The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1900-12-13
I'E.L'E|:IG|RAPH[RS ON A STRIKE.
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Men
Walk Out.
BOTH SIDES CLAIM VICTORY.
Tho Kansas City Times saJs There May
he Great Sympathetic Strike Amona
the Other Railway Orders situation
IL Strained

Wa
San Francisco, are out on strike. Ac-
cording to the men, advices from
points along the 5000 miles Of track
In the system indicate that the freight
traffic is practically tied up and that
passenger trains are running slowly,
with no further destination than the
next division terminal. Railroad off
Gals, however, deny these tales and
aver that not more than 600 operators
have struck. The order that precipi-
tated the walk-out was sent from head
quarters in st. Louis by M. M. Dol
phin, president OF the Order of Rail-
way Telegraphers. He estimated that
81 per cent Of the telegraph operators
on the road had obeyed his order,
which reads as follows: ITO all
agents and operators of the Atch.son,
Topeka & Santa Fe railroad between
Chicago and San Francisco: Commenc-
Ing at once, all operators will refuse
to handle any further company's BUSH
ness. out will properly protect any
property in their hands and will turn
1t over to the railways representa-
tives. Lock up the Office, turn the
board red and leave them so in order
to protect life and property" The
strike thus declared is purely sympa-
thetic and has been called to support
the demands Of the 800 operators who
since Thursday have been out on
strike on the Gulf, Colorado & San
Francisco division of the Atchison,
Topeka & Santa Fe railroad.
The dispute there has been regard
Ing wages and rules and the strike
was called following refusal Of the
railway officials to arbitrate. The
points at issue were not in themselves
considered OF the highest Importance,
but the great cause of complaint was
based upon the corporations refusal
to permit tine dispute to be settled by
arbitration. The total amount of the
salary In dispute on the Galveston
branch did not aggregate more than
Sl95 month nor were the rules at
issue of vital Importance. Chicago
operators among those that walked out
attributed most of the present trouble
to what they ascribed as the high
handed conduct Of L. j. Polk of CAL
weston. general manager Of. the Gulf.
Colorado & Santa Fe division of the
road After the complaints had been
brought to him and had been briefly
discussed he passed the matter on to
Vice-President j. M. Barr of this city.
Mr.. Barr, however, soon escaped the
matter by sending back the dispute to
Polk for settlement. With him it
stayed while the representatives Of the
telegraph operators tried in vain to
bring matters to head. The execu-
tive committee of the railway teleg-
raphers reported at the end Of two
months that they were unable to get
any satisfaction from Mr.. Polk. They
further ascribed his attitude to his
pride in his blue blood. his uncle hav-
ing been President Polk. He himself
had been colonel in the civil war.
Summary OF the Situation.
Latest dispatches show the situation
is as follows:
Number of operators employed on
Santa Fe system, estimated by Third
Vice-President Barr, 1900; estimated
by members Of the Order Of Railway
Photographers, 1000.
Number Of union operators out east
OF Albuquerque. estimated By railway
management, 240; estimated by strik-
ers, $780,
Number of operators out west Of Al
buquerque, estimated by railway man
agement. $50; estimated by strikers,
400. Cause of strike, refusal OF the
railroad management to arbitrate rules
and regulations, particularly to grant
eight hours continuous exemption
from work in twenty-four.
Trains Reported Late.
Dispatches from divisional points
along the line OF the Santa Fe in
dictate that the great system is badly
crippled by the strike of the telegraph
ers, trains being late and in some in
stances lost" All passenger trains
are moving, however, and many
freight trains are struggling along as
best they can. Passenger traffic, To-
peka reports, has been greatly reduced.
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