The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-08-13
Operators of Associated Press Quit Their
 Work. ADVERTISER MAN
 STICKS TO HIS POST Key Men in All Parts of Country
 Now Out. Weather Bureau Service Is Hampered and Government Is Using Infiu- ence to Bring About Settle ment--Ten Montgomery
 Men Quit.

The strike of the United Commer- ciaI Photographers was practically uni versal throughout the United States last night.
 The strike, affecting the business of the Western Union and the Postal Companies, extended to the great newsgathering service of the Associated Press, and for nearly two hours tied up their wires and delayed the oerv- ice throughout the night.
 The telegraph business throughout the United States yesterday was ham, pered. Hardly a large office in the .g ~ worked a full force yesterday .- zss night, and in many offices. both nd small, the strike had fatal sfe m the business.
 a any eases, it IS reported the telegraphers seriously inter
 ith the business of the Western s and Postal Companies, making tically impossible for the non- union men at work to hold wire. by changing plugs and losing the connes- tions.
 In nearly all offices business was ac"
  that there might be long delays in the delivery and the transmission thereof. while other ofices would attempt to send only paid messages. Dead head messages and collect business was declined.
 Few work in Montgomery.
 With the walk out of the Western e. !. axg 1nN vnoHn8Vs and the Associated Press last night only four telegraphers are at work in the city, save the Managers of the Western Union and Postal Companies, and the wire chief of the Western Un- ion. The rest are conducting a quiet, orderly strike.
 A feature of the strike that is hav- ing serious bearing on conditions, is that the United States Weather Bureau service is being badly hampered. United States Commissioner of Labor Neill yesterday left Washington hur- riedly for Chicago, where he hopes to patch up the differences between the companies and the men.
 The strike of the Associated Press operators at 7:30 o'clock last night was not altogether unexpected. Saturday night an appeal was sent out by the striking operators at Dallas, Tex, and at that time, the majority of the opera tors were only held on. by being re- minded of the fact that they had been paid for their services through Satur- day night.
 Sunday night a request was sent to Melville E. Stone, general manager of the Associated Press, asking that the salaries of the Associa ted Pres ope- rators be put on the same scale as that of the operators of rival news reply by 7:30 o'clock last night.
 Yesterday General Manager Stone sent a reply to the operators saying that owing to the Associated Press be- ing a cooperative organization, no surplus funds were ever kept in the treasury, and to meet the demands an extra assessment would have to be made against the papers constituting the organization. This would require A meeting of the Board of Directors, which could not be called on a notice of twenty-four hours. MT. Stone said he would be glad to receive a commit tee of Associated Press operators and discuss the situation.
 Press Operators QuIt.
 At 7:30 o'clock last night a great majority of the Associated Press ope- rators left their keys. Some few stayed at their posts. In Montgomery. l. L. Breedlove. a union man, working inc market wire of the Associated Press in The Advertiser office, struck, but the operator on | Ie main wire, A. de P. Weaver, remained on duty and immediately began endeavors to form q circuit.
 e. mained on duty. and with Montgom- cry these formed a circuit Any mad equacy in the telegraphic report in this mornings Advertiser Is explained by the strike.
 It is expected that J L. Williams, day operator of The Associated Press, at The Montgomery Journal office. and acting secretary of the Telegraphers' Union, will decline to go to work this morning.
 Seven union operators left their keys at the Montgomery office of the West" ern Union yesterday morning as the re- suit of the action or Manager c. A. a member of the United Commercial Photographers. Two non-union men, wire chief R. T. Bishop and Manager Fonville are now handling the business
 Local Men Walk Out.
 The walk-out of the operators had been expected for the past few days. following similar action by operators in almost all of the large offices of the country. It had been avoided in Mont gomery up to yesterday morning. by the two non-union men, the manager and the wire chief handling all wires upon which non-union men or strike breakers were working.
 Yesterday morning, however, the wire from Atlanta at which a non union man was working. calling the Montgomery Sfice, and McL.ain. who was working thls end. refused to recognize the sig