New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1883-07-19
THE BROTHERHOOD IGNORED


| Continued FIRST Page.
| them. lie thought that The trouble between tn
employees of the Western Uaion and that company
would be amicaby adjusted. Another official con
ne ted with the Rapid Company said:
There are many absurd things in the demands
of the operators. About the only sensible
| thing is the self-evident proposition that q
woman should feceive the same pay fol
| the same work a man. That Is in reality a
shrewd way of trying TO drive women out of the
business, for they know that women, as a rule can
not do much work as men,"
III. Cummns, vcs-pregdent of the Postal Tele-
graph Company, said: Il don't believe there will
be any strike. 1t is the general impression that
three concessions will be made by the Western
Union: ~ Reducing the time from zig to z
hours; ~ relieving the men from Sunday work.
and 90 increasing the pay per cent. 1t is also
probable that something will be done to equaIize
the wages of women little"
gentleman well informed in regard to the
movements of the Baltimore and Ohio Company
said that it was believed that it would follow the
lead of the Western Union the matter of cOnces-
sonS. in case any CONCESSIONS were made.
The manager of the Bankers and Merchants Com
pany said: That Is pretty good fighting sub
committee appointed by Western Union this after
all. however. for our men have easy work,
are well paid. and have assured US they
will stand by U.S. We have only first
class men and it could be no possible
object to them to join a strike. We have only
about one hundred operators. in New-York. Boston
and Philadelphia, and the only effect a general
strike would have on our Offices would be to give
us moro business"
JUSTICE IN THE OPERATORS DEMANDS.
An official. who Is good practical operator. and
who is thoroughly conyersant with tho movements
of the Brotherhood. said " The op-
orators are pretty level headed lot
of fellows and they arc not going TO do anything
rash. They have got TO make a stand some time
and it might as well be now as when tho business
has become still bigger. | was all through the
strike of 1870, but that wasn't huckeberry to
what general strike would DO now. The operators
generally know no more about what is doing
than you do; their affairs are wholly IN the hands of
their Executive Committee. How large a proper
ton Of the 900 operators in the country belong TO
the Brot acrhood l should say about 80 per cent.
Thcy are stronger than tho Western Union sup-
poses. Have they not demanded o great
deal more than they expect in the way
of concessions Undoubtedly they have.
Thew will DO satisfied with a return TO the
old seven hour basis the granting of their Sundays
and an advance in their pay, What they ask only
puts them back 10 what they were getting In 1879,
when the business did not pay so large profits
now. aud when the work was not half as hard.
Then hrst-class operators were paid 800
month, and Sundays, and all over
seven hours for overtime. At present
it Is the policy of the WesterIf Union TO scale down
prices to the lowest possible point filing hrst-class
places with second and third class operators. There
Is justice behind the demands OF the Brotherhood
and the companies can well afford 10 pay an adj
vance Ov r present rates Ii was only the other
day that the Western Union announced that II was
earning a dividend of - per cent on $4,000 600.
II II was to make the advance in wages asked for
II would only knock of about 5000. 900 year from
the profits. lt has made all this out OF the opera
tors and now they think 1t is their turn 10 have q
chance for at least respec able wages"
MEN AT WORK HAPPY AND COMFORTABLE
Al the Mutual Union Office. No. 1875 Broadway,
the sole operator was occupied usual yesterday,
and no said that in no way was the even tenor of
his way affected. The receiver SAID that all tho
trouble was " at No. 1875"
The two dozen operators Of the Baltimore and
Ohio Company. at No. 90 Broadway, were not in
the least affected, the head telegrapher. Mr. Carr.
declared The operators were said to he HAPPY
and comfortable and they were not affected ono
way or the other nv Western Union operators.
General Manager Baldwin, of the southern Tele-
graph Company, said that he had been apprehcusive
IN the morning lest some Of the Southern operators
should De affected. but he had received word that
NIL the men were satisfied aud his company would
not be disturbed Whatever action the Western
Union employees might take.
At the Office OF he French and Direct Cable COM
panies the manager said that there was no special
interest in the action OF the Brotherhood far &c
related 10 the cable companies. Even the land
lines Of these companies would feel effect from
tie aciion Of the Western Union men. and conse-
quently there was no apprehension felt