The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-13
MAY QUIT TONIGHT
RumOr That Railroad Tefeg-
raphers Will Walk Out.
TOpeka Authorities Say Such
Action Is Unlikely.
STANDBY AGREEMENT
Secretary Quick Gives Roads
Assurance of Loyalty.
Santa Fe Does Not Recognize
UniOn-EXpect No Trouble.

According to a rumor which is be-
ing circulated today the railroad tele-
graphers will walk out tonight at IL
D. m in a sympathetic strike with the
operators of the Western Union, Pos
tai and Associate Press operators.
However, the rumor does not seem to
have any authentic origin.
In all probability there will be no
strike among the Order of Railway
Telegraphers as has been anticipated
by the public. 1t now seems that the
strike has reached it's limit by taking
in the Western Union, Postal and
Associate Press operators.
Efforts have been made by some
who have connection with some or
the striking organizations to draw the
railroad operators into the strike. One
method which was used was fake
telegram sent to the railroad opera
tors all over the western part of the
country to the effect that the railroad
offices were not to receive any west
ern Union messages. Naturally this
created some excitement among the
railroad operators and was even con-
sidered by some as the forewarning of
a strike which was to take place
among the o. r. 7.
AS soon as the news of the telegram
had been received in st. Louis which
IS the head of the o. R. T.,L.W. Quick,
the grand secretary and treasurer or
his signature stating that the organ
ization would hold to their agreement
with the railroads in every sense of
the word and that they would do no
more nor any less.
The message also stated that there
had been no authoritative order is
sued to the effect that Western Union
dispatches were to be refused This
IS part of the agreement which the
railroad operators have with the
roads and the sending of the telegram
by Mr.. Quick is considered an auth
oritative denial to any rumers of a
railroad strike which might arise. Ow-
ing to the handicapped condition of
the Western Union offices all mes
sag es which are received at railroad
offices are taken only subject to de-
lay
ii. o. Swartwood, the manager of the |
local Rock Island telegraph office in
which only operators who are connected |
with the Order of Railroad Telegraphers
are employed, in talking of the situation |
this afternoon said: IT can see no rea-
son why the o. r. I. men should join in |
the strike. There could hardly be |
sympathetic strike with either the West |
ern Union. OPstal or Associated Press |
operators as all the railroad operators !
are members of an entierly different or |
ganization. Every demand which the /
o. r. T. has ever asked of the Rock Is |
lieve that the same conditions hold true |
on other roads as well. There could |
hardly be any justification for strike |
and cannot see why there should be
one"
Those who claim to know something
of the o. R. T. do not incline very
strongly to any rumors of a strike as
they say that too much would be in
volved in such move This would in
terfere with the handling of the United
States mail which would probably result
to the disadvantage of the roads as the
federal government would step in and
a settlement would probably be made
by means other than arbitration.
Expects No Strike.
L NJ. Jones. assistant Superintendent
of telegraph of the Santa Fe, does not
expect the present strike of telegraph
operators over the country to reach the
railroad operators. Least of all Mr..
Jones does not expect the strike to
reach the Santa Fe operators.
1T Is hardly likely that the strike
will reach us" said Mr.. Jones today in
speaking of the strike. Very few of
our operators are union men and what
few we do have are not liable to strike
even if the strike reaches the union of
telegraphers. What few I'M
ion men we have are those who STAYED
with US in our strike of 1900 and we