Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1905-08-03
!. STRIKE AND. 4 LOCKOUT

OtsvtNS UUO1 eO0sSOO
Expected Clash Betweea Teleerspl
Opsratsts nd !. aa1Irsat Cen
panles. 4.
(. sz,r.
Dispatches sent out Tuesday from
st. Paul state that nearly all the tel
xegrapheIs on.the Willmar, the Fergus
Falls and the Breckenridge divisions
,af the road quit their places. The
men claim it is lockout on the part
Of the road because they will not &C.
cept the ter ps offered them, while
the company claims it is q strike.
"A circuar to its employees proposes
schedule OF wages. which it claims
gives an increase to the men amount
ing to go, 600 annually. ~
/ The men on the other hand claim
4 this increase amounts to only $1,000
I or $1,000 annually for about 1000 men.
I Conferences have been held da lily
Sthru the: past six weeks between the
railways and telegraphers over a set
! Of demands embodying grievances of
the operators: The chief demands
were, besides general increase aver
aging &5, a month In wages. the rein
statement Of discharged union off1ci-
ais and the promotion according to
seniority in service rather than
merit. +.
The.negotiations SO far have been
fruitless, and the telegraphers be-
lieve tonight.that the railway COM
papies have determined to lock them
out, substituting where possible and
depending upon railway telephone
r service as an auxiliary in the tran
saction OF business.
N. P. INVOLVED IN STRIKE. J.
S. st. Paul, Aug l.-Convinced that
it is the intention of tile strike COM
mittee. of its telegraphers to prolong
settlement Of pending differences
until they would handicap the move-
ment of fall business and satisfied
that.the telegraphers' committee is
unwilling to resort to call a strike or
to consent to an immediate settle
ment, the Northern Pacific at noon
today protected its interests by
ordering a lockout of the operators
who. are unwilling to accept the favor
able terms offered.
At IL O'Clock General Manager a.
J. Horn gave tho following state
ment with reference to the COM
pany's action and its position.
"Mr. Perham, president Of the
Order OF Railway Telegraphers, this
morning advised me that he intends
to 60 the limit with both the Nor
thern Pacific and Great Northern
Railways just as soon as he thinks
such a course necessary. ~.
. "Shortly before noon the Northern
Pacific started a lockout of its teleg-
raphers because of a strike vote
ftaken on May q. : .t~#.
"Strike instructions were issued
July 5, and these with the vote are
still hanging over its head in spite Of
the fact that during several weeks ne
gotiattons the points of difference
have been. pretty generally cleaned up
excepting the Sunday rule, and the
raise Of the minimum.
''The Sunday rule demanded is
different from any in the United
States and would add. to the pay roll
of the telegraphers. about $4,000 per
year.
1.-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.
1t has made liberal.increase to its tel
eglaphers during the past five years.
"As compared with 1900, the same
positions tnat existed in that year
are paying in 1905 $4,000 additional.
"This increase relates only to the;
positions In 1905 which were in exist
ence five years ago. There ale also
in existence over 200 more positions
than existed in 1900. These, Of
course. take the 1905 higher rates.
Comparing the 1905 positions with
those of 1900 as q whole, the telegra-
pliers are receiving in increase Of an-.
nual cay amuonting. to not less than
sl5,OO0 over and above the income
paid prior to May l of this: year.
''Ihe Impractical rules and exorbi-
tant demands made By the committee,
ID the first proposition and practically
" repeated in their proposition Of.
July ~, are considered conclusive
proof that at no time has it been the
intention..of the committee to make.
concessions which would enable The
company TO make . satisfactory set
tlement. Before actual negotiations
we're commenced they had fully de-
tot1nd "a fnycn = atrikA Then confer.