The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-22
Says Many Are Making Good
Wages in Harvest Fields.
WORRIED ABOUT O. R.T,
Employers Find a New Cause
for Apprehension.
Associated Press Rejects All
Overtures From Union.

ueiliy approaching a more normal stage
In the business of the Western Union
and the Postal Telegraph companies In
ternational officers of the Commercial
Telesraphers' union have begun to ospeak
OF the possibility of the strike terminat-
ing in manner not altogether satisfac-
tory to the union
President Sylvester ]. Small, after ad-
V1sing telegraphers to go out west and
work in the harvest fields. for the first
time admitted the possibility of defeat.
He found encoura cement in speaking
to an audience of determined strikers at
Brands hall, in the fact that no matter
how the struggle terminated 5000 union
telegraphers still would be in the pos
session of good jobs, in brokers' offices
and newspaper offices where the closed
The union never could die, he believed
with these men as a reserve force.
Railway Telegraphers Watching.
Employers found new cause for appre-
hensfon when they learned that thirty
or forty officers of various locals of the
Order of Railway Telegraphers were in
Chicago to watch developments in the
strike.
They are here said G. Dal Jones.
chief telegrapher of the o. r. T.. be
cause they are unable to get any au-
thentic information of the strike by tel
egraph. So many forged telegraph mes
SageS have been sent out that they don't
know what to believe"
Mr.. Jones was asked if the presence Of
the officers of the organization indicat-
ed a general strike among the railroad
telegraphers, something the general Off
GERS have been most anxious to avoid.
There always is that possibility" said
be.
Advices were received at union head
quarters that the cable operators had
struck at Canso Nova Scotia and North
four dIor ION fxxrn1 n1xTo
men, Western Union officials said there
had been no interruption in the cable
service.
Col. c. s. Diehl, assistant manager of
the Associated Press. said that so far us
that institution was concerned the con-
tinuation of the strike gave no anxiety
whatever. He said that out of 4e0 op-
orators employed under normal condi-
tions over the country 250 were working
and that the average amount of press
matter fer each day during the last six
days was 10000 words, or about all the
wires could carry.
Brands Hall Meeting.
Brands hall was a little more than
half filled when President Small be-
gan speaking. He said:
"Our men, especially those young
and footloose, are leaving every day
to take jobs as harvest hands in the
west. I am glad to see it. 1t will be
good vacation for them. 1 wish more
would go They'll come back brown
and strong and with no suspicion of
telegrapherS' cramp. They are being
paid from SO to SIS a day, and that's
more than they can make as teleg-
raphers
After the meeting Small had to give
a good many inquiring telegraphers
more explicit information about the
harvest fields and how to get there.
Speaking about the possible duration
of the strike, he said:
eff it last more than two months 1t
will not pass beyond our ability to
finance it. We have enough money to
keep you from actual want, or will
have it before it is needed Two
thirds of my hearers are on the black
list of the companies, and If you don't
win 1T means years of suffering for
you.
zone hundred and fifty closed shop
contracts have been signed since the
strike began. Five thousand of our
men are working in brokers' offices or
on the leased wires of newspapers,
and even if the big companies do de-
The railroads are short of operators,
and every day more of our men are
going to work for them"
Hear From Associated Press.
officers of the union are not san
guine over securing any concessions
from the Associated Press though
they take considerable satisfaction in
reports reaching headquarters that
few if any of the old operators are re-
turning to work.
Private aGvices received at head
quarters from a New York union
source told of the failure of negotia-
tions with Melville E. Stone, general
manager of the Asso ciated Press. One
of a committee which held confer
ence with Mr.. Stone a day or two ago
wrote:
s"The committee had a lengthy con-
ference with Mr.. Stone and all we
co,11d learn was this: Mr.. Stone refuses
to consider the union in any way, and
lii have nothing to do with the strik-
ars However, he says he will meet at
anv time a committee of his (present)
a,onloves and do all possible to adjust
tt,a matter. He remains firm that we
held him up in a highwayman like
manner. and will positively refuse to
treat with us.
"He seems exceedingly bitter against
Small personally. and some of the men
in the south, especially on the Texas
circIlit and says they will never again
work for the Associated Press, Postal,
or Western Union.
without knowing anything about this
communication Col Diehl said that it
press was concerned, the strike had
ceased to be a cause for anxiety
Press Circuits Resuming Work.
speaking of the general situation
said Col. Diehl, "the Associated Press,
employing under normal conditions, 400
is working in New England and in
New York state. In the district ex-
tending from Pittsburg and Salt Lake
City out of 142 operators 81 are at work
Outside of the Texas circuit and from
Salt Lake to Seattle all the wires are
in full operation, but the wires to- the
Pacific slope are not holding up. Dur
ing the last six days we have handed