Connecticut western news., 1907-08-15
MEDIATION SPURNED.
Telegraph Companies Reject an Offer of Arbitration.
MESSENGER BOYS GO OUT.

Strike SPreadS 10 Almost All important
 Points Throughout New England.
 Railroad Operators May Join Hands
 With the Locked Out Men.
 New York, Aug. 14.-Refusal of the Postal and Western Union Telegraph companies to entertain an offer of ar bitration from representatives of the state board of mediation and the spread of the strike to almost all i'm portant points throughout New Eng land indicated that the strike of the union telegraphers in this city was to be struggle such as has been seldom recorded in labor troubles. Making the tie-up of the telegraph business here more complete than on the day before, several hundred messenger boys em- ployed by both companies quit work to join the ranks of the strikers.
 Though 1t was officially announced from union headquarters that the rail- road operators would for the present do no more than refuse to transmit commercial messages over their wires and give financial support to the strik CTS, it was admitted on all sides that there might be a strike of the railroad men any moment. The Order of Rail- road Photographers has taken pains to announce through its national officers that its members are warmly in sym pathy with the strike of the commer- cial operators.
 Railroad Operators May Strike.
 President Small of the commercial union sent to Percy Thomas. his na- tional deputy here, a telegram in which President Perham of the Order of Railway Photographers was quoted as saying that should the railroads at tempt to force its telegraphers to transmit commercial messages for ei- ther of the telegraph companies gen. eral strike of the railroad men would result
 Railroad officials in the city admit ted that the situation in reference to their operators was ticklish. The first attempt to force the railroad operators to transmit commercial messages here was made by the New York Central in the Grand Central station The public telegraph bureau in the station was so badly swamped by messages to be transmitted to various points that Manager Ackerly of the office sent a large batch of telegrams to the railway operators upstairs. It was said Acker- ly acted with the sanction of the rail- way officials. The railroad operators promptly refused to tick off the mes sages, but the railroad company, fear ing to cause trouble, did not dare to discharge one of them.
 Arbitration Is Refused.
 The first attempt at mediation since the strike began here was made by Nil chael J. Reagan and John J. Bealin, representatives of the state board of mediation. The two deputies first call ed at the Postal main offices, where they were received by Vice President Adams. The conference with Adams came to naught so far as arbitration was concerned. Adams told Bealin and Reagan that while he did mot wish to be represented as opposed to the arbi- tration of labor troubles in general there was no chance for arbitration in the present strike. ...
 Both sides stood pat in their declara-
 
 mitted that the rank and file of the union had taken the issue into their own hands against the advice of their leaders, the latter declared themselves so we'll satisfied with the situation that they were ready to acknowledge that the men had been better judges of the situation than their officers.
 The officers of the telegraph compa- nies, on the other hand, professed to be more than gratified by the progress they had made in recognizing their business. Superintendent Brooks of the Western Union declared that he had actually turned away applicants for positions because he had more op- orators than he knew what to do with, a statement which the strikers later ridiculed.
 Exchange Reports Mixed.
 The most serious effects of the strike so far as the public was concerned were in the stock exchanges and the hotels. At the opening of the cotton exchange the quotations had to be taken from the Liverpool market instead of from New Orleans, Memphis and other southern cities, but later in the day re- ports were received from the brokers correspondents in the south.
 On the produce exchange conditions {. were not as satisfactory as on Mon day. Messages to and from the core spondents of New York brokers in Chi cago were seriously delayed, although the quotations from the Chicago wheat pit were received with regularity. The service on the floor of both companies was very poor, and the operators who were not accustomed to the work mix ed some of the reports up to an amaz- ing extent, according to the brokers.
 Asks Roosevelt to End Strike.
 Chicago, Aug. 14.-By direction of the Chicago board of trade President H. H. Sager sent the following tele- gram to President Roosevelt at Oyster