New-York tribune., 1907-08-15
WIRE SERVICE BETTER.
Still Much Difficulty IN Sending
Messages to Nearby Places.

President Roosevelt will not intervene in the
strike of the Commercial Telegraphers' Union
against the Western Union and Postal Tele-
graph companies. Neither will the Order OF
Railway Telegraphers go out in sympathy with
them and tie up the railroad business Of the
country. These were the facts that devel-
oped virtually to a certainty last night They
mean that the chances OF the strikers winning
are growing less and less
From Oyster Bay there dispatch late
last night that it known from authoritative
sources that President Roosevelt had turned over
without recommendation to Charles P. Neill.
Commissioner OF Labor all the petitions for
mediation that had been filed with him by
boards Of trade all over the country The Chi
cago Board of Trade headed the list Although
it is known that Commissioner Neill has been
working effect some sort of reconciliation.
the fact that the President offered no recon-
mendation Snakes it appear that while COndi-
tions are no worse than at present the strikers
may expect help from the White House in
effecting arbitration in the face of the state
ments by the heads OF the companies that there
is nothing TO arbitrate"
AS for the report, assiduOusly circulated by
strike sympathizers. that the railway telegraph
ers would join them. it was evident yesterday
that the railroad companies were to stand be-
tween their operators and any attempts by the
Western Union and Postal TO force commercial
graph companies have taken what the strikers
call a hectoring attitude toward the railway
operators There had been talk. since the strike
began Monday. that the telegraph companies
would insist on having the railway operators
take their surplus messages If the railway
companies permitted such action. it is declared.
there is doubt the railway operators would
go out on strike and one of the greatest labor
struggles ever seen in this country would be
precipitated-
RAILWAY OFFICIALS KEEP OUT
on the contrary. however. it began to look
yesterday as if the present fight would be taken
up by the railway companies against the tele-
graph companies. and especially against the
| Western Union There mistaking the az
| titude of railway officials. although when they
talked for publication they were careful TO
| cIothe their opinions in diplomatic language
The gist of the situation. as it evolved itself
| last night was that the railway companies DO
not intend TO precipitate trouble with the rail-
way operators. whom depends the keeping up
of schedules The railway officials expressed
their willingness to carry out their contracts
with the telegraph companies in respect TO COM
nerciaI MESA ges. but they will go further
than they have in the past Indeed man in
an executive office one of the largest rail-
| roads in the country said yesterday: we had
rather fight the telegraph company in the courts
than to be forced TO antagonize operators by
asking them to do work out OF their line
And so it became evident that should the
telegraph companies try to tighten the burden
of work thrown upon them by shifting it to the
railway operators they will be confronted by
the railway companies. With the railway cor
poratons standing back OF their operators there
will be need. it is believed. of the Order OF
Railway Telegraphers taking up the eudgels by
a strike or any other disturbance
That the railway telegTaphers hold the key TO
the situation realized all sides yester-
day. At every opportunity the leaders of the
striking commercial operators have made capt.
tai of the promises of assistance offered them
by the railway key '-tappers-" Wesley Rus
sell. general secretary-treasurer of the national
organization Of the commercial telegrapherS.
said in an interview at Chicago yesterday that
the Western Union officials doing all they
could TO irritate the railway operators and pre-
cipitate a sympathetic strike. that with all
means of communication tied up or crippled.
there would be federal intervention yice-PreS-
ident BeIvidere Brooks of the Western Union
announced yesterday that he would insist that
the railroads live up to their contracts.
RAILWAY OPERATORS To HELP.
There was no doubt that the railway teIes-
raphers in individual cases sympathize with the
strikers The chairman Of the railway teleg-
raphers local in Kansas City was reported Iasr
night as saying that his. the National Order
of Railway TeIegraphers. had offered TO give
81 GOO OOO to the commercial telegraphers 10 aid
them in their fight The activity OF individ-
uaIs in the 20. r. IT, felt more annOyinsly
near New York Au over Long Island messages
sent by Western Union operators were inter
fered with by railway operators. who broke in
ON the wire with insulting words in the Morse
code Matters became SO bad that correspond
ents in Long Island gave up trying 70 send
their stories by wire and telephoned them
another charge. and even more serious. was
that made by Vice-President Brooks. VINO SAID
that the reason the wire from the New York
Cotton Exchange TO the Cotton Exchange ~
New Orleans did not DO efficient work was IN
most part due to the breaking in of railway
operators who so "hashed up the quotations