The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1905-08-09
TELEGRApHERs ARE OFT
Great Northern and Northern Pacific On.
orators Have Quit Work.

, Great Northern aud Northern Pacific Oh.
orators Have Quit Work.
ST. PAUL, Aug. 1.-Negotiations
which have been pending between the
Order of Railway Telegraphers and
the Great Northern and Northern Pa.
citic railroads for some time came to
a sudden end today, when General
Manager Horn, of the Northern Pa.
ci6c, notified the t~elegraphers OF that
system that the company's proposition
as to the rate Of wages it would pay
was final. and they could accept it or
leave the service.
The Great Northern officials took
practically the same stand toward
their employers last night, thus throw.
ing confusion into the ranks of the
~telegraphers. who hardly expected
such a move. The only chance OF an
adjustment of the trouble rests with
President i. j. Hill, who is in New
York, and to whom President Perham
OF the railway telegraphers appealed
in q telegram last night.
just how many men have refused to
consider the terms offered by the roads
is uncertain. Until $3.50 this afternoon
no definite reports had been received
at the headquarters Of either road.
The orders affect about $50 operators
and agents on the Great Northern and
about 1000 On the Northern Pacific.
A statement issued by the Great
Northern says in part:
"All of the points at issue between
the men and the company have been
satisfactorily adjusted with one ex.
ception. This is a rule governing the
payment of overtime at special rates
for Sunday work.
sin view Of the fact that it has been
impossible for the officers of the com.
pany and members Of the telegraph.
ers' committee to reconcile this differ
ence it was decided to prepare a
schedule of rates and rules, which
with only the exception, embodied
NOd\SSGAOdS " Lax COuullVtCCs
"Copies of the new schedule and a
list OF the new rates OF pay have been
sent out to the various divisions, the
men on the lines being requested to
signify their intentions as to accept.
ance without the concurrence of the
~telegraphers' committee. The a n ass
OF the ~telegraphers on the system so
far made indicates that approximate .
iy 80 per cent. of the telegraphers on
the line are entirely satisfied with the
new schedule and rates. 1t is expected
there will be no difficulty in maintain.
ing a regular and satisfactory traffic
over the company's lines"
ST.. PAUL, Aug. 2.-''There is moth.
ing to say now except that we have a
full Aedged strike on and that so far
as u reports 60 every man is out on
both %lines," said President of the Tel.
egraphers Perham today. II ordered
this strike after We tried all other ways
OF settling u grievances against the
railroads and after they had locked
out our men because they would not
sign impossible agreements.
"Another thing that made me call
this strike vas the statement of the
general manager of the Great North.
ern that 80 per cent. of the men re-
NAMED loyal to the road. That and
the fact that about 400 non-union men
were on their way from Kansas City
to fill the vacancies on the Northern
Pacific caused me to decide to show
them that they were wrong in their es-
innate as to the number of loyal men.
Well, all men are out and our advices
are that the tie.up is complete. The
roads are not running any freight
trains. They may be running passen.
ger trains on time and l hope they
will do so, as l do o want to inter.
rupt Travellers"
When asked on what basis he would
be willing to call off the strike, the
strike leader would only say: "We
are in a peaceful and amicable mood
and will be reasonable. If Mr.. j. j.
Hill will talk business and meet my
propositions fairly, we will settle. We
have now $50 men out on the Great
Northern road and ], 100 on the North.
ern Pacific"
General Superintendent Slade of the
Great Northern said:
1.-The strike order Of last night has
been observed by a number Of teleg-
raphers who have heretofore expressed
their willingness to accept the pro-
posed new schedule and who are en-
tirely agreed with it. With few en-
t captions. the telegraphers who have
: been interviewed by our superinten'
> dent have stated that their obliga'
| tions to the Order of Railroad Teleg.
raphers require them to strike regard.