The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-10-14
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New York, October 13.-President s. j.. Small appeared confident today that the strike was at an end and hopeful that his men would be reinstated
 "The strike will be called off tomorrow and the men will be back to york; he said
 Twill you give q word of advice to the men as to whether they should vote to call it off and seek reinstatement?' he was asked.
 'I will cover that point at the meeting Monday with the men in New York;" he replied. "The object in sending out my statement to the men yesterday was 10 put the question right up to them. Our resources are exhausted and if they want 10 continue the fight they will have to furnish the funds
 Percy Thomas says you have $110G0 in the treasury" was suggested.
 Tn whose treasury" asked MT. Small. We have $15.0O0 but not for srtil1e uses. That is a mutual benefit fund for insur- ance. If. we have money, why could not We pay off here yesterday? But there IS always talk of this kind at the end of every strike. l have been through about five months of this, ever since the strike began in San Francisco last June, and 1t doesn't bother me any more. If MT. Thomas wants to fight the calling off of the strike, let him do so.
 T am going to that meeting today with brass knuckles. Generally labor leaders advise each other to disregard the suf- ferings of their men when d strike is on, but I will not do that to the very last ditch We might hold out 6 couple of weeks longer on nothing but encouraging talk, but the result would only be that the men of the weaker characters would be slowly returning to work while the stronger men would hold out and suffer the most, just because they were the most staunch There would not be any union left
 What if the locals decline to call it off?" he was asked.
 well, there will be nothing to do but keep up the fight as long as they can. but it will be up to them 10 provide funds. The strike was irregular from the be- ginning"
  as well be abandoned"
 That is it, replied MT. Small
 Small Is Repudiated.
 Notwithstanding President Small $ opin- ion that the strike is hopeless, the teleg- raphers' union at d meeting today voted unanimously to continue the strike against the Western Union and Postal Telegraph companies. The vote was taken upon the suggestion of President Small, who in messages to subordinate officers yesterday recommended that locals in the various cities vote upon the advisability of the men returning to work.
 The meeting was characterized by Dit . ter exchanges between President Small and the other speakers. The latter charg- ed the national leader with inconsistency in first claiming that the strike would be successfully financed and yesterday admitting that the general assembly was without funds. and with having conduct cd the fight in half-hearted, dilatory way. Small tried to explain his position, but was. frequently intsrrupted by hlsses. When he suddenly left the hall in the midst of the speech-makng, cries of Re sign, followed him. Tonight Small issued a statement in which he sad he was will ing to continue the strike if the men in- sisted.
 When the meeting opened President Small was given the floor, and said;
 'I am not here to make an argument for or against continuing the strike, but merely to explain why I called for vote of the locals on the propositions Saturday Commissioner Neil informed me that President Clowry had told him that fur finer negotiations were futile. l believe what they say. Our funds are quite ex- hausted. As you know, we were unable 10 make payment to you yesterday. There are no more in sight. These are tho facts; you can do as you will
 Percy Thomas, former national deputy. followed Small, saying that the latter had said when the strike began that he could raise s2,000000 to support it. Small. Inc said. had asked him 30 days ago to send out the word NO funds" but the sneaker refused. He continued:
 "President Small has utterly neglected to properly approach the subject of rais- inp money and now he comes before you and tells you that we have no more rnonev. This strike can not be lost if we lave 4 leader, national president with any ability
 There were cheers for Thomas and Small rose to reply, shouts of Resign greeted him.
 q have no intention of resigning. he ---S~------------->- >->--->--~>-~---------~--~----
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