The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1903-04-21
SILENCE EXISTS BETWEEN BILL.
INGs AND BUTTE.
STRIKE ON AT OTHER END
Change Of Chief Operator in Toll
Office Causes Walk Out Of
Others.

have not been on speaking terms and
so far as oral communication be-
tween them is concerned each might
as we'll be on the other side of the
globe or off the map entirely. This
is not due to a sudden disagreement
between them or the result of a neigh
bors' quarrel, for the relations with
one another are as friendly and AMIGA
BILE as yer. AS usual the trouble
has been caused by the interference OF
a third party. 1t would probably be
more correct in this instance to put
it in the plural, for the party of the
third part is composed of a large num-
Der of individuals, although they are
acting as one.
The reason for the dumbness Of the
little bells that tinkle at either end
of the wires over which it has been
the wont of the two cities to hold
communion is a strike, at the other
end, of course. This strike has for
it's origin a determined effort on the
part of the Rocky Mountain Bell Tel
ephone company to conduct its bust
ness at the Butte end of the talk
transmitting system in accordance
with it's own ideas as to the fitness OF
things and the demands and needs OF
the public. The strike is not the out
come of a dispute over wages, al
though a slight hitch in that direction
occurred a few weeks ago.. This,
however, was amicably adjusted, the
company acceding to the demands of
the operators union, which was or
ganized for the purpose of obtaining
the moral and material support OF
the various trades unions of the city
in the demand for increased pay the
girls made.
Why Trouble Exists.
Mr.. Hutton of the Bell company,
who is in the city at present, this
morning gave the company's version
of the difficulty, which, according to
reports brought by parties who left
Butte late last night, had assumed
serious proportions along about mid
night. He said that the young lady
who has been employed as chief oper.
ator in the toll or long distance office,
while thoroughly competent and con-
| scientious, was unable to maintain the
| discipline necessary to give the pub
lie service it is entitled to, lacking
the power to control the subordinate
| operators. In consequence many COM
! plants had been made to the manager
by people who said that they were
compelled repeatedly to wait long and
unreasonable times before they could
secure the asked for connections.
When spoken to concerning the mat
ter the chief is said to have admitted
that she could not enforce discipline
and compel those under her to per-
form their work according to the rules
laid down by the company.
With this confession from her the
manager appealed to the general Of
fees at Salt Lake for relief, asking
that a new chief be given him. This
request was complied with and a
young lady was sent from the Salt
Lake office to take charge at Butte,
while the n whom she displaced
was given a position as operator. The
old chief and her subordinates did
not take kindly to the new arrange
ment and presented their grievance
to Dan Mcdonald, president of the
Labor Federation, with which the
operators union is affiliated. Mr.. Nc
Donald called on the manager and de
manded reinstatement of the old chief
at once, on penalty of a general strike
of the operators, linemen and all 9TH
ers employed by the company.
1t happened that Harry Summers,
superintendent OF this division, was
out of the state where he could not
be reached and the manager asked
Salt Lake for instructions. He was
told to replace the old chief and con
tinue her in her former position until
the company's general manager could
arrive at Butte, which would be the
following day. When he arrived he
made a statement of the company's
side of the question to Mcdonald,
who is said to have declared his will.
ingness to submit the matter to arbi.
tration. This offer the company's
representative accepted, but after a
few days had passed Mcdonald is
said to have declined to arbitrate and
to have issued an ultimatum that un
less the old chief was retained the
thraatanad strike would fol1nW y