The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-13
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS STRIKE.

The ASSOCIATED P1kESS SI1tlAE.
| With all of our boosted twentieth
century civilization. growth and pro-
eress. the organizations of capital and
| labor are still savage. to brutality In
attempting settlements of disagree
ments.
Cancellation and arbitration are too
frequently dreams rather than reali-
ties.
The present strike has features which
exemplify these views, particularly
along sympathetic lines and i'll advised
haste with no opportunity for intelli-
gent action to meet the demands or de-
sires of those feeling themselves ag-
grieved.
The officers Of the telegraphers' unions
seem to generally regret the action of
the men, whom they were unable to
control"
There are grievances which should be
heard and adjusted. but what sort of
respect can obtain for an organization
in which the officers have no control,
and in which the sentiments of the men
themselves are not represented, but in
which action Is precipitated by a COM
mittee which will not consider. nor con-
fee.
The operators of the Associated Press
are not striking in sympathy, but have
seized an opportunity and taken snap
action.
So far as these particular operators
are concerned, their action last night in
suddenly quitting their keys is unfor-
tunate for their own good regulations.
as well as unjust to the innocent public.
One is suddenly deprived of character
for fairness, an inestimable quality. the
other cut off from news. a necessity to
its welfare.
Z Only in the morning was General Man
ager Stone informed by committee of
certain desires on the part of the wire
experts in it's employ. Mr.. Stone
promptly issued an exemplary and cour-
teous reply in which he said that the
association was a mutual one without
profits or reserve fund; that the request
involved $1,000 in money and an i'm
portant change of hours; that each
newspaper would have to be levied upon
to cover in full any increase; that au-
thority would have to come from the
board of fifteen directors scattered over
the country; that he would meet COM |
mittee of the operators, promptly confer
with the directors and recommend what |
he thought would be agreed upon be-
tween himself and the men along fair |
and Just expectations. Mr.. Stone agreed |
to get into communication with the di-
rectory today following a conference of
operators with him.
The operators, or rather a committee
devouring hasty pudding for sustenance,
instead of food for thought to create
cool nerves and calm reflection, quit
without concern for their own good
names, their employers interests or the
public's vital requirements.
Next to food and water, news is es-
sential to active clothed human life.
The action of the operators commit
tee does violence to the operators they
have misrepresented. for the latter
are intelligent. highly skilled and rea-
sonable people generally esteemed by
the newspapers in whose service they /
are and respected by the neighbors
with whom they live.
They absolutely cannot as individ-
uals endorse the haste and waste of
those who acted for them. The orig
inal strike is said by President Small
to be illegal and due to resentment to-
ward the Western Union. Unlawful
action and resentment are not good
terms with which to win a cause or
adjust a grievance. but there are
with the Western Union
which do not exist with the Associated
Press which uses the Postal wires too.
Secretary Russell said sterday
that the telegraphers did not desire to
hamper the newspapers and he had
the men to ask for a rea-
sonabie recompense. If the recon-
pense asked is as unreasonable as the
method taken to secure it, it cannot
stand on it's merits and consequently
not at all
So far as an S-hour day is concern
ed, the operators should have it and
can get it. The terrific strain of these
particular telegraphers for eight hours {
is long enough-ten hours too many. .
The compensation was increased eight
per cent in April. These are both -t
matters for conference, not precipita-
ton; Cancellation. not resentment. !
These duty loving employees would not
have been discharged summarily nor