New-York tribune., 1907-08-13

Carried off their feet against the sober 1uds-
ment of their officers the members of the Com
mercial Telegraphers' Union in greater New
York were plunged into strike by the impul-
sve action of several men yesterday afternoon.
Business was badly hampered In the metro
potan district in the afternoon. but officials OF
the Western Union Telegraph Company and the
Postal Telegraph Gable Company. which were
affected by the strike. said last night they had
nearly full forces OF operators in their main
offices. However. most OF the branch offices OF
the Postal and many of those Of the Western
Union were closed.
There much confusion in the offices Of
the strikers and the statements given out there
varied greatly. None Of them bore much re-
semblance to the statements made by the off,
ciaIs of the companies.
Percy Thomas vice-president of tae CONNER
cial Telegraphers' Union. said last night that
5000 Western Union operators and 2,2OO Postal
Telegraph operators We're out in the metropoli
tan district. Earlier In the day Joseph J.
Ahearn president OF Local No 16. had given out
a table showing that II had only $500 members
Telegraph company officials scout the state
ment that there are so many union men and
women I'm this district
The financial district not seriously af-
feeted by the strike. much of its largest busi-
is done by leased wires and by operators
paid by the brokers. These operators at a meet
ing yesterday decided TO demand a hour
day for s35 week and several other concessions.
They may strike IL these concessions are not
granted this morning
JOBS FORFEITED. SAY COMPANIES.
Both companies said that the men operators
who went out forfeited their Jobs. and that they
could not for reinstatement through union
channels. They are advertising for men. and
have promised the old operators and clerks
sticking by them their salary as bonus and
pay at the rate of a seven hour day for all extra
work they do
Arrangements have been made by both COM
panieS TO house operators in their main buildings
In downtown hotels. Last night the Western
Union according to Belvidere Brooks, general
superintendent Of the eastern division. had seven
hundred men either in the office within easy
call
The strike was not called through the proper
channels. but after the men in the, Western
Union Building had ffOcked out in response to
the whistle sounded in the hall outside the
main operating room, the officials Of the local
hastened TO say they would back up the strike
c. Wesley Russell the national secretary. sent
a telegram from Chicago. saying that the
tional officers would sanction the strike. and
calling on the men not 10 go back until they
were ordered.
At the local headquarters of the union. No 90
Pine street. the officers seemed TO be stunned
by the suddenness with which they had been
thrown into a strike. but they said IL I'M
possible to stand the tyranny Of the companies
any longer and that the strike was inevitable.
Daniel L. Russell. chairman of the Board OF
Strategy. tried to lay the blame for the strike
the companies. declaring tht the latter real
ized thet If they did not break up the union
this year they never would. He said that when
the -eight-hour law went into effect among rail-
road operators the railroads would need 5000
more operators.
The immediate cause of the strike, according
to one of the officers of the union, was that
three men. as alleged. had been roughly treated
by Thomas Brennan. q chief operator OF the
Western Union, who has charge or employing
and discharging operators. Then again. the
men had found the offices guarded by special
policemen when they went to work I'm the morn
ing Not only this but the company had started
TO advertise for operators in the newspapers
MANY other things showed TO the operators, as
they regarded Ii. that the company was get
ting ready for q strike. Practically the same
conditions existed in the Postal offices. the men
said Roth companies showed not the slightest
hesitancy In discharging operators who refused
to work on a wire with a non-union operator
"yyIRES MANNED BY DUMMIES"
Although the companies said they had full
forces i'm their raih offices last night. the strik
ers said that many of the wires were manned
bv dummies who were placed there simply
for show The Western Union had little trouble
I'm IT'S cable office, but the Postal Telegraph was
badly crippled.
President Ahearn In the afternoon gave out
the following figures regarding the number Of
union operators in greater New York: