Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1907-08-18

railroads live up 10 these contracts.
Ne have carried out our contracts
vim the railroads. and now We have
: perfect right 20 demand that the
railroads fuihil their obligations 20
Us"
Mr.. Brooks then produced one Of
the contracts in question. It contained
this clause with reference 20 the
handling % commercial messages:
a an the offices Of the railroad
company at places whore the telegraph
company may have no separate Office.
the railroad company's employees, act
ing as agents OF the telegraph com
pany. shall receive. transmit and de-
liver snch commercial or public mes
saees a. may be offered"
Mr.. Brooks explained that he did
not wish to be understood thar the
Western Union company would de-
mand that the railroads carry an eN-
eessivo number Of commercial mes
sagos. but simply the normal number
as required by the contracts. Tie said
the contracts usually stipulated the
maximum number OF messages th"
railroads might be required 10 handle
IN . year. IN some towns the number
might Do three thousand ana in others
eight thousand.
II was also stipulated. ne said, that
II for any reason the volume of tele-
graphic business increased beyond a
certain limit, the Western Union had
the right to establish a branch office
There. or tho railroad had the right
TO demand a now contract.
From this explanation Of the rcla-
eions between the Western Union and
the railroad companies Il may be seen
how acute the situation may become
between The commercial t~elegraphers
union and the railroad telegraphcrs
union. National aud local officers Of
both unions say there is a specific
agreement between them that the ran
road operators shall not handle com
mercipl messages when the CONNER
clnl teieRrnphers are ton strike. Mr.
Brooks says they must do 80 and tina
the railroad companies must insist
that they do 81. Officers Of the rail-
read tclrgraphers' union declare that
thus far they have not handled these
messages and that if they are asked 10
do 50 a general strike VIII be called.
Among the officers Of the other rail-
road companies little apprehension
WIS felt regarding a strike of their
t~elegraphers. l.. u. Foley, superin-
ttndrnt Of the Geographic work for
the L-HckaWauna. said his company
had % contract with the Western
Union. put said he. "lt contains
what one might call a SAFETY valve
We do not expect any trouble. our
contract states that fundamentally the
wires belong 10 the railroad and that
only a certain volume of work can be
handled. More than a certain amount
becomes q hlndrance 20 the railroads
business. and may be refused. For
his reason and others We are not wot-
H.HsH 81 far as New York Is con-
eerned. there Is little chance for trou-
nlt. because IN our telegraph office In
his city. AZ No. 30 West street We re-
tetvr mo- paid messages. ana. Therefore,
se are not I'm troubles way Another
ching. most of our men work On the
railroad hedule. and not the West
ern Union. and They are not likely 10
lr efuvn into the Gght
iu the office of the Nvw Haven road
wns said the Western Union bad not
turned nver any messages 20 opera
tors not protected by contract and
that no trouble was expected. II WAS
msId. however. that their operators
AFNN AAANflAtiAk NiA" AARt iAtNN NifhRNfh ~
commercial work. and ii was expected
they would continue to DO so. II is
understood thai most OF me operators
on mat line belong To- the Westetn
Unian nnd not to the railroad com
pauy
Ofucers at several other roads either
declined ta make any statrmen, or dee
rl8fod there was no oausc Tot fearing
"a strike.
Reports from Chicago aud oisc-
Whorr that boards ol trade We're APP
pa1llng lo President Roosevelt 90 tak
ID hand causes much discussion ui
what might hc the result " federal in
reference should follow.
IS, Ear as the Western Uoiou Vae
concerned. Air. Brooks said ne could
900 reason why the frdcrai govern
tlrnt should interfcrcre The Westrtu
Union no said. was under ,rr.aln cone
frnl of the government iaasuuu,h as
% bad 90 contract with the government
hut BE- vas living az GO its obligation
u rrrry way The contract mbl c VITA
800. government in 1868. he said Eayv
fia .nuuanN @ right to place its Zines
aiHue tosf roads and public
H"lrHuHHs The company agreed
ta rINt government business pri
ufr nt stipulated rates. estate
I-h,dhh N the postmaster general
aud eiauar ln the oantrl. rlv,s doe
sup,rumuut "a rinht tp taos. over thr
+aH .at their actual appraised value
Mith respoHt 90 au assertion fh1t
It mls boz possible to dlspen~' Ntn nr-
trlfort Boo the branch Officers hy thr
ID uiiati'n nf automatic machines
alt Brooks said Do, ala not think thar
uIa.ticii in tho present stage of de-
..rmUuL The automatic machines
.r. doing good work and % Dot lf Dr.
but fhtit Installation in branch offices
had Mot been considered They vrv
en, ...to between citIr4 but interim, %
aH, point. had tn np reached with va,
HII.
Nu. dow, lpumrut which may ada
fHo friction was the interference, y,s
t-Ullf uf railroad operators with mH.-
r, going over Western Union wires
rhi.h complaint was made about thr
HHr fi. uIuur tho lue uf tire Lun-
t'tui ItIraaH while Do Postal
UH Installed Hloue fhs p.un-
rtI,HrI. Ha. fHr Western Union ha-
t. |.rnt..HI r fhr stations
n t.e tHus island Nr r1br s-
Distant n.ehf el'ef operator si tn,
$50 tu.or sl.1 th,r. WAS fre
H. ..-uufi.H In might
f"U' brooke In upon q. upufaf.r-