The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-12
Railroad Photographers Extend
Sympathy and Financial Aid
To the Striking Employees of
the Commercial Service.
MILLION IN TREASURY
National Secretary Quick Says
1T Is All Yours.'
News Operators and Telephone
Men Make Demands.

Chicago, Aug. 1.-THE strike of the
Union Commercial telegraph operators
will be universal throughout the Uni
ted States and Canada within "a hours
according to National Secretary Rus
! sell of the telegraphers' organization
| This statement was made by Mr. Rus
sell after he had been informed of the
action taken by the men in New York
who at a meeting there decided to hold
a walkout in allegiance until the latter
part of the week
| This strike movement" said Mr..
| Russell, has come to the point where
| there can be no backing down. The
| telegraphers have been trodden on long
enough by the companies and now that
we nave the opportunity we are going
| to use all our strength to enforce our
1 demands. For several weeks President
| Small and myself have been holding
| the telegraphers back and have been
| advising Cancellation but they have ia
| ken matters in their own hands and we
are going to stand by them. No union
man Will be allowed to work with any
one not belonging to our organization
and this means that tomorrow morn
ing, when the business of the week be-
gins, the strike will become universal.
We can't go half way in this matter
now. The strike has been precipitated
by the men themselves without the
sanction of the National officers but
We are now all working in unison, and
anything that the officials of the vari-
Gus unions throughout the country have
done in calling strikes meets with our
hearty cooperation
This announcement was made by Mr..
Russell at mass meeting Of the strik-
ing telegraphers held in Brands hall
Sunday. The hall will seat 1,500 per-
sons, and SO great was the demand for
accommo da tons that several hundred
of the striking operators We're unable
to gain admittanee to the building and
| remained on the streets in the vicinity
until some of the early arrivals had
left the hall.
Ofrer $1,OOO,OOO.
The Order of Railway Telegraphers
was represented at the meeting by Ma
tional Secretary Quick. Mr.. Quick in
formed the strikers that his organiza-
ton was at their disposal both morally
and financially. I'VE have $1,000,000 in
our treasury said he, land it is at
your disposal. Your fight Is ours ana
we will stand with you until the end.
Before the mass meeting a meeting
of the 800 union telegraphers en-
ployed by companies using leased
wires was held. At this gathering
brokers' news agencies and CONNER
ciai organizations including the big
packing houses, were represented. A
resolution was adopted declaring that
this class of labor was underpaid and
that the various firms would be asked
employ none but union telegraphers
1t was decided to let the private wire
men prepare and present their own
schedule to their employers The
broker men will ask for a minimum
wage Of $50 week.
The men employed by the press as
sociations presented their request at
7:3O O'Clock last night and the en-
ployers will be given "a hours to
comply with it, The schedule pre-
H.. f@, G
nights a week and seventy cents an
hour overtime eight hours to consti-
tute a days work, With half an hour
for lunch. The operators employed
by the news companies and heWspao
pers in the daytime will ask for $50
a week and sixty cents an hour over
time, eight hours to constitute days
work and the regular lunch hour.
These requests were presented to
every news gathering organization in
night and "a hours will be allowed
for an answer. If at the end of that
time the demands have not met with
a favorable response the men Will re-
port to the union officials and they
saw a strike will be ordered. In re-
gard to the newspaper end of the con-
froversy Secretary Russell issued the
following statement to all publishers
in the United States and Canada:
Address to Publishers.
union does not desire in any way
whatever to hamper the newspapers
of the country. We are fighting for
our rights, however, and DeneVlng
that the telegraph operators employed
in this service are underpa1d, we nave
authorized our men to present a
schedule to their employers asking for
what we consider reasonable recon-
pense for their labors. If these de-
mands are not met with by the Var1-
= inc
within a specified time the men Will
he ordered to quit work.
About 500 men were added to the
ranks of the strikers Sunday The new
recruits come from various secuohs
the county, in each case
men refusing to work with nonunlon
men in other cities. Approximately
800 telegraphers are on strike dlvid-
ed among the following cities: chi
Milwaukee. Denver. Kansas City
Memphis, New orleans. Topeka: Sc
daIia- Mo-, Pueblo. Colo, jackson,
Miss. Dallas Texas. Houston, IeXas'
Nashville, Tenn. Columbus, ONE,
Meridian, Miss. Ell Paso, Iexas. SAT-
Texas. Oklahoma City. Birmingham.
Ala. Augusta. Ca. Sioux City. Iowa;
Omaha. Knoxville. Tenn Council
Bluffs. Iowa. Charleston. 5. e, caves
ton, Texas. Atlanta, Ca ie&ai aila
Ark. Fargo. n. D.
Thirty-five skilled telegraph opera
tors employed by the American Teie-
ph one & Telegraph company at us
long distance telephone office mere oe-
cided to- prepare demands for a wage
increase and better working cond1-
tons, with an ultimatum that uhless
they are conceded by next Wednesday
a strike would follow. This wouid re-
suit in practical paralysis of the long