Los Angeles herald., 1907-08-13
CHICAGO OFFICES CLAIM TO
HAVE SUFFICIENT FORCE
By Associated Press.

By ASSoc1ate1 PRESS
CHICAGO. Aug. 12.-Both the Western
Union and Postal Telegraph companies
claimed today to be in better condition
than at any time since the commence
ment of the strike of the operators.
The Western Union announced early in
the, day that it had more than 200 men
at work and was able to care for bust
ness in fair shape. The Postal claimed
to have about 100 men and also asserted
that the delay in handling messages was
not great. Both, however, had posted ir
conspicuous places that messages would
be only accepted subject to indefinite de-
lay in transmission
A number of men were imported last
night by the Western Union and all of
them went to work today.
The officers of the union said the COM
panies had but one-third of the number
of men at work that they claimed to
have, and declared that many OF them
were telegraph students who are not
capable of doing good work.
The decision of the operators at Wash
ington and Boston not to strike did not
discomfort the officers of the union.
Secretary Wesley Russell said today:
TT makes no difference what the men
cast vote to do. When the time comes
they will be ordered out and that will
be all there is to it. They will come out
when we want them"
Superintendent Cook of the Western
Union in this city today Issued a state
ment that there will be no arbitration:
II will receive no deputation of the
strikers" said Mr. Cook land will hold
no communication with them excepting
in a circular letter, which l will send out
today. This will be brief and Will read:
Having left the employ of the company,
you will apply at once for your pay
We have now go men at work and we
are commencing to choose our men. To-
day we have turned away a number of
applicants because we did not consider
them competent men"
Gompers Advises Strikers
President Samuel Gompers of the Amer
lean Federation of Labor arrived. in the
city today to aid the strikers in an adj
visory character.
President Gompers said:
''As to the merits of the telegraphers'
strike 1 know nothing. The action has
had the sanction of their executive com
mittee and national officers and that re-
moves from the scope Oh the inquiry any
investigation as to its merits.
1--WE assume that an affili&eed organ
ization which has legalized a STRIKE has
a just grievance, and as to union prin-
ciples we are determined to give the
operators our best support.
Before any plan of action can be adopt
ed the local heads of unions and the ma
tional officers must confer. We will do
that some time today
The officials of the Chicago local union
today declared they have no more
desire to arbitrate the issues of the strike
than has the Western Union. They made
this declaration today as soon as they
learned of the efforts of the officials Of
the National Civic federation to secure
intervention again by Commissioner Neil
and of a reported promise by President
Small to send the men back to work II
the government will promise to secure
arbitration.
General Secretary Russell received an
swer today from many of the lbs locals
throughout this country and Canada to
whom he sent requests for vote on the
proposition to call a general strike AL