The labor world., 1903-05-02
ADJ 1! BOY EAN
!. To- eU. G INTO W|.U:: "
HAVE ESTABLISHED A MESSEN-
; GER SERVICE OFFICE, AND
: ARE DOING GOOD BUSINESS.
Cause Of Their Strike-Company
Wants Their Tips-6oys Now
Want Higher Wages.


Want Higher Wages.
There is a juvenile strike on in Du-
luth, and the way the boys manage it
would do credit to many older un-
ions. The A. D. T. boys Of the Vest.
ern Union Telegraph company went
out on strike Monday morning. They
are only boys, Of course, but they have
a grievance, and it is very meritori-
GUS one. too. This is the condition
just as the boys put it. They used to
earn $500 month. This is not very
good wages, but the tips used swell
this some, so that some of the boys
made a fair living. Then sometimes
they used to save an occasional car
fare, all of which helped the boys to
get along better. But the Western
Union. Telegraph company does not
earn sufficient money to pay expenses.
1t wants the boys earnings also to
enable it to pay better dividends to it's
stockholders. So not long ago it made
a rule that the boys must turn all tips
into the company. This is where the
trouble is. The boys rebel against
this. The tips are important perqui-
sites to them, and the company has
no right to claim them.
Now the boys want $500 for a
months wages. They made applica-
tion to the company for the increase
and were refused. They all walked
out-twenty- one of them-and now a
strike is on.
When they first went out, pickets
were placed about the telegraph office,
and persons sending messages were
induced to take them to the North
American. On Tuesday seventeen of
is to be known as the Messenger Boys
union. Temporary officers were elect
| ed, and the formation of messenger
service company was warmly advo-
Gated. It did not take very long to get
down to business. Advertisements
| were inserted in the papers; cards and
dodgers were printed, clerks immedi-
ately arranged for desks, and on We'd
nesday morning the telephones were
kept busy calling for boys to run err
rands here and there. The first days
business was flattering, but Thurs
days business exceeded their fondest
hopes. The boys carry telegraph mes
sages free. All messages OF this ma
! ture fntrusted to them are turned over
| to the North American Telegraph
company
Telephone connections, Zenith 'phone
number 65 and Duluth phone number
| 1877, have been made with the office,
and other facilities of receiving sta
| tion will be installed soon. Both day
| and night services will be afforded by
| the boys agency.
friends in the business section yester-
! day. afternoon, drumming up trade.
] They will do all ordinary messenger
work, ineuding that Of carving 4 atele- lt-
graphic dispatches. sss:-: !.
All fees earned will go into the com
mon treasury, and at the end of each
week the net proceeds will be distribut-
ed by dividend, to each according to
the percentage Of money contributed.
The boys calculate on a minimum
earning of seventy-five cents each per
day. This is above the average wage
Of SIS per month paid by the Western
I Union, and, as many will bring in
much more than seventy-five cents
daily, they expect their new venture tc
bring them in snug increase over the
amount received by them formerly.
In the system of books to be kept
each boy will have personal account
and every dollar brought in by him
will be credited to it. At the end o1
the week, his share of the expense viii
be deducted, and then his just part o1
the net gain paid him.
! Tho exnenses tn be incurred will bf
mainly printed matter and newspaper
advertising, together with pay for the
office man and such pickets as may bt
employed during the strike at tht
Western Union offices.
.. |. Seventeen messengers, out Of th<
total number of twenty-three on strik.
attended the meeting held yesterday
The other six boys were absent on &C
count of acting as pickets at the tele
graph office the previous night.
Fred Smith was chosen president o
the organization, and Thomas Fur.
was made secretary. With this preli
minary form, the boys made applica
! tion for affiliation with the State Fed
| Grafton Of Labor.
The roster Of the newly created 1oca
union bears the following strikers
names: John Horton, Arthur Conway
j James Durage, Willie Sturdgeon. Davit
McNut, Edwin Becter, Selenius Schuns
ton, Michael Gilliepsie, Winfield Gray
John johnson, Percy Campbell, Car
Berini, Pat Welsh, Ben Campbell, viii
: liam McGilvray, Clarence Brown, Free
Smith and Thomas Furrie.
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