The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-01
APPEALS TO TEfECIiAPHERs.
Russell Harding Follows Methods of
Vice President Kendrick.

Vice President KendricI1.
Vice President and General Manager
Russell Harding of the Missouri Pa
cific has addressed a circular to the
train dispatchers, station and telegraph
employees of the system with reference
to the strike vote. Mr.. Harding says:
"A cordial and satisfactory relation
has existed between the railway COM
pany and its telegra pliers, as well as
other bra inches of the service, for many
years, and there is not now, nor has
there been in the past, any desire to
treat it's employees unfairly. With the
telegcap piers, this is evidenced by the
fact shat in 1885 and subsequent there
to this company created, and has since
maintained, conditions of employment
and rates of pay more favorable than
those of any other road with which it
completes or connects in the same class
-of territory. The telegraphers' COM
mittee has been courteously received
by the managing officers and such
complaints as they have wished to
make have been patiently heard, and
when meritorious have been adjudi-
Gated. p emotions from the ranks of
the telegraphers have been numerous,
and N; ny of our most trusted officers
have at one time occupied minor posi-
tiOnS on this road
Mr.. Harding carefully reviewed the
history of the negotiations looking to
revision of rules and rates of pay in
the telegraph service of the company,
and he submits the correspondence on
the whole subject between the officers
Of the company and the general COM
mittee of the employees through its
chairman. At the final hearing the
general manager was only asked to
give his decision on two questions, the
right of the general committee to rep
resent and iegislate for exclusive
agents and train dispa tchers MI
Harding SAYS: up to the time of this
meeting the most friendly and cordial
relations existed between the general
J , \ L.
pany. At the final meeting held with
me, H. Z. Perbam, president of the
O. R. T., was in attendance and par
ticipated il the discussion He de-
clared that to refuse to grant his de-
mands invnIved, to a great degree, the
very life # tie organization he rep
resents. On r1y declination to grant
his demands re informed me that the
controversial points would be referred
to the fedc'; ticn of which his organ
ization is a member for settlement.
According to the printed circular
sent out by him to the telegrapherS on
this system. the federation was appeal
ed to, but on account of only six of the
ten members of the federated board
being present. and as it would take
perhaps y nCn<h in which to get his
matters considered by the entire board,
he decided that the question of the
right of his organization to represent
the train dispatchers and exclusive
agents was such a grave matter as to
justify him in recommending to his
membership that it authorize him to
serve notice of withdrawal from the
federation that he might thereby be
better enabled to effect a speedy set
tlement.
After having taken the above ac-
ton. and on further review of the
question in dispute, he no doubt real
lied that the matters were not of such
a serious character as would induce
the telegraphers on this system to con-
slider them to the extent of striking,
osition an entirely new set of rules and
rates of pay, in order to strengthen the
vote of the membership The proposed
rules and rates OF pay submitted by
President Perham and the general
committee in their circular to the
telegTaphers on this system have never
been presented to nor discussed with
the managing officers of this company.
and the method thus adopted is un-
friendly and one heretofore unheard OF
in the annals of negotiations between
organizations of labor and railway COM
panieS.
In conclusion. Mr. Harding says:
1T can not be consistently argued
that the failure of the general COM
mittee to secure the adoption of the
two points in dispute that were appeal
! ed to me, means the life or death of
their organization, for the reason that
i their organization has existed on this
/ road since 1892 without embracing the
i questions at issue, and is reported by
/ the general committee to be in a flour
/ fishing condition, and the further fact
l that in a settlement just made by and
! between the telegraphers and the I'm