The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1907-05-21
LYNN'S STATEMENT
COVERS FOUR STATES

After the meeting last night, which adj
journed at Hi o'clock, Louis Lynn
caused TO be delivered to the newspapers
the following statement:
"To the General Public of Salt Lake
City: Owing to the attitude of the
Rocky Mountain Bell Telephone company
and the Utah Independent Telephone
company in an absolute refusal on the
part of those companies to GRANT any
increase of wages or in any way favor
ably consider the request made upon them
by the electrical workers in their employ
in Salt Lake City and throughout the
inter-mountain district. they have forced
us to take a more decisive action in
pushing our grievances to a recognition,
and, as We feel confident. with the moral
support of the citizens of Salt Lake to
termination.
Something over three months ago
blanket agreement covering the entire
district was presented to the telephone
companies. This. after much lodging on
the part of the officials of the COM
panies, they refused to consider, but
H. Sommers, general superintendent of
the Rocky Mountain Bel Telephone COM
pany Informed us that they would con-
slider agreements from the different To-
cal unions Acting upon this suggestion.
l. as president of the district council,
advised all locals to draw up an agree
ment and wage scale covering eheir re-
spective jurisdictions, to be presented to
the company through the district coun-
Gil. This was done and after at last
being able to arrange for an interview
between our committee and the company
officials, we met with them April y. and
at that time were informed by ID. s.
Murray, general manager of the Bell
company, that there was nothing to dis
cusS, inaSmuch as the company could
and would not consider any increase in
wages. pleading poverty as the chief
cause, stating the company was only
drawing per cent interest on invest
ments. That being granted, and then
taking into consideration the amount of
all watered stock, they must at least
draw 20 or % per cent on actual money
invested; but, leave that as 1t may, the
fact remains that the Bell Telephone
company is not. as | think you must
all agree, operating on a losing basis.
"On the following day we received the
same answer from the Independent Tele-
phone company.
Notifies Grand Officers.
Then, after having prior to this time
repeatedly notified our grand vice pres
ident of conditions here and that it was
for the best interests and of vital inn
portance to the Brotherhood in this dis
trict that we have a grand officer on
the ground, / again, in accordance with
the constitution. snotified the grand vice
president to appear on the scene of trOu-
ble and received from him the same an
sWer then as in the past-that there were
large number of idle men in the coun-
try-and he advised US to hold off until
ident. F. J. McNulty. on his way to San
Francisco, stopped over in Salt Lake for
two days. He during his stay here in
terviewed the officials of both compa-
MES and received the same definite No
for an answer that We had received at
the hands Of those companies The grand
president agreed with us that mistake
had been made by not having a grand
officer on the ground earlier in the game
He then authorized NE to call for the
referendum vote of the district to
whether or not we would stand by the
demands made upon the telephone COM
panies.
Vote Almost Unanimous.
This vote was called for and the re-
turns are in, it being almost a unani-
nous vote to stand by our original de-
mands- The grand president when leav-
ing here promised he would take the
matter up with Grand Vice President Sui
Ivan upon arriving in San Francisco, and
would inform me as to the date when
a grand officer would be on the grounds.
He stated further that the grand vice
president undoubtedly had some policy
outlined to follow in this con-
troversy and that he did not wish to do
anything further until such time as he
had interviewed the grand vice presi-
dent in reference TO this difficulty. He
no doubt took the matter up with the
grand vice president upon arrival in San
Francisco. as on May is / received a COM
'munication from the grand president, not
informing me as 10 Nnen grand OF
ficer would be on the grounds to han
die this matter, but advising us, upon
suggestion of the grand vice president to
lay low, wait and let the matter rest
until such time as the grand officers
could visit all local unions in this dis
trict individually. This, of course, would
delay the matter two or three months
and. knowing the condition of the work
in Salt Lake. owing to the fact that by
that time the Bell Telephone company
would have most of their work under
way completed, such as the cutting over
into the new office, we realize and know
that to do this would be hazardous to
our cause, to say the least and may re-
suit in defeat or. at least a long-dawn
fight.
What Is the Policy?
Il do not question the sincerity of our
grand vice president in the performance
of his duties, but I do contend that if
he has some outlined policy and good
cause for ignoring the rights of the cleo
trical workers in this district and to
hold this matter In the balance. thereby
denying us the right to ask a fair COM
pensation for the performance of our haz-
ardous work, then, if this be the case |
contend and strongly so. that it is our
right to know and his duty as our grand
officer as well as our paid servant to
come here and explain 10 the rank and
file what his good and just reasons for
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