The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-01-06
SAYS RE Is SATISFIED
eREss AGENT OF NORTHERN PA.
OHIO OPERATORS DISCUSS
THE sITUATIoN
uoMK1TTEEs WORK is OVER
i. L. Hampton Claims the Order
Has Secured Partial RecOgni-
tIon and Other ImpOr-
tRnt Concessions,

George L. Hampton, Of Tacoma, Wash,
Dress representative OF the grievance
committee of Northern Pacific telegra-
piers who have ben negotiating with the
officials of that company since Dec. 8
last. last evening gave out the following
btatement;
I ''Yeu can say that we have finished our
negotiations with the railroad officials
and are returning home very well salts
led with the result The statement that
we are going away disgruntled, and that
p strike is likely to occur is absolutely
Untrue. General Manager Kendrick, who
has conducted the negotiations on the
part of the company, has been uniformly
courteous in his treatment of our COM
mittee, and while we have not been able
to secure everything we asked, conces-
Sions have been made which are highly
important to US. In the first place, the
company agrees that every operator, day
and night shall have eight consecutive
hours for rest. This is of great benefit
10 stations where there is but single OPP
orator employed for under the present
system of +calls, he is liable to be routed
out at any time, and his rest broken
IN upon so that he is unfit for duty. Then
we have secured a reduction of two hours
in the time of "split trick men, and the
allowance of an hour for meals in each
twelve-hour trick" This is something
that has never before been allowed by the
road. In the relay offices from Duluth to
the coast hours have been reduced from
nine to eight and half. The company
was disinclined to grant our request for
recognition of the o. R. T., but have
agreed TO recognize us as a body of en-
ployes. That is practically what We
wanted. 1t does not make material diff
ference whether we are recognized as a
labor organization or not, so long as the
company is willing to treat with us as
body The question of wages was one of
minor Importance, and we are satisfied,
will be properly adjusted. The agreement
has been signed on behalf of the company
by NJ c.. Kimberley and o. c. Green,
and has been accepted by the grievance
committee on behalf of the operators.
The presence of Mr.. Dolphin, the presi-
dent of the Order of Railway Telegra-
piers, has no significance whatever. Mr..
Dolphin is always called in whenever a
grievance committee of a system has
reached an agreement with the company,
Snd his position is an advisory one only.
will say, however, that Mr.. Dolphin is
rs we'll satisfied as we are with the con-
eessions we have gained.
''I want to repeat that whatever talk
Ehere has been of the possibility of
strike has not emanated from any mem
Der OF this committee. and our relations
Win the company ana with It's oulcldls
have never been pleasanter than at pres
ent. Yes, ii is true that the company
did send some thirty or forty operators
west as a precautionary measure, but
we understand that they have been re-
called"
Asked as to the reported threatened
disruption of the Order of Railway Te-
legrar hers as a result of the strike on
the Santa Fe system. Mr. Hampton said
That so far as he knew there was nothing
whatever in it. The o. R T.. he said.
was painin@ strength in this part of the
country. and. as it grew stronger. was.
like most of the other railroad organi
7atonS. becoming more conservative.
They believed more in negotiations and
in mutual cancellations and less and less
in the necessity for strikes