New-York tribune., 1907-08-14
ORDER ATTENDS STRIKE
Police Only Needed to QueH Riotous
Messenger BOYs.

The strike OF The telegraph operators of the
Western Union and Postal companies continued
Yesterday without any visible progress IN the
direction of a settlement The strikers an
nounced jubIantly that they had advanced their
cause and their chance of victory by the agree
ment of the Order OF Railroad Telegraphers not
to handle commercial kilograms They also re-
ceived additions to their ranks by the going out
of operators in Boston and many other Ne"
England cities, while reports from Canada said
that the members of the union had gone on
strike in Toronto Thus the strike became the
largest IN the history of teIegraphy. for it COW
cred the country. if not most Of the continent
But. at the SANE time. it was evident that the
companies were recovering rapidly from the
blow they received when. on Monday the Oper-
ators in this city walked out and got in line. so
10 speak with the striking forces scattered ali
the way 10 the Pacific Coast But the employ
ers had been forewarned. and in most towns
some sort Of service was given by substitutes
The most important move. from a financial
nofnt of view. was made yesterday when the
Wall Street chapel Of the Commercial Telesra-
pliers met in the AstOr House and decided 10
submit to the brokers and others who employ
them contract providing for a minimum vase
scale of $50 a week The contracts, whieh arr
70 run for a year must be signed before gen
be Withdrawn Since Percy Thomas deputy
national president Of the Commercial Telegra-
phers who is in charge of the Eastern section.
has the right 10 call strike at any time. the
chance OF rreking a binding contract is tnclOsed
in an elastic time limit. About 1000 operators
are employed in the downtown section. and upc1
them the financial houses depend mainly for re-
ceiving quotations over their leased wires II
was said last night that numerous firms had
already signed the contracts
MESSENGER BOYS sIDESHOW-
As comic sideshow the big strike which
has endangered so seriously the business of the
country there came yesterday afternoon striize
Of the messenger boys. The entire force at the
main office and the downtown offices OF the
Postal went out with hurrahs and yelps of joy
About twO-thirds of the Western Union boys
ioined them and the youngsters had a great
time. even though they did not start their 1u-
venile strike 10 the tune of tin whistle. as did
the operators
The boys added color and riot scenes" to the
strike. especially in City Hall Park. where they
held up strike breaking messengers. tore OF
their caps and sent them back TO the office in
some cases A great crowd collected TO watch
the fun. and this was the only time that the
extra policemen stationed about the telegraph
buildings had anything TO do
The main strike was conducted in most or
DERBY manner. and the picketing by the strikers
was done quietly A new feature was the use
of women pickets- Many a would-be strike
breaker threw up his hands and was turned from
his intent by the gentle "joliying' of a pretty
union woman. when he might have resented the
efforts of one of his own sex
Although the officers Of the union have placed
the number of strikers in this city at 5000 West
ern Union operatives and 2.2CO from the Postal.
John j. Bealin. Deputy Labor Commissioner. es-
timated that there were 1850 Western Union
operatives on strike in the greater city of whom
$50 are women while there are 1.15O out fron
the Postal including 80 women This means
that about 90 per cent Of the Western Union
staff has struck. while the loss TO the Postal is
about % per cent
The latest recruits sought by the strikers were
In The Associated Press On Monday night the
night operators were called out and seven
obeyed while five remained The Associated
Press maintained it's night service and yesterday
the full day force came TO work They were
doing well and the service was up TO the averags
In the afternoon when President Ahearn CT the
telegraphers' local union sent call for the day
operators to join the strikers when they had
finished their days work In u evening the
strikers announced that eighteen out of twenty
Associated Press operators had Joined them
This was denied at the Associated Press Office
last night. where 1t was said there were not
twenty men employed there. and the full force
was at work
NOTHING TO ARBITRATE-CONPA
Efforts were made yesterday by Deputy Com
missioner BeaIin and Michael j. Reagan. indus
trial arbitrator of the labor department.. to serve
as Intermediates between the strikers and tho
companies They failed. for nothing 70 arbi-
trate" summed up the replies OF Vice-Presidear
c. c. Adams of the Postai and Superintendent
milford of the Western Union Officers OF both
companies said they were sure of winning
While the officers of the companies gave
optimistic statements TO reporters and pointed
to the number of employees at work in their
main offices. the outlying sections OF the city