The sun., 1907-08-13
FAIL TO TIE UP BUSINESS
Western Union Has Full Force
by HIghtfalI-Postal Crippled
for q Time.

Loses Forty Per Cent. and ouickfy
heEains the Loss Postal Loses Nearly
Entire Force. but fs Making Headwsy
wall street Not Affected Seriously
Other Businesses Not Disturbed a
Serious Railroad situation IN the west.
Between 800 and 100 members of ths
New York local Of the teIeeraphers' union
walled out Of the Offices Of the Western
Union and Postal telegraph companies
yesterday afternoon without the knowledge
or sanction either OF the officers OF the
local or OF the national organization. The
stampede was started by radicals among
the union men who did not care to abide
by the order of their organization, passed
at ? meeting Of the local on Sunday, for
bidding a strike until the result of the
pending mediation in Chicago should be
known.
After approximately 200 operators had left
their keys at the Western Union central
operating rooms in the company's building,
iss Broadway. at o'clock and a smaller
number had deserted their keys in the
Postal company's building, at Broadway
and Murray street an hour and a half later,
the president of the New York local an
nounced that the walkout was sanctioned
by the locals officers and later a telegram
Of approval came frvnf- wesley Russell.
national secretary Of the union, now in Chi
cago.
It was announced from Chicago last night
that a general strike of all operators in
the United States and Canada will be called
to-day.
The strike fever attacked the New York
telegraphers In the same manner that IL has
attacked the numbers Of telegraphers In
Western cities that have been going out on
strike since Friday last. In the morning
the teiesraphers sat at their keys without
any preconceived intent to striks; at noon
they had the mania and within an hour
they answered the whistle and walked ont
Of their onacss. The whistle In each oASs
was blown by one OF their own number who
had not been in consultation with any Of
Belvdere Brooks, general superinteud.
ent Of the Eastern division for the Western
Union. who said yesterday that he had been
preparing for a strike for the last three
months, had the places Of the strikers fiiled
before o'clock and expects that business
will be conducted in a normal fashion to-
day. The Postal company was taken by
surprise and more seriously crippled. Last
nigh, that company had drawn operators
from most of it's uptown branch Offices and
was running its business fairly we'll Both
companies say that wiSfn twenty-four
h.' hours they will have all the deserted keys
filed.
The spread of the strike TO New York
acted as tho signal for locals In other
Eastern cities and at some places In
Canada TO 60 out In the Western Union
system, it was reported at the general
ofiices here, 2S Of 200 quit at PhiIadelphia.
iSi Of iai in the STAFF at Baltimore walked
out, 10 Of the Washington stAn OF 81 struck
and Of IS union operators at Pittsburg
followed suit. The Western Union op-
orators in Cincinnati were reported
but at l1:30 o'clock. Postal men struck AZ
Philadelphia, Baltimore and
Buffalo, but no report on the numbers
quitting at each place was received at the
Postal offices here. A late report had II
hat the operators Of both companies at
San Francisco Sacramento, tai; Seattle,
Ore. and Reno New. had walked
'ut. The strike is reported to exist in
most Of the large cities in this State.
SO far all the cities in New England are
luiet.
In Chicago. which seems TO be the storm
entire OF the strike. yesterdays develop
nents led TO q pessimistic view being taken
4 the result Of the strike fever by NOM
'ers Of the Board Of Trade and stock brokers
q the wheat and exchange markets. The
ews Of the strike In New York csused
eavy selling on the Board OF Trade and q
rop In the prices Of wheat. None Of the
hicago excitement was manifest In Wall
treet. however. and the conduct OF the
sy's business there vas not attended by
erious difficulties.
Labor Commissioner Neill, Ralph NJ
asley. chairman OF the executive council
the National Civic Federation; Samuel
'ompers. president Of the American Fed
ration Of Labor, and John Mitchell Of the