The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-04-17

Atlanta, Ga, April 1.-THE teleg-
rapherS on h Southern railway sys-
TEN who are members of the Order of
Railroad Telegraphers were ordered on
strike by President Powell at II o'clock
this morning. The Southern railway
officials claim tonight that but 10
per cent. of the men have quit work.
while President Powell says 80 per cent
of them are out. There has beer con-
siderable delay to both passenger and
freight traffic, but the effect of the
walk-out is not yet known TO the ex-
tent which would warrant an accurate
assertion as to the exact situation.
II was given out tonight at me If
flee Of Assistant General Superintcnd-
ent Thompson, of the Southern, that
the places of the seven men who had
struck in Atlanta had been filled and
that the dispatchers on all divisions
centerlnS here are at work. No seri-
Gus delay, the officials say, has been
caused, excepting in the case of the
Washington limited due here al 4
o'clock p m, and a local passenger
which left this morning for Richmond.
The Washington limited arrived four
hours and a half late, and the Rich
mOnd local was taken up near COrne-
liza, Ca. by the vestibule which left
here for Washington at noon. Mr.. w.
V Powell, president OF the Order of
Railroad photographers, gave out the
following statement tonight:
Reports from every division OF the
Southern railroad show tina the sys-
tenn. with the exception of the Louis
willie branch, is tied UP completely so
So. No. --.-IA
and that passenger trains are being
run only under great difficulty. Ill
passenger trains are from three to
seven hours late and are making very
slow time.
Our members on the Birmingham,
Knoxville. Charlotte, Danville, Chat
tanOOga. Asheville. Washington. Co
lumbia Raleigh and ~Lynchburg divi-
siOnS wire that the condition of affairs
is very encouraging to h men and
that fully 80 per cent. of the telegra-
pliers and diSpatchers are on strike. On
the Alabama Great Southern every
man struck except one north of Biz
minghau.
After a strike had been determined
upon and the preliminaries had been
arranged, a few minutes before II
o'clock. President Powell sent the fol-
lowing wire message to all the teleg-
raphers on the Southern railway sys-
tenn. extending from Alexandria. Va.
to Meridian. Miss:
Atlanta, Ga, April II.
ITO all ~Telegraphers, Employed on the
Southern Railway:
Turn your board red and quit work
at II o'clock today, Thursday, April
18th. Perform no service of any kind.
Stand firm and victory is ours.
Wv. V. POWELL.
President Order of Railroad Tele-
GTapheTS'
Responses to this began coming int
the HEADQUARTERS OF the biographies a
624 EfmbaU house rapidly, stating what
action mad Ten taken by the opera
tors on the different divisions a force
of clerks at the same time was buSIiN
engaged mailing Il circular statement
OGf.is-E- SIGNED by President Powell
calling urrr the t~elegraUhers 10 quil
their orJrk and unite N a determined
kfl..- 10 bring about Il successful con
cIusiOn of the strike. The Statement
contains the grievances of the tele'
graphers. Ii says:
In accordance with the constitution
of the Order of Railway Photographers
l hereby approve a strike on the line:
of the Southern and the aba
Great Southern railways. effective i
a. m. April Il, 1900. All efforts to Ell
feet an amicable settlement of the dit
fcultie% having failed.
IL IL OAA. ~ N@
eignty-fve telegraphers and other sta
tiO-. employees voted in favor and Is
against. Many n%On-uniOn members vii
stand by the order
The t~eIegraphers. dispatcheTs ar
station employees of the Southern ant
the Alabama Great Southern railway
are determined to make a united
against industrial oppression
The strike was called for the fol
lowing purposes:
To secure reinstatement of its mem
beers who were discharged by tn
Southern railway
For the right To be heard through
committees in the adjustment of indi
vidual grievances.
For a set of rules and rates Of pa
to govern train diSpatcherS. telegraph
ers. agents and other station empioye
in their employment, discipline. etc
Twelve consecutive hours work Pc
dav where one or two ~telegraphers ar
empIOyed. including one conSecutlN
hour for dinner: ten consecutive hour
Including meal hour, in ali relay, dls
patchers' offices and offices Whei
more thar TWO t~elegraphers are en-
n-oyed. except that this rule VIII h'
make working hours more thai thos
that may now be effective. Eight cor
Secutive hours FOR train dlSpatchers-
Pay for overtime for telegraphefT
dispztchers and others in excess of tn
ABOVE hours, Eul UOlliIIS lSSo NlAoA
cents per hour.
T abolish the practice of compel
ing agents to load cotton and the pc
f~oTTnance of other mental labor.
- minimum wage scale of $40 an
$50 per month. according to terrltor
or location: S120 per month for trio
dispatcherSs
The Securement of fair and equitl
BILE rules regarding ~pronlotlon-
Regarding the causes Leading up
the present strike, President PoWe
said today: y,
This action was made necessary
the refusal of the company 10 ire;
with its employees in the telegraph a.
partment. Instead OF treating Win u
men the company waged an oulraseo,
secret warfare on the teIegrapher
d~ischarging the men who dared TO re
resent their brother operators by Ser
ing on committees. More imam IMe
" committeeman have been dlScndl,
- nozapS Of members OF the OFu