The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1907-10-12
.W0||MEN's TRADE UNION
E LEAGUE GATHERS Dl1lI
Gives Out Statement Of Wages.
and Conditions Allotted to
( g.. Telegraphers.
Invites Monopolies to Contradict
Their Figures.-No Reply
Is Received.

/. Is Received.
CHICAGO, ILL.,. Oct 10.-Jane
Adams. Mary Mcdowell, and a score Of
other women in Chicago, all members
OF the Women's Trade Union League.
In answer to many inquiries make the
Following statement regarding the
wages paid and the conditions under
which the telegraphers have to work.
The sources Of information are the re-
port Of the Department of Commerce
and Labor and the Census Bureau OF
1902. published in 1906, and the offi-
c1aIs and members of the Commercial
Telegraphers' Union. #
rThe OFFICIALS Of the Western Union
Telegraph company were invited to
make statement, but declined, saying
tnat they were unable at the present
tlne to furnish schedules of wages
paid.
According to the report Of the gov
ernment the average wage Of the wo-
men operators is less than $40 a week.
This Is the average wage and it is
thereby admitted that there are wages
still lower. Some Of these are found
IN the so-called commission offices. In
some OF the hotels in Chicago, in drug
stores and other public places, young
women are engaged on commission
salary. In few instances, this salary
is as low as IS month; in some, 1t
is $40 and SIS a month, and IN a large
number Of cases, it is $40 a month.
The average wage received by these
operators is not equal to the wage re-
ceived by ordinary typewriters, while
many of them receive less wage than
is paid department store clerks.
The physical demand of the work Is
such that that alone entities the oper-
ators to short working day. The
nervous strain often causes a paralysis
of the right hand as we'll as a complete
nervous collapse, and occasionally it
produces insanity.
Till the 10 per cent increase in
March, 1907, there was no raise in
wages, though the cost of living stead
lily increased This 10 per cent In
crease however, has not been fairly
administered. To illustrate: A young
girl working in one office had been
receiving $50 month: the l0 per cent
Increase raised her wage to $66 q
month. She was then transferred to
another office where she received $50
q month, and the young woman who
took her place In he first office was
given q wage Of $55 q month, and the.
yeung womans who took her place in
the first office was given a wage Of
$55 a month. This method has re-
sduced many OF: che wages of the
higher paid. operators and thus also
the average wage and was in vogue
even before the 10 per cent increase.
This Is what the telegraphers incor-
rectly term "the sliding SCALE" = and.
against which they are protesting. The
operators must also pay for their own
typewriters out Of the wage received.
There is another side to the COM
mission. question. The young woman
Is acting as public official, and she
must therefore, send messages even
when they: are accompanied by IA
miliar attentions often forced upon her
by the so-called sporting element''
found at these public places. It IL
surely intolerable that she should find
herself in her ordinary days work
In a position where, she cannot r1xnt.
fully resent such acts and where her
wage is dependent on the toleration
she shows. = : at
The striking telegraphers have
shown great self-restraint during the
past six weeks. No act of violence
has taken place, and the trying annoy
ances ITO which they have been SUBJ
jected. by the police have been met
with quiet dignity. They need your
help in this. strike for better wages
and better conditions and a shorter
working day.. 57@
In an article in American Indus.
tries" Of September 1st, 1t Is stated.
The telegraph has direct and vitality
important share in our social life it 4
is closely connected with human mis-
cry and human happiness; and the
wires with which it networks the en-
tire. world form q necessary link be-
tween every phase Of activity That
this is true all agree. Why, then, do
the operators not receive for this SER
vice a corresponding wage? If the
service rendered Is so necessary, ought
there not to be some relationship be- Il
tween the value Of the service rer1d- 3
cred and the wage received?
Will you not join with us in making
these facts known. so that the public
may better understand the position Of {