The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1907-08-23
STRIKE IS GENERAL
DISCHARGE OF ONE MAN STARTS
WIDESPREAD WALKOUT.
MORE THAN $4,000 men ARE IDLE
Western Union and Postal Telegraph
Companies and Associated Press
Affected Most.

Chicago - Notwithstanding that
Commission of Labor Neil, President
Gompers, of the American Federation
of Labor, and Secretary Easley, of
the Civic Federation, had arranged to
hold a conference with President
Small, of the Commercial Telegra-
piers union at Chicago, the strike of
commercial telegraphers which start
ed at Los Angeles with the discharge
of II man, and vas taken up by both
Western Union and Postal telegra-
pliers at Chicago and many other
western cities, broke out at New York
and other eastern cities. The oper-
ators in the east left their keys at a
preconcerted signal, but without or
ders from the union leaders. AT New
York nearly 5000 operators quit, and
more than $4,000 we're idle through
out the country, icluding all of the
larger cities. At the same time the
employees of the Associated Press
from one end of the country to the
other struck upon the refusal of Cen
eral Manager Stone to Immediately
accede to their demand for increased
wages.
Various local causes of friction,
combined with the general demands
previously made by the t~elegraphers'
union for an eight-hour day, a 10 per
cent increase in wages and the fur
nishing of typewriters by the tele-
graph companies, afforded the motive
of the strike when it came.
Heads Tell Conflicting Stories.
President Clowry, of the Western
Union, on the ether hand, insisted
tina. there was no adequate cause for
the strike, and that it was precipitat-
ed by hotheads, inasmuch as the
Western Union was standing by it's
agreement with Commissioner Neill.
He also claimed that the older and
more reliable employees had not Joined
the strike, and thai with the new men
on hand ready to be employed they
would be able to handle their regular
business. The strike leaders claimed
that most of the new operators said
to be at work in the telegraph offices
were inexperienced girls or boys
drafted from the telegraph and COM
mercial schools and used mainly for
the purpose of keeling up appear
ances The increased use of the tele-
phone service everywhere testified to
the existence of the telegraph strike.
Railroad Operators Hold Of.
The most alarming feature of this
great industrial contest was the prob
ability of a sympathetic movement on
the part of the Railroad T~elegraphers'
union in the event of any of their
members being ordered to transmit
commercial business as a conse-
quence of the strike. 1t appears that
the telegraph companies have con-
tracts with the railroads requiring the
latter to transmit any comm ercial
messages offered, and the Western
Union officials made it plain that
they would insist upon the spirit and
letter of these contracts. Realizing
the seriousness of a sympathetic
strike by the railroad telegraphers,
the managers of the railroads were
ulSDOSeu W lSuOTe lie COuLTdClS Will
the telegraph companies, or by other
expedients to avert the actual clash
with their own telegraphers. In ;ny
event, it was declared by the strike
leaders that the railroad men were
prepared to lend financial and moral
aid to the strikers, and it was assert
ed further that President Gompers
had pledged the support Of the Amer
lean Federation Of Labor. Requests
made by the boards of trade of sew
eral western cities upon President
Roosevelt to use his personal inlu'
ence toward a settlement were re
ferred by him to the commissioner Of
labor without comment.