New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-06-14
TELEGRAPHERS READY.
STRIKE SEEMS PROBABLE.
President Small Sends Wmning to
Local Unions.

Every indication last night pointed to a strike
of the telegraphers against the Wfstern Union
Telegraph Company, for extensive preparations
are being made by the Commercial Photographers
Union of America to raise a big strike fund
The strike. unless it is averted in some uueX-
pected way will involve the Postal Telegraph
Company. against which the teegraphers say
they have many grievances but have kept quiet
while there was prospect of peace with tho
Western Union company. The persistent man
ner in which the Western Union officials have
ignored all overtures for conference and all
communications from the officers Of the union
has made the men thoroughly angry and theJ
were clamoring for strike last night.
The representatives of the Civic Federation
have been unsuccessful I'm their efforts to
bring about conference with a view to set
tlement by the Western Union and has not re-
ceived any satisfactory reply from the Postal Of
hcals. Chairman Seth Low Of the Cancellation
committee of the National Civic Federation was
out of town yesterday. but he win be asked 10
use his influence for tho sake Of peace and II is
said that Secretary Straus Of the Department
of Commerce and Labor may be asked to do
the same
The situation looked so ominous yesterday
that President s. J. Small Of the union. after
the general executive committee had voted for
a general strike assessment on the members
sent the following telegram 10 the presidents
Of 132 subordinate unions throughout the
United States and Canada:
Situation NAV bring trouble with one or both
ment. Put local I'm touch Immediately with labor
men and others who VIII be useful morally ana
financially
The locals in number Of cities acknowledged
the receipt Of the telegram. San Francisco Chi
cago and Houston, Tex, urging immediate ac-
tion.
Mr.. Small gave out the following official state
ment last evening:
have felt all along that we could adjust our
grievances with the two telegraph companies with
out serious trouble am not sure about IT now
ton interested themselves in our case and have
been working ever since to bring about confer
ence. but without result. In fact, considerable cor
respondcnce has taken place between prominent
the Cancellation Geparfment Of % tb t% v orGe[s "r
ton. In the case of the Western Union the only
in a matter vberc tb" ssryices % wHLt mn mt'Trerln
The Postal Telegraph Company officials were not
quite SO harsh. But although President Clarence
Of the Civic Federation We had not up TO noon
to-day, any obligation to await the results of any
about an omicabIe adjustment of our grievances.
The action of the board of directors OF the West
treatment Of our members and an honest dstrbu-
reason to believe the two comGanes have eot
together to fight the union. as well as to maintain
rates and curlail the number of branch offices in
large cities.
If this be true why, Of course. we must protect
curse Ives. It would be the height of folly on our
part to let the telegraph companies get away with
their bluG at increasing their telegraphers wages
10 per cent when in fact they did not grant this
increase to all of them. and taking 1t away
those who did receive the increase as RAPIDLY
s changes In fOrce made.
The treatment accorded employees of both tele-
graph companies in their large offices is brutal
That is the only word that expresses it. The sala-
ries are inadequate compared with the of liv-
ing. We hav" appealed in manly statement to
both companies for redress. Our appeal has been
ignored
When the concessions were announced the telcg-
raphers believed that they made In good
faith. but the developments since that time have
been most glaring illustration of the motto of
many large financial institutions in recent wears
which comes under the heading of How to eat
,n1ir 10 nd kna