The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1907-10-17
Says President Small of the
TeIegraphers' Union.
ASSERTION CAUSES HOWL
Proposition That Locals Return to
Work is Derided-Association No.
titles Small That He Has
Been Suspended.

A New York special says: The strike
of Commercial Telegraphers which
has been in progress throughout the
country since the first Of August took
an extraordinary turn Saturday night.
National President Small Of the Tel
egraphers Union sent message to all
the cities of the country, asking the
locals to vote at once upon the prope-
sition Of calling off the strike.
When this became known to the To-
cal leaders in New York they raised
storm Of protest, declaring that they
would continue the fight to the end in
spite of the national president. Mr..
Small's telegram went out on the
wires at the end Of a conference with
Commissioner of Labor O'Neill. The
commissioner came on from Washing.
ton to make final effort to induce
the Western Union and Postal COM
panies to arbitrate at lsast some OF
the strikers demands.
When the mission failed, Commis-
sioner Neill assured President Small
that the position of the companies re-
NAMED absolutely unchanged and that
there was no hope in that direction.
the message that followed from Mr.
Small read:
prominent New Workers have ap-
pealed to me to call the strike of. All
efforts at negotiations are exhausted
and the companies say they will fight
to finish. The treasury is depleted
and there are no more funds 'ayaila7
bic. requests for relief from ali sides
are heavy and urgent. The strike
having been ordered without the pres
ident's sanction, recommend that the
locals vote upon the proposition"
Apparently this telegram was dis
patched without either the knowledge
or consent of the local strike leaders,
for all of them at headquarters de-
MED that there was the slightest in
tention of calling off the strike.
Notwithstanding President Small's
opinion that the strike IS hopeless, the
New York Telegraphers' Union, at a
meeting Sunday, vot-d unanimously
to continue the strike against the
Western Union and Postal Telegraph
companies.
The meeting was, characterized by
bitter exchanges between President
Small and the other speakers. The
latter charged the national leader with
inconsistency in first claiming that the
strike would be successfully financed
and admitting that the general as
sembly was without funds, and with
having conducted the hight in half
hearted dilatory way. Small tried to
explain his position, but was frequently
interrupted by Kisses.
When he suddenly left the hall in the
midst of the spesch-making, cries OF
resign" t, followed him. Sunday night
Small issued a statement, In which he
said he was willing to continue the
strike If the men insisted:
SmalPs suggestion that vote be ta-
kn on the question Of calling of the
strike were repudiated by members Of
the Chicago local union at meeting
Sunday afternoon. A resolution that
the strike be continued was unani.
mously adopted. The meeting was
followed by demonstration Of
strength by the striking operators be-
fore the Offices of the telegraph com.
panies. The men marched in double
file in the streets shouting "S-ti-c-k!"
and otherwise voiced their opposition
to the suggestion of surrender.
The striking telegraph operators
held a meeting in Baltimore, at which
it was voted to continue the strike
nine weeks mere If necessary.
The Commercial Telegraphers at
New Orleans also voted to continue
the strike.
Montgomery, Ala, local of the Tel
egrapners' Union, at meeting, held
Sunday evening, voted unanimously to
continue the strike.
Small is Suspended.
The following message was sent to
President Small by the executive COM
mittae at Chicago Sunday night:
Under article Is, section Z, of the
constitution OF the Commercial Teleg-
raphers' Union OF America, you are
hereby suspended from the Office Of
president, to take effect Immediately.
IS. J. KONENKAMP.
Acting Chairman"
FAKE WIDELY PUBLISHED.