The Daily Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Or.) 1876-1883, 1883-07-29

in every matter affecting their inter
ests. Mr.. Campbell has been for
twenty years a telegraph operator,
and was for sixteen years in the tele-
graph Office of the Cleveland and
Pittsburg railroad. For the last two
or three years he has been In the
Western Union Office at Pittsburg.
"How many operators are out ON
this strikel" he was asked.
"About IL 900 men," he replied,
"and 2,e00 women. 1t extends from
Cape Breton to San Francisco, and
from northern Canada to Galveston.
1t is a strike Of commercial operators,
the skilled and experienced men.
The railroad operators and men en-
ployed by private individuals have
formulated no demand, and are still
at work. At some small railway sta
tions operators do the work for the
commercial companies. la such offices
the men are instructed to handle the
ordinary commercial business OF the
Office to which they are attached, but
not to handle business sent To them
in bulk from large Offices to be trans
mitted.
"The operators have no general
fund for sustaining the strike although
a majority of them have been indi-
vidually preparing for this emergency.
But the Knights Of Labor make as
sessments to meet cases of this kind,
and the order for the appeal was
drawn up day or two ago. We eI-
pect to be plentifully supplied with
money. though We do not expect the
strike to last very long. We have al
ready offers of assistance from various
strong labor associations. Some of
the strikers can find employment with
the United Press association, which
will need an extra force. Otherwise
the strikers viii have holiday. The
companies cannot get efficient opera.
tors to ill the places vacated by the
strikers. They can't get back good
men who have left them for better
employment, and they can't do the
work with students, and the operators
in England have all been informed OF
the dissatisfaction that exists here, and
have adopted resolutions to the effect
that they will not come to this coun.
try to assist employers.
Can the Companies he Compelled 60
Transmit Messages?
The interesting question has arisen,
whether the telegraph companies can
be compelled to receive and transmit
messages Notwithstanding the strike
Of the operators. A question as tC
the duty of railroads to receive and
transmit freight was raised during the
strike Of the freight handlers in New
York year ago, and as that question
was carried INTO the courts, and stout
ly fought over then, the decision
that was finally rendered Is Of interest
now.
Said Judge Davis, According tc
the statement of the case" the opin-
ion, ga body of lsborers, acting in
concert, fixed a price for their labor
and refused to work for less. The re
spondents fixed a price for the same
labor, and refused to pay more. In
dong this, neither did an act yiolativt
of any law or subjecting either to any
penalty. The respondents had law
ful right to take their ground in re,
spect TO the price TO be paid, and ad
here to it if they chose, but if the con
sequences of doing so were an inabili
" to exercise their corporate fran
chise to the great injury of the pub
lie, they cannot be heard to asssr
that such consequences must be
shouldered and borne by an innocent
public who neither directly nor in
directly participated in their causes.
! Upon the question whether rail
road corporations can refuse or ne
glect to perform their public dutie
upon a controversy with their EN-
ployees over the cost or expense o
doing them, the opinion said: "W,
think this question admits of but on
answer. The excuse has in law nc
validity. The duties imposed mus
be discharged at whatever cost. The,
cannot be laid down or abandoned oil
suspended without the legally eI
pressed consent of the state. Tn
trusts are active, potential, and I'm
peIative, and must be executed ant
lawfully surrendered; otherwise a pub
lie highway of great utility is closed O
obstructed without any process recog
nized by law"
The Court decided that a railroa
company may be obliged to exercis
its duty as carrier of freight an
passengers, and that the demand {
the freight handlers for increase
wages did not Justify the railroa
companies in neglecting to perforr
their functions; that a railroad col
pcration cannot refuse to perform n
functions because of 4 contr overs
with its employees over the expens
Of performing them.
. --------------
A Dude i'm Astoria.
-'0h, no. hc said. "weeally those fe
lows i'm Astoria. You know, don't knO
how TO dress at all, 'pon my wOrd.' an
| ha sent fO San ErarpiSpo for his elot hp