The Washington herald., 1907-08-28
MUST FIGHT TO WIN
Small Tells Key Men 1t Is
Only Way to Get Rights.
DECLARES SERVICE CRIPPLED
TeIegrnphers' President Says He Ex-
pects Big Protest from Bankers
and Merehants-BrOkers Operators
VIII Hold Meeting To-day to Com
slider General WaIk-Out.

New York, Aug. A.-Nauonal President
Small was the principal speaker to-day
at an open meeting Of the striking teleg-
raphers In Everett Hall. and was re-
eeived with the same demonstrations Of
welcome as he received Sunday.
He asserted that the Western Union
and Postal companies were so crippled
that he expected a big protest from
bankers and merchants at the poor serv-
ice, and added;
You have got to take the Western
Union by the throat and choke and shake
It until it says it has enough, and choke
and shake the Postal until It is dead be-
fore you get your rights"
President Joseph F. Ahearn. OF local
No. 16. read a communication addressed
to Small from Memphis, Tenn, 10 the
effect that nonunion messages from the
New York Stock Exchange were arriving.
and the Memphis men asked what TO do.
Il was then stated that meeting Of the
/ brokers' operators chapel will be held
Wednesday at Everett Han, at which a
general strike is to be ordered in the Of
fees OF all the brokers who are not con-
| forming 10 union conditions. This will
be the third time such a meeting Will
have been held for the same purpose.
Raising sZ,0OO,OOO Fund.
II was announced that a fund Of $780,
600 IS being raised. one-half Of which is
TO be devoted to the strike and the other
half TO agitat!ng for a Congressional in
/ nj. sv,f..
and for government operation Of the tele-
graph service
Chief Strategist Dan. L. Russell made a
| statement, in which he said that a plan
was to be put In operation by which the
telegraphers themselves were to take
messages from the public, compel the
companies to send the messages, and
then the telegraphers would incorporate
and have their own wires strung, begin
ming with wire 10 Philadelphia. The
details of the plan, he said, were not fully
thought out. but no capital was required.
Meantime. he said. the strikers were in
structed TO make afiidavits in all cases
where they found kilograms were mailed,
Ito make food for a congressional in
vestigauon."
Superintendent Brooks. Of the Western
Union. said to-day he d.d not care what
the strike leaders would SAY. The public
was with the company AID was willing
/ TO be a little inconvenience, SO that the
trouble would be settled once for all
Asked how new men were obtained, as
K was generally understood before the
strike that all competent men were en-
ployed he said:
"The antl-bucket shop laws threw a
good many telegraphers idle on the leased
wires in a number Of States. and these
laws are not long in effect. We have also
| schools for telegTaphy which are turning
out new operators all the time"
strikers Returning slowly.
E. J Nally. vice president and general
manager Of the Postal. said that the
strikers were returning by twos and
thTees. though there was no stampede.
we have received word, - he said. that
all the strikers In our Offices in Texas
have returned to work. including the
strikers in Dallas, Fort Worth, Galveston,
and other cities"
National President Small. OF the teleg-
raphers issued a statement tonight ad-
dressed 10 the telegraphers, IN which he
said the broker situation was becoming
serious The companies. he said. We're
favoring some firms Of brokers In for
warding telegrams. and discriminating
| against others.
The call for the meeting Of brokers
operators tomorrow. he said. was the
result Of kilograms from Memphis. New
Orleans. and elsewhere TO the effect that
all quotations from New York. Chicago,
/ and New Orleans. at first hand. were
handled by nonuniOn operators.