The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1892-11-07
KICKING ON THE HOURS.
CENTRAL TELEGRAPHBaS SAY
THEY ARE WORKED TOO MUCH.

A Bill of Grievances Presented to Supt.
Wadley by the o. r. r, To Which
No Reply Has Yet Been Msde-Extra
Pay Asked for Sunday Work and
Overtime, and Reduction of Hours
on Week Days Also-All the Opera
tors are Members of the o. r. T.,
But No Strike Is Anticipated-The
Organization One of the Strongest
in the Labor World.
Telegraph operators and railroad men
have had an interesting subject Of discus
sion during the week, and one which they
have kept pretty we'll to themselves.
In the early part of the week a commit
tee representing the members of the
Order of Railway Telegraphers who
are engaged upon the Central sys-
tenn, presented bill of grievances to
Supt. Wadley ard requested his
decision upon the matters complained of
| therein.
The bill Of grievances set forth that the
| operators of the Central are required to
work too many hours a day, and Sundays
as well as week days for the same pay. No
| increase in pay was demanded directly, but
request was made that the hours
| Of work be limited to ten
hours a day and that extra pay be
given for working over, hours and for Sun
| day work. Supt. Wadley promised 20 con-
slider the report, and nothing further has
| been heard from him as yet.
| NO TROUBLE ANTICIPATED.
No troublD with the railroad operators is
| expected however, by those acquainted
| with the situation. The Central has in its
| ar,oTlnvT q 1ar hor Of aEnrs 0lplOSt
| every small station on the line having a
telegraph operator attached TO IL. The rail
road operator, however, usually does the
| Western Union Telegraph Companys work
as well, and in addition is frequently station
aud express agent at the smaller towns.
At the larger stations the operator has
only his telegraph work to attend
to, as the Central's system of operating its
trains by telegraph requires him to give
close attention to his instrument. The pay
for most of the positions along the line Is
undoubtedly small.
AS the operators are required to do Sun
day work, and frequently night work az
well, they seem to think they have right
TO demand fair pay.
While it is not likely that such will be the
case, the railroad telegraph opera
tors could cause the Central considerable
trouble if they desired. The Order OF
Railway Telegraphers is now one of the
| strongest organizations In the country,
though one of the youngest. Nine out OF
every ten telegraph operators in the country
belong to it. They are particularly strong
out west where they have had several fights
with the big railroad systems, and in nearly
every instance have come out victorious.
POWER OF THE ORGANIZATION.
Recently some fool at Santa Fe sent out
an order to all the operators on Jay Gould's
big Santa Fe system ordering them out. II
was only a joke, but nearly 1000 men quit
work and 1t took two or three days &c
explain matters and get the men
back. The Order Of Railway Telegraphers
has raised the wages of the oper-
atoFs generally out west. They have also
accomplished another thing in reducing the
number Of operators by limiting the num-
Der of apprentices In the business to GER
tain percentage. This has already had
such an effect that good telegraph operators
are in demand. and the large offices are
finding some difficulty in securing sufficient
men OF the class they desire. This, OF
course, is intended to increase the wages OF
the operators by increasing the demand fol-
them.
A branch of the Order Of Railway Telegra
piers was organized in Savannah about six
months ago aud the majority of the Local
telegraphers belong TO it, including mum
Der Of the Western Union men. All the
commercial photographers are said to be IL
sympathy with the organization.
No strike or trouble of any kind is antici'
pated in this section, however.