The daily morning journal and courier., 1905-08-02
GAUNTLET THROWN DOWN
 TO N. P. TELECRAPHERS
CAN ACCEPT WAGE TERMS OF COMPANY OR QUIT
 SERVICE.

Formal Notice Served on Them by Cen i eraI Manager HOrne-Head of the Union Declares He Will Go the Limit With Both the Northern Pacific and Great NOrthern-Sunday Rule and Wages the Stumbling Block to Set- tIement-Demands of Operators Held
 as ExOrbitant by the Roads.
 St. Paul, Minn., Aug. 1.-General Manager Horne of the Northern Pa cific railroad to-day sent an order to all telegraph operators employed by the system from St. Paul to the Pacific coast that they could accept the terms of settlement of the wage question of fered by the company or they could leave the company. Just how many l men have refused to accept the conn pany's terms is not yet known. After having issued the ultimatum to the men, MT. Horne gave out statement in which he said among other things:
 MT Perham, president of the Order of Railway Photographers this nlorling advised me that he intends to go to the limit with both the Northern Pa cific and the Great Northern railways, just as soon as he thinks such q course necessary.
 ''The Northern Pacific started a lockout of its telegraphers because of 1 a strike vote taken on May 2. Strike instructions were issued July 5, and these, with the vote are still hanging over it's head, in spite of the fact that during several weeks negotiations the points os difference have been pretty generally cleaned up, excepting the Sunday rule and raise of minimum. The Sunday rule demanded is different from any in the United States and would add to the pay roll of the teieg- raphers about $10O,000 per year. The company's rate of pay is not exceeded, but on the other hand is considerably higher than on most of the roads in the same territory. It has granted liberal increases@t to its telegraphers during the last five years. When the conference started on July 12, strike instructions had already been in force for an entire week. Last Friday, when we concluded negotiations, they were still hanging over our heads The road was in this position: Mir. Perham or his committee could inaugurate a strike of our telegraphers at any time they saw fit. They would neither ac- cept nor reject the company's proposi- tion. This uncertainty the company would not put up with, and as result a lockout was inaugurated today"
 President .Perham of the Railway Photographers union said to-day: But one man has failed us, Elsewhere they have gone out uniformly. The superintendents have not called on operators or agents in the Twin Cities or any of the large stations. l want to make it clear that this is not a strike but lockout"
 A statement issued by the Great Northern, covering its controversy, says;
 ''All of the points at issue between the telegraphers committee and the company have been satisfactorily ad- justed with one exception. This is a rule governing the payment of over
 
 Tn view of tine fact that it has been impossible for the officers of the com pany and the members of the teleg- raphers committee to reconcile this difference it was decided to prepare a schedule of rules and rates, which, with but this one exception embodies the concessions made to the commit tee. Copies of the new schedule and a list of the new rates of pay have been sent out to the various divisions, and the men on the line and being re- quested to signify their intentions with reference to their acceptance without the concurrence of the telegraphers' committee. The canvass of the teleg- raphers on the system So far made in- dicates that approximately eighty per cent. of the telegraphers on the line are entirely satisfied with the new rules and rates. It is expected that there will be no difficulty in maintain ing regular and satisfactory traffic over the company's lines"