St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-07-30
WESTERN UNION WAYS
Some Operators Tell What They Know
of the Methods of the Western
Union.
They Say They Can Produce Facts and
Figures to Prove all Their
Statements.
One of the Special Orders to Govern
the Handling of Certain Priv
LEGGED Business.
Mr.. McMichael Denies It's Exist
ence, but Comes Down Grace
fully at Last.
western Union Affairs.


fully at Last.
western Union Affairs.
To the Editor of the Globe.
Supt McMichael of the Western Union, in
Yesterdays issue of the GLOBE denies all the
statements made by some of his employees IN
the Sunday issue. The first statement made
by US was, that there are still some fifteen
rood operators in the Western Union office,
but of the sixty employed there Does MI.
McMichael characterize this H4atement as
false? Is he not willing TO acknowledge that
there are that many good men left! AS to
the other statements made, we still claim that
every one is true and can easily be proved.
Mr. McMichael says no general reduct1on OF
salaries has been made. Let US see. In CHI
cago and New York the standard nrst-class
salary is from SIS to $780, with extra pay for
overtime. In st. Paul f1rst-class men are
paid 500. S65 and $40, and the number of men
who receive these grades is less than one
third of the whole number employed. The
system of reduction which has been pursued
is as follows: When $40 dollar man resigns
or is discharged, another man IS employed at
from So to $40 less; especially is this the case
with the $50 grade, q reduction OF STU usually
being made. In this way total saving OF
more than $3.50 per month has been effected.
What is the inevitable result? The office is
salaries range from $50 to $50. Not one in
crease has been made in the number of first
class men, and the number of those receiving
500 has been reduced. The force has re-
Gently been increased by the addl-
tion of six men, four of whom get $50
and two SEQ per month, and poorer set OF
men never disgraced an Office. To secure the
six about fifteen men have been hired, and
after d few days numbering of the business
discharged for incompetency. Up to one
month ago, when the fear of competition and
enormous increase of business compelled an
increase of force, Mr.. McMichael daily re-
ceived dozen messages, of which the follow
ing is sample: ''Have been calling st. Paul
Office all day. Chief there says can't answer,
as he has no man to put down." Occasion
ally q good man is secured at $50 per month.
He soon learns he should receive more money,
and when he applies for q raise is told that it
will be granted the first opportunity, but that
it is against the rules to allow moro than
50 increase at any one time, and he is kept
waiting for months.
Men are kept on from fifteen minutes to an
hour and half after their regular time for
quitting, night after night, but we doubt
whether Mr.. McMichael is aware of the fact.
On account of the WheatStone automatic syS-
tenn a reduction of six men is even now con-
templated, if not already ordered. We are
little curious to know if the putting editorial
in the Pioneer Press of Sunday last is not
owing to the fact that special orders are
posted in the operating room and delivery de-
partment that all business for the editors and
reporters of that paper be rushed without a
moments delay, and that they are allowed an
operator in their Office to copy their specials.
In conclusion we wish to state that the above
gives but faint idea Of the real state of
affairs, and if the truth of these statements
is challenged will give facts and figures
which will convince the most skeptical.
SOME WESTERN UNION OPERATORS.
St. Paul, July %.
THE ORDER IS POSTED.
In view of the somewhat contradictory
statements made by operators and Mr.. Nc
Michael and Mr.. Hughes as to Western
Union operators, GLOBE reporter yester-
day went to Mr.. McMichael for facts and
figures which might settle the question.
Mr.. McMichael was at the st. Paul office,
He refused to give the information asked,
saying that it was none of the public's
business. Mr.. McMichael was then asked.
as to the statement made in the above COM
munication. that especial orders are posted
in the operating room and delivery depart
mentS, that all business for the editors and
reporters of the Pioneer Press be rushed,
without moments delay" The reporter
had been told before going to the Western
Union office in just what part of
the room the order was placed,
and on entering it was the first
thing seen. 1t was an order signed by Mr..
&. &. Hughes, the manager of the office,
that all messages for the following gentle
men must be rushed, sent by the first mes
senger, and if no messenger be present. sent
by a boy that is employed in the Office,
without waiting for envelopes. Then fol-
lowed the names of f. A. earle, George
Eastin, NJ. j. Roche, J. n. Bradley, c. NJ.
Shultz and j. II. Foot, all Of whom are
editors or reporters of the paper named.
This was noted by the GLOBE reporter.
When Mr.. McMichael was asked the queS-
ton, he looked straight into the reporters
face and said:
81 want to deny that statement, point
blank
You say that there are no such orders
posted in the delivery and operating rooms,''
again asked the GLOBE reporter.
Il do said Mr.. McMichael 81 say that
there are no such orders posted. Pioneer
Press editors and reporters are treated just
like all our other patrons
The conversation drifted to other points
for few minutes, and then was again al
luded to by the reporter, who kept in his
mind the piece of paper with the curious
order ON it all the while. When it was al
uded to Mr.. Hughes was called over from
his desk and asked about the matter.
1--WE send great many messages for the
men who are at work on that paper,' said
Mr.. Hughes.
Their business takes precedence over that
Of others, doesn't it?'' asked the reporter
Don't you know" said Mr.. Hughes, that
all business that comes to the Western Union
Office takes its turn, and is handled in the Or
der Of its filing?'
''What is the good of that order then?n
asked the GLOBE reporter, pointing to the
little piece of paper pasted on the desk,
and reading aloud the order, the substance
OF which is given above. Mr. Hughes
began to say something about the business
that those men did being for newspapers
East. The time was earlier in Boston
than it was in st. Paul and often messages
were filed early that could apparently be
held all night, so long as they were gotten
off before o'clock in the morning. and so
newspaper messages were sent earlier
Mr.. Hughes was asked if there was not a
rule that messages must take their turn in
all Western Union offices, and he said
there was. Mr.. McMichael said the ar
rangement made by the special order was
purely business one. that the Western
Union might give better service to the
papers East. He said it made no differ
ence to him that the men named were EN-
ployed on any particular paper There
was some rambling discussion and finally
the opening question was again asked. if
the statement made in the communication
that the special order was posted, was not
actually true.
Yes, it seems to be-" said Mr.. Nc
Michael.