Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1902-07-17
WAR ON BELL PHONES
Electrical Workers to Use Boy.
colt Against the Iowa Tele.
phone Company.
Systematic Canvass to Be Made
to Win Patrons From Com.
pany's Service.
Union Labor All Over the State
Will Be Requested to
Aid Them.
pecial to Times Republican.


Des Mones. July 11.-lf the fight o.
the electrical; workers against the lowe
Telephone Company, which has beer
declared unfair is continued the re-
suits promise TO be the most ar-reach-
ing of any recent labor trouble in the
state. Organizer Van Camp has asked
the International Brotherhood of Elec-
trical Workers to give assistance and
all local unions in every state have
been notified to hold themselves in read
mess to strike or to refuse to handle
1 Iowa business, in support of the Des
| Moines strikers and has recommended
| that an assessment of $ per capita be
levied for a fund to carry on the fight
| Iowa labor was never so Well organized
as ii is at the present time and the boy
tcott feature of the contest with the tel
ephone company will be prominent.
The strikers believe they can almost
ruin the business of the company. Not
! only will every union man in the state
/ be requested to refrain from using AN
Iowa company's phone but he will be
| requested To not patronize merchants
! who do and to use all his influence with
all classes of citizens and business men
to have the Iowa company's phones re-
moved and others substituted. In the
meantime the company declares its in
tention to fight to the bitter end and
! the officials say they will even put in
free phones if it becomes necessary in
order to hold their business until the
strikers are beaten.
Il is my intention to break the east
and west connections of the Bell sys-
tenn" said Mr. Van Camp IF that is
possible. am confident that the cleo
trical workers wherever organized in
the United States will assist. There
are $4,000 members of the union. The
first assessment will raise $lS6.000
which may be expended in this fight.
do not know that it will be necessary
to extend the strike so far as to tie
up the east and west connections OF the
company, but it is possible.
I'm the meantime it is our intention
to stop the toll line connections Tor a
radius of 200 miles of Des Mones by
calling out the electrical workers. This
will result if the unions which are hold
vote to support the Des Mones local. l
ann confident that they will Not only
the organized locals. but the electrical
workers in n dozen other cities who
We're about to be organized, will so out
with Them
1t has been decided by Mr.. Van Camp
and the leaders of the local union in
the trades and labor assembly to call
special meetings of the unions With
two or three days, if the telephone
company does not come to terms, to
take definite action With respect to
their part in supporting the strikers.
The first proposition will be to fix
fine OF 50 or $40 on each member of
the unions who patronizes any business
house or other patron of the Iowa
Telephone Company. This means that
the trade of 1000 organized laboring
men, representing 10000 people. will do
their trading a stores and their bust
ness in general with those who do not
use the Iowa telephone. This. it is
thought. will be a potent influence in
inducing business men to give up the
use of the Iowa service.
Tuesday. Mr.. Van Camp interviewed
General Manager Hippee of the street
car company, which uses q large num-
Der of Iowa phones. Mr.. Van Camps
idea WAS to ask Mr.. Hippee TO dispense
with the phone in view of the strike
and to install mutuals. 1t WAS found
that the company had a tiveyear con- I
tract with the Iowa. and Mr.. Van Camp |
decided not To ask it to break the con-
tract However. he requested Mr.. Hip I
pee to issue an order directing the cleo
trical workers in the employ of the
street car company not to repair the
lines and apparatus of the Iowa COM I
panN, which they have been doing since /
the strike started. This will so cripple
the service. within a short time, that +
the company will have sufficient ground
10 cancel its contract.
The local unionists have issued a
statement to the union workers of
iowa and to the citizens of the state
outlining the situation as to the strike
lere, giving the facts as to it's basis be-
ng Il demand by the girls for $ a day
of the so cents they We're get
ing. and asking the people to help the
girls and their allies win the strike.
In addition to issuing this circular
he local committee decided to begin an
active canvass among the patrons of
he Iowa company to induce them to
dispense with the Iowa phones. In
his the committee believes that it will
oday