The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1902-11-04
REFUSE TO WOIK
Telegraph Messenger Boys Seem to-
Think It Lots Of Fun to Z
Strike. ..
The Company Promptly Fills Their
Places and Suffers But Small
Embarrassment. 49,. 49,.

About twenty-five IN. D. r." messenger
boys who deliver kilograms for the West
ern Union company, struck this morning
for higher wages. Fifteen failed to re-
port for duty at the main office. Henne-
pin avenue and Third street. They gath
cred near the corner Of Third street and
First avenue N to reconnoitre. Whenever
they saw a messenger boy issue from the
office door, they would send a COMMITTEES
of one down the street to argue with the
boy. The controversy was never violent,
although the committee, which gradually
became larger as the arguments proved
unconvincing, would sometimes denounce
a recreant as "scab, scab, skibby- scab!'
After one Of these sessions on the side
walk the National District Telegraph COM
pany sent for policeman and the boys
scattered.
Other boys and several men were hired
in place Of the strikers. 1t is possible that
girls will yet be secured, ii the strike
continues.
The boys want their pay increased from
SIS to $23 a month. They also want to
be allowed to retain carfare for every
message delivered beyond the down town
limits. They say that II one boy delivers
three messages on one trip beyond these
limits, each OF the three patrons OF the
Western Union company is assessed the
round trip carfare for the messenger, yet
the boy is allowed to keep only one round
trip fare. The strikers argue that, II two
of the patrons are called upon to pay car
fare that cost nothing to the messenger or
the company, the boys are as much en-
titled as is the company to this arbitrary
assessment.
General Superintendent S. B. McMichael
of the N. d. 7. company said that MS
company pays SIS a month to beginners,
SIS after several months service, and $23
after an apprenticeship Of one year. Elk
perienced boys working nights get $40 a
month.
The boys that quit work. continued
the SUPERINTENDENT, ARE all beginners.
Not one Of them, think. has been with
us more than two months. But they in
sist that they ought to receive as much as
the messengers that have worked here for
full year.
LAS for car fare, we always allow a boy
one round trip car fare for every trip the
boy takes outside of the free delivery lin
It's after cold weather sets in, that Is,
after Nov l. The boy gets this car fare
whether he uses his bicycle or not.
We've had no trouble in filling the
places Of the strikers. Our delivery SER
vice is better to-day than it was yester-
day, before the strike. The strikers have
not interfered with the few men we've
hired, but they've made some little at
tempt to stop the new boys. Ihere mas
been no actual trouble.
mo, we have no girls acting as mes
sengers now. Miss Lulu, our famous lit
tie NO H. is now clerk in our main
operating-room She'll soon be taking
press reports, we hope. But if this trou-
BILE with the boys keeps up, we may con-
clude to hire girls instead. They wouldn't
find 50 much fun in playing strike
Half dozen Of the leaders in the pres
ent walkout can't come back again. But
many of the other messengers that quit
are good boys whom the leaders fright
ened. If the good boys want to come
back to work, they can have their old
jobs"