Evening star., 1907-08-11
Statement Issued by President Groves
of Local Union.
MEETING TO BE HELD TODAY
Expected That the General Order"
Will Be Indorsed and Liter
ally obeyed.

circles there We're evidences last light or
readiness for the coming of the expected
walkout message. which Will be followed
by the blowing of a whistle in the several
offlces-the signal for the operators to
leave their keys.
In anticipation of the call for the strike
in the offices here a special meeting of
the local Commercial Telegraphers'
Union has been called for this afternoon
to consider the telegraphers' strike. to
receive instructions from the national
Off icials of the organization and to de-
termine what. If any. definite action shall
be taken by the Washington union.
L cannot forecast the result of the
meeting" said President Groves of the
local union yesterday, because whatever 1t
may be will be dependent upon the in
structions we receive from the national
officers. They are handling the strike.
and all of the men who have gGne out
today in various cities have acted by
direction of the national organization
The strikes that have been ordered today
simply mean that the union operators
will not work with .scabs.'
Il called the special meeting to be held
tomorrow merely that our members
might be Informed fully of the develop
ments In the general situation. and not
with the idea of declaring a strike in
Washington. because Washington union
will follow the Instructions received from
the national officers. There approx
mately 300 commercial telegrapEers in
this city and about 90 per cent of them
are members of the union. In the postal
Office only two of the operators are non
union men
Groups of operators about the local
offices discussed the situation all of yes
terday and the consensus of opinion
seems to be that Washington viii be in
VOlVed.
Number Involved.
There are about 30 working telegraph
operators in this city, divided among differ
cnt branches of the service. follows:
Western Union, l25; Postal, So; press asso-
cations. 20; brokers offices. 80 and others
operating leased wires from newspapers ID.
In making an estimate of the number of
other employees of the telegraph companies
who would be affected by strike of the
operators member of the local union last
night said that fully leo messenger boys
and clerks are cmp.Oyed, most OF whom
may be out of employment when the strike
takes effect.
Somt. time ago it was estimated that in
addition to these working operators there
formerly been in the telegraph business.
Operators Are Eager.
1t was with difficulty. it is said. that
President Groves of the local telegraphers'
union held off a strike among the men in
the Postal and the Western Union offices
yesterday In the office Of the Postal espe-
c.ally the younger operators were enthu-
siast .cally in favor OF a walkout. They
held confidential conferences at odd times
and some of them used all their powers of
persuasion to take the men out in body.
Mr. Groves was busy Friday night up to
the small hours and again yesterday insist
ing that the men should be regular in their
actions and should not forestall the orders
of the strike committee of the national or
ganization. which alone has power to direct
u strike in the union
Tie disposition to stampede was brought
about by the hasty action of the Chicago
union. which refused to await the action of
the national officers In New York, but
through their local body ordered that the
strike be begun. 1t was in order to place
check upon youthful ardor that President
Groves issued his order for meeting of the
local union. which is to be held In Typo
graphical Temple this afternoon. 1t was
supposed that with such a meeting arrang-
ed the spirit of regularity would have infiu-
ence with the operators and cause them to
await concerted action. The meeting was
looked forward to as likely to result in a
heated discussion as to the propriety of
derng a strike at once without awaiting
the national strike committee.
Forestalled by Order.
The action of the national committee in
ordering a general strike of course obvi-
ated such discussion by the local union. and
the meeting this afternoon is expected to
be for the purpose merely of hearing
ports of the strike elsewhere and to approve
the orders of the strike committee, al
though such approval is not necessary to
nla Ike the orders effective.
l; is stated by operators here that the
strike will carry out all of the operators.
although il is heartily condemned by
great many of the older men.
Some of the Effects.
Already the effects of the big strike of the
telesraphers is being felt in Washington
the first tremors of the expected electric
paralysis" as business man expressed it.
The weather map. which is prepared daily
at Uncle Sans meteorological establish
ment out on 2ith street from telegraphic
data received from the ola: pf stations al!
over the country. appeared "a night ~ is
it had been struck by kaH-a, Cy'.Ina,
ow ing to the absence of many ol lac -
ports. Prof Henry, the forccaster, ex-
p!aincd that the weather kilograms from
the observers were coming in very slowly
because of the spread of the strike.
Nv = are not getting many reports by wire
from the section west OF the Mississippi
river especially the Rocky mountain region
and Texas. BY a coincidence the weather
statement from San Francisco re-
cc.Ved, while those from a number of in
te!W"date places did not arrive" he said.
UGicss some arrangement Is made for
these reports tomorrow ii is believed the
work OF forecasting the weather will be
seriously lampered. as the predictions are
based on meteorological conditions in other
localities.
Strike of 'S3
a veteran telesrapher last night recalled
some of the sceuesHand incidents in Wash
ington during the great strike of telegraph
operators IN 1883. All the amateur oper-
ators and plugs" in the District were
scheduled. he said. and as fast as possible
they were given keys in the several offices
Some of these were government clerks and
the local strike committee made vigorous
F, protests against them being permitted 10
work in local telegraph offices at the con-
| clusion of their days services for the gov
ernment
| Not "A few of lie 'sundowners'' had been
army telegraphers and at that time
| employed by the War Department and the
| Signal Corps.
Others We're brought here from country
offices in Maryland. Virginia. Pennsylvania
and other nearby states. and in many In