure and satisfac-
tory service both to our employers and the
public, something the Western Union can
never hope to accomplish by constantly re-
ducing salaries and increasing dividends.
when you reflect that it requires the ut
most caution and steady nerves lest after
hours of toll single click of the instrument
be lost thereby causing great loss or vexa-
tious delay; while the ear is being strained
to catch every sound, the eyes, hands and
brain are busy translating and reducing to
writing those sounds, and this work must all
necessarily be done while seated at table,
any reasonable person can see that even eight
hours of such labor is very trying and ex-
haustive.
THE highest salary asked by the operators
is only 1888 per day, ana only a very Jew
will get so much Is this too much for per-
forming duties requiring constant mental
and physical strain? If the use of the tele-
graph increases as it has the past few years
they will force men now proficient to seek
other fields of labor i'll order to support their
families"
AT ST LOUIS.