The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-06-24
SAY CONGESTION
BOUND TO CONE
President of the TeIegrapherS'
Union Declares Hundreds of
Messages Are PiIing Up.
COMPANIES NOT ALARMED
BOTH SATISFIED THAT STRIKE
WILL SOON END.


San Francisco. June 2S-Everything was
quiet in the telegraphers' strike today,
Samuel J. Small. president of the Com
merciaI photographers union, said:
1.-The real fight will begin Monday. when
the carly-weeB rush of business is on.
The Out-Of-town managers and chief op
orators who can be induced to take the
places of the strikers will have arrived
in the city by Monday or Tuesday. but
even should they go to work, the compa-
MES. with the additional force, will be
in worse predicament than they were Frs
day and Saturday. days on which the
telegraph business is light.
Our reports from various points show
that the tie-up is complete. Los Angeles
was 1.5e0 messages behind at midnight
Saturday; from Portland comes the re
port that there is a blockade of business
on the northern route.
Bad as Earthquake.
by Wednesday of this week the con-
gestion of telegraph business between the
Pacific and Atlantic coasts will be as
bad as during the eaTthQuake-fire period
Already reports are coming to US that
kilograms are being mailed in bundles TO
eastern points.
Upon receipt at Denver. Los Angeles
or Portland the messages are put on the
wires if there is room for them. If not
point nearest their destination.
I'VE estimate that every one can take
care of himself financially until July l.
After that We will pay weekly strike ben
efits. Before leaving the east I arranged
with General Secretary-Treasurer Russell
TO send me a certified check for $1,000 n
week. The local treasury is strong. there
fore, our boys and girls are not worry
ing about the financial end of the trouble
More Desertions Reported.
I'VE have the best of the bargain 50 far.
There were two desertions from the West
ern Union today at West Oakland and
others will follow.
1.-THE telegraphers of this country have
it within their power either to bring the
telegraph companies to terms or force
governmental ownership of the telegraphs-
None is so familiar with the inside work
ings of the telegraph system of this coun-
try as the operators. and none so loyal
to the interests of their employers.
For many years we have borne with
patience the many abuses existing in the
service Things have changed since the
Commercial Photographers union became a
power in the trade union movement. We
| haEe decided to secure justice, tirst
through conferences between employer
and empOye, and. If that fails, we viii
then start a movement ia favor of gov
eminent ownership. and at the same time
have bills introduced in congress and state
/ legislatures having in view the improve
ment Of the telegraph service.
TWO important measures.
Two of the most important measures
we expect to father and work TO have
passed are: Giving the Interstate com
merce commission the power to regulate
. telegraph rates. and another requiring
that both the filing and receiving time
be shown on all kilograms.
At present the receiver of telegram
has no way of knowing how many hours
q telegram has been en- route
The PostaI's Position,
7. W. Storrer.. general superintendent OF
the Postal Telegraph. said: THE Postal
I Telegraph company has made no effort
( yet to employ nOn-uniOn telegraphers and
/ its officials believe that the strike OF
the union operators will cure itself.
/ Strikes of telegTaphers generally do.
J Things will probably remain chaotic for
| few days TO come. Then telegTaphefs
/ will begin to drift in from different out
! side points and no trouble win be ex-
Ierienced in filling the places vacated.
/ 1t will not take the union operators very
/ long to realize the mistake they have
made by striking and come back to US.
Has Some Applications.
I've have already received a number
/ of applications for positions. but so far
| have not accepted any of them. The COM
| ing of other operators here I regard al
/ most as certain as a fixed natural law.
/ and this and the OBJECTIONS that are bound
/ to occur in the ranks of the strikers will
ultimately end the trouble and bring
about normal conditions again. i regard
| the strike as most unjustifiable and i'll
advised
Has one-Third Force.
A. II. May. district superintendent OF
/ the Western Union. said: We have about
/ one-third of our entire force of operators
/ at work and are able TO handle the bust
/ ness we are receiving with comparative
I expedition. OF course, all business is as
sumed, as announced the first day of the
strike. subject to indefinite delay. but thus
/ far we have been able to piece things
! out remarkably we'll The Western Union
| company does not intend to treat with
the telegraphers' union in this matter.
Makes No Promises.
Our shop is an open one. We may be
! induced to talke old men back but we
/ are making no promises of any kind. We
have always been willing to give the ut
! most consideration to grievances present.
ed by any of our employees. and in manv
! instances we have increased their salaries
unsolicited by them.
Personally. l believe the strike will be
over very soon. as II lacks the basic pTin-
ciples essential to the success of such
movements.
UNION EXPRESSES CONFIDENCE.
New York Local Satisfied With Con-
ditions.
I New York June 23-Thc local branch Of
the Commercial Teicgraphers' union met
TODAY, when the San Francisco strike was
Continued on Page 2.
Sc THEIR LIVES
UT RAILROAD WRECK