The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1907-08-15
BIGGEST STIKE IN
QUARTER CENTURY

Two great corporations, the West.
ern Union and Postal Telegraph com.
panies. fguratisely speaking, the
pulse OF the business world, are today
engaged in a bitter struggle with
their thousands of employees through
out the United States. Not since the
famous walkout Of the telegIaphers in
1888, when almost to a man every op-
orator LETT his key, have the telegraph
companies been confronted with a
condition OF affairs such ~ exists to,
day. In 1888 the operators lost. This
time the balance appears to he in
their favor. Conditions today are not
what they were 25 years ago. At the
time of the tie-up In 1883 the public
did not depend upon the telegraph to
the extent that complete demorali-
zation Of business occurred, although
much inconvenience was telt in many
districts.
In the present OF isis the situation is
different. The rspid growth of the
country in the last two decades had
made the telegraph wire necessary
adjunct to quick dispatch OF oommu-
nications between every business firm
and individual In the United States
and Canada. The telegraph has kept
pace with the spirit OF the times and
today q network Vi wires extend from
every metropolis touchin, every viii
lage and hamlet from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and from the Cult to Alas
ka. The result Of complete tie-up
of these wires has caused almost a to-
al nf hno
markets, brokers, grain exchanges,
merchants and the public in general
felt the blow which suddenly takes
them almost back to the days when
stage coaches and one train day
were the only means of conveying
communications.
The struggle this. is now engaging
officials and labor unions over the en-
tire country began March last, when
III per cent advance in wages was
announced by both the Western Un.
ion and Postal Telegraph companies.
This was made at the time when the
Commercial TelegIaphers Uuion of
America was making great inl Dads
among the operators securing hun
dreds Of members with view of pre-
senting their grievances to the tele-
graph companies.
Immediately following the advance
March the operators alleged that the
advance was not impartially given and
q demand for further concessions was
made which esulted in a strike of
Western Union operators In Oakland
and San Francisco being called by
President Small, of the union, June
q. Through the intercession of Com
missioner Neill, of the United States
Depar tment of Labor, this strike was
settl, d several weeks later. The teleg-
raphCrs assert the companies agreed
to reemplov all striking men without
discrimination but the companies al
lege they agreed to reemploy the
strikers only on conditions satisfacto-
ry to themselves.
A Western Union operator was dis.
charged at Los Angeles last week, the
cause being given as insubordination.
The entiIe Western Union force
walked out. Soon afterwaId the Los
Angeles Postal forces joined in the
movement. An effort to compel the
Chicago forces Of both companies to
WOIh Will ucu az i<OS al
geles resulted in the Chicago offices
striking. Within three days the strike
has extended throughout the United
States and Canada, even to the Asso-
ciated Press men, who we're not ex-
pected to take an active part at least
not at present. Telegram.
The humble telegraph operator Is
doing to the Standard Oil company
more than the United States courts
can. On the curb Tuesday in New
York the price of Standard Oil stock
went sharply lower until it stl uck s425
share. This is the lowest point ever
reached by the security of the Rookie.
teller concern and indicates that at
last hUlders of that stock are weaken
ing. A year and half ago the Stand
ard stocks sold as high rs S7OO a
share.