The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1907-08-10
SMALL CALLS A HALT
National President Orders
Locals to Stay at Keys
for the Present
POSTAL IS INVOLVED
Five Hundred of It's En-
ployes Walk Out in
the Windy City

CHICAGO. Aug. e.-Following the
lead OF the telegraph operators en-
ployed by the Western Union company
in this city, who went on strike last
night because they were asked to work
with nonunion men in Los Angeles, the
operators in several other cities quit
work today. The 500 men employed by
the Postal telegraph company in Chi
cago. who belong to the same local of
the commercial union as the Western
Union operators and who declare that
their working conditions are 'unsatis-
factory. took advantage of the situa-
ton and quit tonight at o'clock. With
the waIkout OF the Postal employees
Chicago is left tonight with about S5
telcgraphers endeavoring to transmit
the business OF both telegraph compa-
nies, where under normal conditions
fully 1909 men are necessary to do the
work.
Among the other western Union Of
fees which became involved in the
trouble today, together with the num-
Der Of men who quit work, are: Salt
Lake City, SO; Helena. 40: Kansas City,
$50; Dallas, los; Fort Worth. Texas.
40; Colorado Springs. 10; Denver. SO.
In New Orleans the men employed by
the Postal telegraph company left their
keys tonight 10 enforce the demands
made on the company several weeks
ago.
Late tonight the general situation
had cleared somewhat, and where ear
lier in the day it appeared as if the
strike OF the commercial men would
spread throughout the country, the in
dications now are that no further
strikes will occur for the present at
least Under orders from National
President Small OF the telegraphers'
organization, National Secretary Rus
sell telegraphed the secretaries of the
various locals all over the United
States to keep their men at work until
they received further orders. When
asked for an explanation of this
action, Russell said: we don't want
to- use up all our ammunition in one
charge"
It is understood that the broker op-
orators will be allowed to remain at
houses handle only their regular busi-
ness over their leased wires. The
broker men belonging to the union
have been notified that they are to re-
fuse TO handle outside business, and
that II they are discharged upon refus-
ing to touch such business they will be
upheld by the union.
Secretary Russell said tonight:
The local men in Chicago took the
bull by the horns and ordered the
strike without authority from the ma
tionaI officers. We are perfectly salts
fed, however, with the movement and
are ali working in unison. The tele-
graph companies have not acted fair
with our men and we believe that we
are now in a position where we can
force them to come to terms"
ZEN ARE SENT HOME
DETROIT, Aug. s.-Four operators at
the western Union once here refused
to relieve on the Chicago wire and were
sent home. At 1880 p. m, however. it
was stated at the Western Union ofice
that all the wires were manned. The
sending home OF the four men and the
fact that a dozen operators due to be-
gin work at p. m. and who failed to
report till o'clock s-ere told that the
nights business was so well cleared up
that they were not needed led to re-
port that q strike had occurred here.