New-York tribune., 1907-08-17


relie,,e they were misguided. Our wires are
working we'll at present and are handling all
the business that is coming TO US ot course
the business has fallen off somewhat because
persons who wish 20 communicate Tor snort olS-
aances are using the long distance telephone
Already we have taken hack twelve OF our men
VINO went on strike. in the hiring OF operators
we shall make no issue Of their union or non
union affiliations. Competency is the only
requisite as long places are open AT pres
en- fftv-six OF our eighty offices are open in the
greater city. These include all the important
branches The general strike order has not al
fected us in the least, because the strike was
very evidently general as it could be
yics-President Brooks, general manager of the
Eastern division Of the Western Union after a
conference with President Clowry gave out u
statement.
We do not care what general orders the
union may issue" he said az wouldn't turn
hard 70 stop the general orders. We are run
nin.. along like a rnillrace. and the strike has
ended as far as We know.
lie said he Rad heard nothing of the tearing
down of Western Union signs on the upstate
railway stations Of the New York Central He
did not care 10 discuss this phase of the situa-
sion more than TO say that the railroads were
carrying cut their part OF the contract to trans
init Western Union messages in the same degree
as they did before the strike
The service on the exchanges was about nor
nal yesterday. and il was rumored by the strik-
ers that the companies putting their best
men at the exchange keys 10 make a good
front" before the public. Officers of the COM
panies. however. declared that they had plenty
Of others in the Office just as competent At
The Associated Press losses were reported
from the ranks Of the key tappers as Il result OF
the general order
DENIES SIGNING SCALE
President Ahearn announced yesterday after
noon that the American Telephone and Tele-
erarh Company had signed the contract for the
wage scale demanded He looked upon this as
a signal victory. he said. On the contrary. how
ever President c. H. Wilson of the company
which controls the long distance telephone busi-
ness denied 90 a Tribune reporter that his cor
poration had made any agreement with the
union He said the company employed through
out the country only about four hundred opera
tors. who were or leased wires. and that since
they had not gone strike, he did not know
whether they were union men.
The strike was brought to The Tribune Build
ing last night in the shape of five policemen
from the Oak street station, who had been
called by some unknown person to go TO the
Office of a Southern newspaper in the building
r7hare union operator had been summoned
so work by the order of the manager of the
-,sner A non-lnion operator furnished by the
western Union. at the key and he refused
20 give il up There was fight for both men
were old acOuairtances. and each was obeylng
orders The union man sat beside the non
,nion man. and they took turns sending and re-
ceiving. II was at this point that the police
arrived There was nothing for the bluecoats
TO do so they walked right in and turned around
and walked right out again
National headquarters were established at the
asror House. where Percy Thomas. national
s-ice-president will be in charge
Whe, one of the scouts OF the union found
that there was non-union bartender at the bar
Of Everett Hall word was sent TO the strike
leaders at the headquarters Of the union. No 30
Pine street The matter was put in the hands
of George E. Secour one OF the brokers oper-
stors. who went TO Fl. Bimberg, the proprietor OF
1he hall. and demanded that the non-union man
he discharged Mr. Bimberg said that the man
had been in his employ for ten years and he was
willing 10 nay union wages, but would not force
him 70 ioin the union unless he wanted to do
so and. anyway the bartenders' union would
not meet until next Wednesday
Sacour demanded that the man be discharged
-, orca IT'S 2 shame" said Bimberg. "io ask
20 have a faithful employe discharged III be
hanged if ] do anything OF the kind
secour said that the operators would then
have 70 leave the hall. and Bimberg, now thor
oushy indignant, said ne was sIau 10 6e' IA"
Of them
The Manhattan Lyceum was then engaged
While all this was going Oh about nine hundred
men and women telegraphers had assembled in
Everett Hall They were told that the head
quarters were changed. and the nine hundred
were marched in body 10 the Manhattan Ly-
ceurn. where the first open mass meeting of Inc
strike was held. Mr.. Ahearn presiding The
meeting was like all similar meetings Ahearn
-old rFe strikers TO be patient and law abiding.
and that they had The companies on the run.
4-,-a-, sneaker said something of the same kind
and al; were frantically cheered
Miss Islella Tuining. representative OF the
Western Federation OF Miners. got the floor and
ea,,e the same speech that she has given at sew
ersi other labor meetings in this city She
-z,ent over the whole history Of the Haywood
trial and what led up to il from the union point
or xieyv and then talked of the value of organl-
cation and solidarity among the working people.
An alleged telegram was read from President
Small saying that the strike would not be called
eff until all the demands were granted
Another alleged telegram from Small was
read II said that ali just propositions would
he considered. but not by arbitration OF the
brand proposed by Colonel Clowry.
a great many alleged dispatches from national
officers arrived at the union headquarters all
dav From the nature of some of these it was
evident that even the local officers were fooled
,,,, ,hara President Ahearn read the alleged or
der from President Small for the national strike.
which was the same appeared in the news
,,aners Then he read the alleged dispatch
from Chicago that the American Telephone and
Telegraph CornpanS had signed an agreement
with President Small by which all the telegraph