Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-09-30
GOVERNMENT OWNERSHIP"
SHIBBOLETH SOUNDED BY STRIK-
ING TELEGRAPHERs
Mr.. Small Confers With President
Gompers Before Being Called
Away by Wife's Illness.

| In connection with the visit of Samuel J.
| Small. international president of the Com
mercial Photographers Union. to this city
| some of the leading keymen sounding
| as their shibboeth the cry of government
| ownership of the telegraph systems of this
| country The belief was expressed today
| at the local headquarters of the operators
| that in view of tn" present strike and its
| serious injury to the commercial interests
| Congress will be induced at its forthcoming
| session to give the matter of government
! ownership more than passing consideration.
Suppose" one of the leaders said. that
| our great mail system was in the hands or
| private individuals and such strike as
| that of the telcgrapherS should occur and
result in tie-up. There would be such a
bowling protest go up from Maine to Cali
fornia that Congress would be compelled to
take action. We contend that the tcle-
graph system is next in Importance to that
of the mails and when the two houses
meet next December we will be prepared to
make showing that viii be convincing
that the people and not the corporations
should own and control the wires of the
United States
1t became necessary today to indefinitely
postpone mass meeting OF the teieg
raphers that was to have been held at
Typographical Temple at o CLOCK ms
afternoon. because President Small received
a sudden Geographic summons to go to
Chicago. where his wire is said to have been
stricken with serious Illness. He left for
that city the first outgoing train for
the west.
President Small Busy.
President Small was a very busy man
today and held an important conference. it
is said. with President Gompers of the
American Federation of Labor. and several
officials He said his mission
here is a secret one and declined to discuss
1t He did. however, give out statement
concerning the strike situation generally. 1t
follows:
official reports at national headquarters
show that there are a little more than
eighteen thousand telegraphers on strike
and less than twenty-five hundred at work
This twenty-five hundred are located prin-
Cipally i'll the large cit es. Many hundreds of
them were managers of offices in small
cities. which have been temporarily closed.
Il have visited a number of large cities
during the past two weeks among them
New York, Chicago, St. Louis, Pittsburg
and Washington. Everywhere | am met
with the cry no surrender. The enthusl-
aSm. while not demonstrative at the
beginning of the strike. is just as strong as
ever. Our members are determined to win
1t makes no difference to them how long it
takes to win. win they will.
Alleged Signs of Weakness.
There are many signs of weakness on
the companies side They have not been so
vocferous In their statements that the
strike Is over. since the expected break in
our ranks did not occur after the late meet
Ing OF the board of directors of the Western
Union Company In New York We feel that
the companies made their last grand stand
when they passed resolutions at their exec
utlve committee meeting, and later at their
board Of directors meeting commencing
the officers on the conduct of the strike.
when break did not occur In the ranks
or The strikers after the meeting of the
board or directors, the officials of both
companies became discouraged. apparently,
and have since had little to say. AS an evil
dence that the strike is not over. or even
waning. point to the fact that in ma
jority of the larger cities the cOmpa MES are
not taking in enough money to pay the
strikebreakers. which necessitates sending
money from New York to various parts of
the country to pay the few teegraphers
now employed. and who, by the way, re-
cetJe triple salary"
Visit to "Camp Pete Holland"
President Small paid a visit to Camp
Pete Holland out by Cabin John Bridge.
yesterday. where thirty-five of the local
strikers are enjoying outing while wait
ing for the strike clouds to roll by. and ex-
pressed himself as much pleased with it, 1t
was said there number of similar
strike camps in various parts of the coun-
try. There is a large camp on the lake
shore at Chicago
A daily bulletin is received at local head
quarters. named The Mailogram." giving
information as to the progress of the strike
in all sections A comprehensive bulletin
system has also been inaugurated. and the
strikers are kept posted as to every move
inent of their leaders. as well as Of the
telegraph companies. The system is known
as the bureau of information"