New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1907-08-16


clude men who are under agreements what "Odio
we saw if Others broke agreements with US? want
say that IL q resolution is carried TO order
general strike of the operators on the leased wires
the officers will call out the men,
None was allowed in the meeting but members
in good standing. Joseph 7. Ahearn, president of
local No. IS. chairman, and in a brief speech
cautioned the audience not to act on impulse
merely The resolution to order the general strike
Of the men on the leased wires was made By An
drew Safer and was received with wild applause
by several Of the younger members. who had never
been in a strike before. Edward Martin. John Saw
yer and Others followed and tried to hammer the
resolution through. Every time they spoke they
were received with loud cheers and frantic shouts
ot delight.
Several Of the older operators strongly opposed
the motion and applauded in their turn
Then 1he operators from the Wall Street district
began arrive. and the hall filed almost to SUI
location, the gallery being packed with people
Chester l. Hall, of the brokers' operators
made o speech. in which he declared II would De
unjust and unfair. well as in violation OF agree
ments, which should be kept by the operators II
they wanted have the respect of the public, II
with their men.
Thomas L. Maher z. r. Henderson. Thomas
jerome Dunn and others also opposed the pro-
posed strike Some OF the Wall Street operators
doubted II a strike order of the kind would be
obeyed.
The meeting became and more exciting until
deadlock reached on putting the question to
n vote. About a dozen men who wanted to speak
camored for a hearing and objected to being cut
short The chairman said that it would be neces-
sary to come TO q vote, whereupon several speak
began o talk
After much wild oratory the conservative speak
carried the day and the motion TO order the
general strike of leased wire operators was tabled
Before this the speeches were cut a good deal by
the advice of the chairman, and the meeting was
about O'Clock.
Among the speakers at the meeting was James
]. Murphy, president OF Typographical Union No.
8. who assured the photographers that the strike
would have the support Of his union financially
and morally
After the meeting President Ahearn of the
Photographers Union said he glad the opera
tors did not declare for strike against brokers
and others who had granted the demands.
'Supposing the meeting had voted for a strike.
he was asked, how could II have been ordered
without the sanction of the national offoers?'
"Oh! we have the authority here" he said, div
ing into his rockets and examining manuscripts.
II 90 not find # among these papers, but know
have it, anyway.
in spite of what Colonel Clowry says he con-
tin,Ied I'VE have the strike won already. A move
ment is foot to get the Stock. Cotton and Prod
uce Exchange brokers to appeal to the western
Union Company and the Postal Company TO setHe
their differences with We do not believe there
will be any trouble about the railroad telegraphers
refusing handle commercial work Inc ran
roads could afford 10 part with them, ana the
Western Union Company cannot AFFORD 10 get
into trouble with the railroads.
Before the meeting at Everett Hall took place
the strike leaders had several conferences at NO
SO Pine street There was absence of enthusi-
asm among the rank and file and there were
hardly two of the strikers who had the same iaea
as to what they striking for During the udy
a feeling against the national president. S J.
Small began TO manifest itself. So far as ooulo
he learned not a single message was rece1Ved Oh
rectiy from Small since he went TO san frahcis0o
and ordered strike there in defiance OF the az
ton of the national executive committee, winch
informed him that all hostilities were called OF
on account of the letter of Colonel Co"ry' PEes'-
dent of the Western Union Company promising
concessions, to Commissioner Neill
No one could be found yesterday who could say
where Small what he was doing. Inc IN
variable answer OF the officers was that he was On
his way Chicago, and TINS mas peeH 'iie o'i""0'
for the last three days
No one seemed 10 know yesterday VINO oFoeieo
the strike either kilograms have come from eiIne
70 time from Secretary Wesley Russell. who, Juds-
ing from the Importance attached to them seemed
to be the executive committee and president an Ia
one. but they vague, indeed
percy Thomas the deputy national president,
said he had authority to order strikes east OF IN
cago from the South Canada, but he was doing
nothing about local matters. He was leaving them
to the local officers.
During the afternoon many Of the strikers De-
sjeeed Daniel l.. Russell chairman or the BOARD OF
the union and President @AheaI4 dShN-
ing for the news They were told lnVarlaDly Ihal
they were winning and that the companies were at
their wits ends as to what to do Ihere seeileu
IN be no fixed purpose TO what programme was
TO he pursued and no one to whom the question OF
legalizing strike could be put up TO- since Siilai
apparently could not be found
Representatives OF other unions said frankly that
they had never known such disofganiEed strike as
the present one of the telegraphers. They were all
AT sea they said. to how it was being conducted.
or II II was conducting itself.
The news that Attorney General Jackson was In
the city caused a big stir among the strike lead
ers Several volunteer press committees have de-
welcomed among the strikers, and they all said that
Daniel /. Russell and the others on the committee
who had been arranging TO go TO Albany to see the
Attorney General had conferred with him In his
office at No. 299 Broadway. This was also en-
bodied In an official statement by President Ahearn
Just then Russell came along and was asked
bv Ahearn If this not Russell said he had
called at Mr.. Jackson's office and left note ask
ing him TO make appointment.
II had to attend the meeting" he added, land
that is all 1 know"
At Mr.. .Jackson'g office it was said that he was
out and had left word that he had nothing to say.
The officers OF the union were surprised yester-
dsv when they learned that Ralph VI. Easley,
chairman of the national executive committee OF
the Civic Federation. had returned from Chi
cago where he had gone 10 meet Commissioner
NeilI President Gompers of the American Fed
Grafton OF Labor and President Mitchell of the
United Mine Workers. to confer as to measures for
bringing about peace negotiations Mr.. Easlay,
who returned yesterday morning, looked discour
aged and would not discuss the strike