Watertown weekly leader. [volume] (Watertown, Jefferson County, Wis.) 1906-1908, 1907-08-16
roosevelt DECIDES
NOT TO interfere.
APPEALS REGARDING STRIKE RE
FERRED TO LABOR CoMMIS-
SIONER NELL.
UNIVERSAL WALKOUT
TO BE CALLED SOON
Every Union Commercial Telegrapher
in United States and Canada to Be
Ordered Out When President Small
Arrives in CHICAGO.

more telegraph operators in San Fran
outs in Portsmouth, Va; Burlington,
la, and East st. Louis have brought
the number of strikers up to over
10000. Exactly 100 cities are now af-
fected by the walk-out.
Every union commercial telegraph
er in the United States and Canada
whose employer has not signed the
new union agreement will be called
out on the arrival of President Small
of the Telegraphers' union in Chicago,
according to a statement of General
Secretary Wesley Russell of the Com
mercial Telegraphers' Union of Amer
ica. President Small has been de-
layed, but is certain to be in Chicago
ready for business Friday, barring
accidents.
Plans were made Thursday to have
him met at the Union passenger sta
tion by 1000 strikers in parade forma-
ton, headed by brass band and car
rying banners. They will use as a
yell the words:
mo arbitration'!'
The general strike, 1t is expected,
will be ordered to involve the 40
telegraphers employed by the Amer
lean Telephone and Telegraph COM
pany, according to Secretary Rus
sell.
Roosevelt Not to Interfere.
President Roosevelt has decided not
to interfere personally with the
course of the telegraphers' strike. Ap-
peals from commercial exchanges all
over the country reached him asking
him to make personal effort to effect
a settlement, but all these were refer
red to United States Commissioner of
Labor Neill, who has been here all
week planning a peace move.
Commissioner Neill is said to in
tend leaving Chicago soon. President
Gompers of the American Federation
will make an effort to see President
Small before they go.
Brokers' Men May Strike.
One hundred or more operators en-
ployed in Offices of brokers who have
failed to sign union contracts in Chi
cago are expected to strike unless
their employers sign wage agree
ments.
This action was indicated at a meet
ing of several hundred operators of
leased wires at Brands hall
The names of a dozen firms COM
prising the largest grain and stock
brokers in the city, that have submit
ted to the demands of the men were
read. 1t was said that several others
had signed provisional contracts, but
these must be approved by the union
One of the largest firms that signed
late in the day was Logan & Bryan,
and the unionists considered this a
great victory as the telegraph opera
tors employed by that firm were not
fully organized.
The operators in the houses that
have failed to meet the wage schedule
were directed to insist upon a mini
mum wage scale Of $50 week unless
peculiar circumstances existed, in
which case the scale must be approved
Postal Officials Confident.
Increased confidence in their posi-
ton was expressed by the telegraph
companies, especially by the Postal
Telegraph company. General Super
intendent w. /. Capen said that the
company had installed several of the
new telegraph operating machines
that may be worked by typewriting
girls. These register automatically
on blank telegraph form at the other
end of the wire. The operators say
that the machines are not practicable
Try to Keep Roads Men at Work.
National and local officers of the
every effort to prevent the threatened
walk-out of the railroad telegraph op-
orators.
They fear that an extension of the
strike to the railroads, interfering
with the movement Of trains, would
turn public opinion against them, and
there also is to be considered the
question of strike assessments. With
in short time strike assessment
amounting to $4,000 is expected from
the $4,000 operators employed by the
railroads. That is why the general
officers deprecate any strike talk.
With 10000 commercial telegraph
ers out of work and a prospect that
5000 more will strike at any minute,
the prospects that all the railroads
telegraphers might also be idle and
need looking after is too serious a
one to be reviewed complacently by
the men who are managing the strike.
Business Men to Act.
The executive committee of the
Chicago Association of Commerce
planned to hold meeting to consider
the strike situation. H. A. Stilwell,
chairman of the ways and means com.
mittee, said he could not predict the
action to be taken, but personally he
was in favor asking President Roose.
welt to intervene in the strike situa.
tion.
South Water Street Hurt.
That the telegraphers' strike al
ready has caused injury to business