Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-08-23
Fifteenth Day Of TelegrapherS'
Strike Finds the Breach
Still Unbridged.
THIS MORNINGS SESSION.
Some Red Hot Editorials Read and
Duly Applauded by the Striking
Operators Today.
18th DAY OF STRIKE.

That the dove of peace is farther
away than ever from the telegraphers'
strike, is the conclusion of the Associat-
ed Press, Western Union ana Postal OPP
orators, who held their fifteenth daily
session in Harmonic hall this morning.
Each man who came to the meeting
wore ribbon bearing the legend" Stick, y
and it inspired a show of confidence
that has dissipated any belief that the
ranks of the strikers would break.
An editorial from the st. Louis Star
Chronicle was read, and 1t received
much applause. The paper goes INTO
the telegraphiug business In detail and
gives some of the hardships under
which an operator must work while
earning his $50 per month. which is said
to be the average wage paid by the
Western Union the country over
Vice President Smith stated after the
meeting that there was no business in
the world so trying to the nerves as
telegraphing, and he endorsed the COM
ment of the Star Chronicle which he
says expressed his own feelings more
correctly than ne could. These are
that a telegrapher must endure more
strain than any other class of workmen
POPULAR LITERATURE.
Think of it," the editorial comment
read this morning said, 1900 words, a
day. perhaps $1,000 letters, something
like 100000 tiny sounds that beat
against the delicate mechanism of the
human ear: each flashed at the highest
possible rate of speed. Often these
words are cryptic, unintelligible, mean
ing nothing to him because they are in
code. Always every word Is important.
Mistakes mean immeasuraple financial
loss. A missent letter may cost hum
dred lives.
1T is the highest form Of skilled la
Dor 1t means the keenest intelligence.
1t means educated brains.
Its demands upon the nervous sys-
tenn are tremendous. Men, concentra-
ting every ounce OF nerve force upon
that little key Cor 16 and is hours, go
home nervous wrecks. Some viii tell
you that many a night they send again
in their sleep all the messages of the
day-dct, dash--dot, dash-~hours and
hours and hours of this merciless reflex
activity until IL seems that the brain
must burst.
How much do they get for thisf
Different prices, as little as the CONF
pany can pay. Some get $40 month.
Many get less. In the larger cities they
receive more
but the average pay of a tele-
graph operator the country over, Is
about $50 month. salary with which
man cannot clothe himself deceutly
cannot eat, cannot live himself, let
alone caring for his wife and children.
WHAT COMPANY GETS.
and what does the company get
out of 1t?
''The company pays 80 per cent div
idends!
Think of that will you?
nj
on its actual investment, but on mil
lions and millions of dollars of water
ed stock-30 per cent dividends on fic-
titious money that has no more exis-
tence than the conscience OF a money
king!
THE telegraph operators struck in
1883, and failed. The union was al
most blotted out. They were miser-
ably paid then, and when the strike
was broken, wages were further re-
duced.
To-day the telegraphers' union is
stronger than it has ever been. II Ia
better prepared. 1t Is more widely or
ganized. 1t has trained up for this
fight.
1.-THE telegraph trust has taken pos
session of one OF the most beneficient
inventions of the age. The value OF the
telegraph to the people can hardly be
over estimated. To- possibilities used,
not abused. are immeaSuruble. But the
telegraph trust has abused these pos
sibilities, until It appears that we have
almost come to the time when the gov
must take hold. and operate
The telegraph Itself either In connec-
tion with the postotlice department, as
Is done in several counties success
fully. or Independently of that depart
ment.
For the present the strike is un-
pleasant. Business Is suffering. Money
is being lost The public is being put
TO n great deal Of inconvenience.
But it's worth It.
And II you are inconYnced remem-
Der this: Skilled intelligence has been
working for $50 a month so that
company could pay 80 per cent divi-
dends."
WESTERN UNION OFFERS.
Another editorial WAS read at to-