New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-09-01
mr. GREEN'S TESTIMONY.
THE STRIKE AND THE WESTERN UNION.

DR.. Norvn Green ovU,ttee on Education and Labor
.a,o Senator George, OF Mlssisspp' 81 IN
Iucring the examination, asked ioi l;h had heen
ord to many of the statements which nsu o'0 nf
icsJJ ,ofore the committee by represeptatiHeS Va
ip an Ipyotherhood of Photographers Altnougn ~;
Green was upon the stand iof neary s',v non which
nu d n 10 be examined. The examination VIII
he continued on Monday ,.;. "you nv
,,,ossed the opinion yesterday that Goyerhment
telegraphy would be more expensive VIII yTi, Sn"
controlled by private corporations IONS ~ III W"
Hr Green-In the first place, think that II the
. u lines were controlled by the Government
thew would soon become par, Oh t nJ scead
noitical machine and hence wouid. be suoIecteo
70 ths evils of patronage. The telegraph serves
would follow the same course as the postoi nc
the appointments 10 the oihces "ouu o0
nav of political demagogues- -, . :;
Senator George-HOw much money Is paiu ou' 1"
salaries yearly by the company -, ooo ooo ord
DIR Green-We pay out between pa Voo,oooO0 S Sn0
a 600 600 for this purpose. We have about 3oooo
persons In our employ, and operate Zo'ooo ins'iu-
ments. H., A. yos+arn ITnion ever
bsan su meet to political influence or parusansnlpt
DIR. Green-So far as l know, the company uas
never been accused ct og of both are
hid inylolable. During the Hayes campaIgn coln
niaint was made that the operator at lalanassou,
Florida, had allowed politicians 10 INSPECT so nn1
;m"nrtent mes aees which were received al anu
forwarded from that city. discharged tue man i
hnt found afterward that he was lnn0cent, anu
therefore allowed him to De relnssa'eu thew
handle lust as invIolable as doctor REGARDS the
secrets OF patients, or the priest the
of "A cOnfeSSor. -, ~. - oo.+loa
Senator l;eorge-Has the Western Union settled
policy in regard to any public measure load
DIR. Green-It would be impossible Tor the Doaru
oT management, made up as 1t is OF members NC,
ionaIng TO both parties to have such policy. L
wish TO state further that the Ohciais OF our COM
pany have, no more access 10 tne messaees lo,
warded over it's wires than outside persons
There is ONLY one exception when an lnvesuga-
ton of the abuses OF the Thanking privilege taxes
place. . h,o +ba com-
pany for the destruction OF messages .h.
DR. (ireen-Ail messages are kept three months
before beng DESTROYED inns Is eUns the
of protection TO ourselves. In fenhsyAFauIa .nJ
laws of the State require them 10 Do pIsserTeu
three years. No distinction is mace III ,no u ,h
nWmIar which accumulate IN our main office IN
single day would state that 2O,OOO are 1requenty
received or forwarded during a perlou VI t"en'S
senator Blair-If the Government should conIroI
the telegraph service would not the messages no
kept Just as sacredly as at PRESENT. .o,;.;ooi
I1r Green-NO l think not. Important poiiilccai
messages would. am afraid. be subject TO the ln-
spection OF the party in power; Inns wouiu noo''-
sarlly follow under - stem VI ons' ho owns sucb
n large interest IN the Western Union as suDstan-
tally to control lis poncy U ,l ,au To-.
M Green-Of course every large stOcKholuer mas
mare ar less influence IN this direction, but there is
no one " no occupies the position OF Dictator nero
are 600 stockholders III the company tne iaIeoss
nj whom ow us from $50 600, OOO 10 3oO,oVV UVo VI
s,ock Less than twenty mine persons hold ma
jority OF the STOCK. Al, .,,, &c tbo
AT this point Dr. Green changed the current Oh ne
investigation by referring 10 a statement wmch ne
had made on the previous day IN reRaru 10 tue IT,
cent teegra o!ers' strike. ..., . &c
=" said yesterday said he, that the cause OF
the strike Was belief on the part of tho operators
th at they had the power of controlling wages IN
their ow hands. Now, the price OF labor depends
upon the law OF supply ana uemahu. nav no
doubt tnat owlng ~ the large number oil Operators
who are seeking employment, we cOuiu
get our work done we b at 600 Sw anolicatiepS
for employment on our books at the present time.
il is natural for disnterested persons OUTSIDE 10
sympathlze with the operators put tney mele me
trustees of the company they woulu regaiu tne
matter in q very different lgnt ..,L
Senator Cseorge-What proportion OF the telegraph
service Of the country is In the hands Oh the west
DIR. Gr.ep-Four-ffths of it, or more.
Senator George-It has, tnen, little competition
DR.. Green-I don't think the Postal. Baltimore
and Ohio and American Rapid, would be willing
TO admit that. They took the same stand as our
selves i'm regard to the strike
Senator GeOrge-is not the rate OF wages liked by
the Board Of Directors without consulting the en-
ployesf - oor,,,;. ,. no
on expenditures was appointed from the Board OF
Directors. No salary can be Increased or diminished
without its consent. Operators make ihelr engage
Inents with local superintendents VINO 10 turn re-
nor TO the Board the conditions OF the agreemeh!.
When the operator desires an advance I'D MS
wages lie makes application TO the superintendent
If it is deemed judcious, the Application
is granted. Sometimes an increase OF 30 mas been
granted simply to keep an operator from leaving
Senator George-Dld the company regard the COM
mittee from the Brotherhood as authorized 10 rep
resent the large number OF operatives belonging "
'N DR. GTeen-Yes, think it did; but it was the be
lief OF the members of the Board that 1T would ut
unwjse tor tbem to yield TO the demands
Senator George-Is it not the policy oil the west
ern Union to break mp any organization OF the EN-
pIoyes which Setting It's benevolent character ASIDE
attempts TO effect concert OF action among EN-
nloyes for the purpose of regulating wagesi
Dir Creen-It certainly does not look with 1avoi
upon such organizations. Wnen We MAKE con
tract with an employe we don't want MIN 10 Tecog
ME any other organization as having the right u
command him to break that contract at any time ]
may see Git. The employe should not attacn MN
self tn a society which deprives him OF his lndlvld
nal freedom. The company desires to prevent a rev
men from acquiring the power to hx the wages o
Sa99ator George-What is the actual value of tn
plant of the Western Union. based upon It's actua
COST - ,;aat. o..;o 4,
onswer The cost to the company would not repre-
sent the actual cost for many OF the lines were puI
chased of companies who had sunk large sums
roney in their construction. III owned tue entlr
nro,ertv of the Western Union and felt secur
AGAINST antagonstic legislation wouldn't sell !
for SIOOO0O000. The net earnings are az the raI
Of SS 600 600 on q capital OF 0OOOO,OOO In
business Is growing wonderfully. New department
of industry and trade are rapidly adopting !
Already IT Is far ahead of the commerce OF the couI
fry' IL owns patents winch have cost at ieas
81 600 600 We have leased our telephone paten
To- the Bell Telephone Company for $500. 900 ayea
The value of patents owned by Inc company VI
not in use, is 500, 900. W..
senator George-Is it the intention of the Wester
Un;on to acquire all the telegraph property III IL
counryi wv ,..a o. oo,,
the counlry with our wires-that is all. Take OF
Last aconisition-the Mutual Union AT the TIM,
AZ a. "A
We conlJ do the business of that company, OWN
10 our unusual facilities, for hall the amour
that il cost the Mutual Union. When
have consolidated other companies Win our own
has invariably resulted in positive beneht 10 u
public year ago, when l tendeied my resign s
non to tire company. advised the western Onio