The Parma herald. (Parma, Idaho) 1903-1917, 1907-08-17
UNION MEN OUT
EVERYWHERE
ou'Ae raraIy1es Telegraph Systems
Throughout Country.
NO oeneral Strike Order Has Been
ordered, but Nation Leaders Saw
'ney Will Stand by Local Unions
" Every case-Hisher Wages and
Shorter Hours Wanted.

Portland, Aug. ls.-The tele-
sraphers' strike is now general
throughout the country. Following
is general summary of the situa.
ton today:
Commercial operators-strike has
extended with great rapiditv
throughout the United States and
telegraph business is everywhere
paralyzed or badly crippled. Both
western Union and Postal telegram
companies appear to be equally az
Fress Operators-At 1880 D. m.
New York time, Associated Press
operators left their KEYS over tho en-
TIRE system, refusing to give General
Manager Stone time to refer to the
board OF directors of the Associated
Press their demand for higher wages
and limitation of hours.
Railway Telegraphers L. w
Quick, grand secretary and treasurer
OF the Order of Railway telegram
ers, issues order directing railroad
lelegraphers not to handle CONNER
cial messages.
Practically the entire telegraphic
business of the country is tied ND as
the result of the strike inaugurated
in most of the large cities by the
operators of the Western Union Tele-
graph Company and the Postal Tele-
graph Company, and one or two
other telegraph companies of minor
importance.
The strike now involves not only
the commercial telegraphers. but
also the operators of the Associated
Press in all the large cities of the
country, save few in New England
and the Middle West. The strike of
the Associated Press men came at
the end of day of negotiations be-
tween General Manager Melville E.
Stone and officials of the telegraph
ers' union in New York. Owing to
the radical demands of the operators,
General Manager Stone asked for "a
hours in which to advise with the
members of the Board of Directors
of the association.
This request apparently was ac-
ceptable to General Secretary Rus
sell, of the Telegraphers' Union, and
to a large number of Associated
Press operators who realized its rea-
sonableness, but a number of radi-
Gals on the Texas circuit would not
consent to a postponement of action
on the part of the Associated Press
and quit their keys. This action was
followed largely throughout the
country.
A serious phase of the strike de-
veloped yesterday afternoon and dur
ing the night when it was discovered
that railroad telegraphers in many
places we're tampering with the wires
at relay points. BY withdrawing
plugs" from the switchboards and
grounding the wires communication
on a number of circuits was inter-
lrupted and in some instances entire
ly shut off.
From the developments of yester-
day and last night it seems certain
that the Order of Railway Tele-
graphers will support the commercial
telegraphers in their strike, and it is
not improbable that the railway tele-
graphers' organization will become
more deeply involved in the strike
should it be of lengthy duration.
While the strike at this time has
the appearance and to some extent
the effect of a general strike, such is
not the case. A large number OF
commercial operators are still al
their keys and will not go out unit
instructed to do so by President
Small,
In Portland the operators of the
Western Union and Postal Telegraph
Companies struck last night. Tn'
Western Union men were called ou'
nv President Branin of the loca
union at 1921 o'clock. The Posta
onerators left their keys at 7;4'
o'clock. Both strikers were very or
derly. The messenger boys struct
last night at IL o'clock after hoidins
a meeting at which they formulated
A demand for a considerable increase
in pay.