The age-herald., 1900-04-13
TELEGRAPHERS QUIT THEIR KEYS
 AND HANG OUT DANGER SIGNAL
POWELL ORDERS STRIKE
 AND ISSUES STATEMENT

Powell of the Order of Railway Telegra- phers, has ordered a strike of the telegra- phers and other station employees of the Southern railway. The following is his wire message to the teegraphers:
 Atlanta, Ga, April 12. To all Photographers Employed on the
 Southern Railway;
 Turn your board red and quit work at Il o'clock today, Thursday. Perform no service of any kind. Stand firm and vic- tory is ours.
 (Signed) "W. V. POWELL,
 Pres. Order Railway Photographers" In a statement which President Powell has issued he says:
 Tn accordance with the constitution of the Order of Railway Photographers, 1 here by approve strike on the lines of the Southern and Alabama Great Southern raolroads, effective Il a. m., April 12, all efforts to effect an amicable settlement of the difficulties having failed. The strike is now on. Six hundred and eighty-four telegraphers and other station employees voted in favor and 131 against 1t. Many non-union members will stand by the der.
 "The strike was inaugurated for the fol- lowing purposes:
 "To secure reinstatement of it's members who were discharged by the Southern rail- way.
 For the right to be heard through com mttees in the adjustment of individual grievances
 For a set of rules and rates of pay, to govern train dispatchers, telegraphers agents and other station employees in their employment, discipline, etc.
 Twelve consecutive hours work per day, where one or two telegraphers are employed, including one consecutive hour for dinner; ten consecutive hours, includ- ing meal hour, in all relay dispatchers' of- fees and offices where more than two tele- graphers are employed, except that this rule will not make working hours more than those that may now be effective. Flight consecutive hours for train dis patchers.
 Pay for overtime for teegraphers dis patchers and others in excess of the above
 hours, but nothing less than 25 cents per hour.
 '"To abolish the practice of compelling agents to load cotton and the performance of other menial labor.
 "A minimum wage scale of s45 and $50 per month, according to territory and To- cation.
 -. =. !. :. structions from the general manager asked their superintendents in a very po- lite manner, to name a day that would be | convenient and consistent for them to meet | with the committees for the purpose of l considering the rules and rates of pay l drafted by the general committee in De- | cember. Right here is where the trouble | began. The superintendents immediately | began discharging members of the several | local committees on trumped-up and triv- ial charges. Some fifteen men were dis
 missed from January l to February 1, and not a single wa ora Inf ip- | terview with the superintendent, although | the general manager had previously writ ten the chairman of the general committee | that the local committees would be met by
 the division superintendents, and that if l they were not satisfied there, they might go next to the general superintendent, and | if still not satisfied he would be pleased at
 any time to meet the committee himself. l After finding that it was impossible to meet the division superintendents, the gen. eral chairman, R. D. Harper of Atlanta, appealed to General Superintendent Bar rett, and received an insulting reply, with
 threat of dismissal for so doing. Find ing 1t impossible to get any satisfaction
 out of the general superintendent, Mr Har- per appealed next to General Manager Cannon, who pleaded ignorance of any dis SdtiSldCliOu anu III SHOTl uecuneu to meet Mr. Harper and his committee, all of whom are employees of the Southern railway. Ordered Harper Discharged
 "As soon as General Superintendent Baf- rett learned that MT. Harper had appealed to the general manager he ordered Harper dismissed from the service and induiged in various insulting remarks, referring to tic agents and operators lot of CUTS | and towards, whom he could run under the station platforms if he felt so dis posed.
 President Powell of the Order of Rail- road Photographers was appealed to and came to Atlanta and opened communication with the general manager with the view of adjusting matters. MT Cannon agreed to meet MT. Powell and furnished transporta tion for him to go to Washington, and on February 6 MT. Cannon agreed in writing that the superintendents would meet all lccal committees and that men dismissed without cause would be reinstated and no further discriminations dismissals would be permitted President Powell returned to Atlanta and issued circular on Feb ruary to all the men, giving the result or his conference with MT. Cannon, and once more good feeling was established and everybody felt that MT. Cannon would cer- tainly see that they got a fair show. The local committees again asked the superin- tendents to name date for hearing and the superintendents again commenced to dismiss committeeman. MT. Cannon sent a letter to all agents and operators deny ing that he had made any agreement with MT. Powell. As soon as MT. Powell learned of this he wired MT. Cannon to know if this letter was being put out with his knowledge and permission. The general manager again plead ignorance and said that MT. Powelps telegram was the first intimation he had of his letter being cir culated, but when pressed down he ac- knowledged that he had handed the letter to the superintendents for information, but declined to withdraw it, saying that what ever harm or good might come of it had already heeu accopnpIieba5