The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1907-08-12
SITUATION IS
MORE SERIOUS
Commercial Operators May Strike
Throughout United States
and Canada.
MORAL & FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Order of Railroad Tclegraphers Place
81, 100000 at Disposal Com
mercial Men.
MORAL 8 FINANCIAL SUPPORT
(By the Associated Press. }

(By the Associated Press.)
CHICAGO, Aug. 1.-THE strike
of the commercial telepragh opera
tors will be universal throughout the
United States and Canada within "a
hours, according to Natioanl Secre-
tary Russell of the telegraphers or
ganiZation. The statement was made
by Mr.. Russell after he had been in
formed of the action taken by the
men in New York, who at meeting
there today decided to hold walk
out in allegiance until the latter part
of the week
"This strike movement" said Mr..
Russell, has come to the point
where there can be no backing down.
The telegraphers have been trodden
on long enough by the companies,
and now that we have the opportu-
nifty we are going to use all our
strength to enforce our demands. For
several weeks President Small and
myself have been holding the tele-
graphers back and have been advis-
ing Cancellation, but they have taken
matters in their own hands and we
are going to stand by them. No un-
ion man will be allowed to work with
any one not belonging to our organi-
zation, and this means that tomOr~
row morning, when the business of
the week begins, the strike will be-
come universal. We cannot go half
way in this matter now. The strike
has been precipitated by the men
themselves without the sanction of
the national officers, but we are now
all working in unison, and anything
that the officials of various unions
throughout the country have done in
calling strikes meets with our hearty
cooperation"
This announcement was made by
Mr.. Russell at mass meeting of the
striking telegraphers held in Brand S
hall this afternoon. The hall will
seat 1900 persons, and so great was
the demand for accommodations that
several hundred of the striking ope-
rators were unable to get into the
building and remained upon the
streets until some early arrivals had
left the hall.
The Order of Railroad Telegraph
ers was represented at the meeting
by National Secretary Quick, who in
formed the strikers that his organi-
zation was at their disposal, both
morally and financially.
eve have $1,000,000 in our treas
ury," said he, "and it is at your dis
posal. Your fight is ours and we will
stand with you until the end
Before the mass meeting a meet
ing of the union telegraphers en-
ployed by companies using leased
wires was held. At this gathering,
brokers', news agencies and CONNER
cial organizations, including the big
packing houses, were represented. A
resolution was adopted declaring that
tnis class of labor was underpaid, and
that the various firms would be asked
to sign a wage scale and also to en-
ploy none but union telegraphers.
1t was decided to let the private
wire men prepare and present their
own schedule to their employers. The
broker men will present their sched-
ule at 10 O'Clock tomorrow morning.
The broker men will ask for a mini
mum of $50 week.
The men employed by the press as
sociations presented their request at
1880 O'Clock tonight, and the en-
ployers will be given "a hours to
comply with it. The schedule pre-
sented calls for $35 week for six
nights a week and 70 cents an hour
for overtime, eight hours to consti-
tute a days work, with half an hour
for lunch. The operators employed
by the news companies and newspa-
pers in the day time will ask for $50
week and so cents an hour over
time, eight hours to constitute a
days work and the regular lunch.
These requests were presented to
every news gathering organization in
the United States and Canada to-
night and "a hours will be allowed
for an answer. If at the end of that
time the demands have not met with
a favorable response, the men will re-
port to the union officials and they
say strike will be ordered.
In regard to the newspaper end OF
the controversy, Secretary Russell is
sued the following statement to-
night:
ITO all publishers, United States
and Canada: The Commercial Tele-
graphers' union does not desire in
any way, whatever, to hamper the
newspapers of the country. We are
fighting for our rights, however. and
believing that the telegraph operators
employed in this service are under
paid, we have authorized our meI
to present a schedule to their EN-
ployers asking for what we consider
reasonable recompense for thell
work. If these demands are not me-
by the various news gathering or
ganizations within the specified time
the men will be ordered to qul
work"
In Chicago today the officials o
both companies declared that the,
had more men working that the.
needed Sunday is quiet in the tele
graph business" said one of these of
ficials, ''but we could have handled
twice as much business as we did
In fact, we sent several operator
home. as we did not need them"
About 500 men were added to th
ranks of the strikers today. Th
new recruits come from various sec
tions throughout the country, in eacl
case the strikes being precipitated b,