The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-10-29
INDUSTRIAL JOTTINGS.
Telegraphers of Laokawanna Meet
to Consider Remedies for Ger
tain Grievances They Have.

| A meeting was held in Raub's hall,
| on Wyoming avenue. Saturday night,
| at which between thirty and forty tele-
graph operators of the Delaware, Lack
| awanna and Western Railroad COM
| pany were present, and discussed vari-
Gus grievances entertained against the
company.
| The majority of the operators preS-
ent were from out of the city and rep
resented the telegraphers Of the entire
| Lackawanna system. AS Il result of
the meeting. committees were appoint
| ed to lay their grievances before the
division superintendents. These COM
plants are divided into the following
| three classes Shorter hours, seniority
rights, and more pay.
Seniority rights was the main issue
| at the meeting and a large number Of
| instances We're cited to show where
young operators We're promoted over
the heads of experienced employees,
whose hair had silvered while they
were in the company's employ. The
other complaints are subordinate to
this, and the grievance committees
| were appointed to straightway wait
upon the division superintendent and
not receiving satisfaction there, for the
general grievance committee to wait
upon General Superintendent Clarke.
superintendent Clarke. when seen
yesterday by a Tribune man, expressed
himself as being utterly Ignorant or
any grievances entertained by the oper-
atOrS against the company. Nor was
he aware of the fact that general
meeting had been held, until he was
shown an article which appeared in a
Sunday paper referring to the matter.
He read it over carefully, and then
said:
We'll this is the first I've heard of
any dissatisfaction among the men. AS
yet l have received no official notifi-
cation. and to the best of my knowl-
edge none of the division superintend-
ents have as yet been waited upon by
any committees. Now, as to these
grievances. These desired seniority
rights have already been offered the
operators. and it rests with themselves
alone whether or not they shall be in
effect. The men on this road are not
accustomed to any regular line of pro-
motion. When l first became general
superintendent l sent out circular to
all the agents and operators. with "A
printed list of questions, such as: How
long have you been in the Delaware.
Lackawanna and Western Railroad
company's servicc?' DO you desire any
change from your present position?'
etc. The object of this was to arrange
line of promotion, with the older EN-
ployes, of course. given first chance.
Nov, the majority of answers re-
ceived were negative. The men, 1
found who were ASSIGNED To "A sta finn
some years ago had settled down, per-
haps married. and were perfectly con-
tent. When offered another station, at
a higher salary, which would necessi-
tate their moving away, they almost
invariably declined it. and expressed
themselves of the opinion that they
We're better off as they We're. The COM
pany now has this list of agents and
operators and is at any time willing
to arrange a line of promotion.
'As regards the pay question. l see
the statement made in the paper that
the average pay is sS5 a month. Now,
that's mistake. The minimum pay is
$50 Il month, and the average between
$45 and $65. Thirty-five dollars is only
paid to young inexperienced operators
who are beginning work, and that. as
a rule, at some little, unmportant sta
tion. The majority of the men are well
paid, and have no grievance pn that
point.
LAS to the hours. Why, they are the
same as those of any clerk. From
o'clock in the morning until o'clock
in the evening is what they usually are,
and these certainly are nothing iout of
the ordinary"