New-York tribune., 1907-08-12
WATT STRIKE WORD,
Continued from first page


with NeilI. which agreement was assented to
by the Postal Telegraph Company, in good
faith. believing that it would be lived I'd to-
and all the conditions as to arbitration and
otherwise would be carried out. but it was not
lived up TO by the companies. Our local griev-
ance committee tried in vain TO get in touch
with Superintendent Mulford, of the Western
Union Company. in reference to the renstate-
nent of the five men and four women who
were discharged for belonging TO the union and
for long time the committee was put off on
one pretext or another. Mr. Mulford expressed
no great desire to see our committee. and final
ly there was a preliminary hearing in which
the cases were considered in bulk. but nothing
satisfactory was reached. Mr.. Mulford wound
I'D with a statement that as the discharged
people were not in the employ of the company
they could have no grievances against the COM
pany We said that they had decided griev-
ances which should be submitted 10 arbitration,
and that we were not going to be stalled by any
evasion They were discharged without a hear
ing.
1.-The spirit of Colonel Clowry's letter to
Commissioner NeiIl has not been followed by
the officials of the company The arbitration
committee has right to employ a public ste
nographer instead of a stenographer of the
company. In any arbitration the company
had its own stengr2pher and kept the steno-
graphic report. The arbitration committee
should stand on neutral ground, and each slde
should pay its share Of the expenses OF the
ceedings.
I'VE have been promised every assistance
possible from the American Federation of LABOR.
We have an understanding with the oflcers OF
that body that a per capita tax OF cent a Weeh
on each Of its two million members viii be leVle0
for twelve weeks We regard the situation a
very serious one so serious that there VIII be NO
campaign fo~ president Of this uno1. was d
candidate: so was Percy Thomas, deputy preSl-
dent of the national union. ana ha - retired
art riCgsTn
he diverted from the subject we have iT han4 Ak
present l would have liked TO have beeG presi-
dent once more, and l know / WOULD NAY
had strong campaign with NJ. Thomas VINO
has many friends here. but l put the union
first. | am politician. but hold the union anu
it's interest above everything.
Vice President Percy Thomas said he wlshed
TO contradict the statements TO the erect IHat @
commercial telegra pliers were getting from 50
to S31 a week, and he made the following state
ment:
Among the many things which have strongly
provoked the telegraphers and had the greatest
influence in rousing them to the striking polh'
was the statement attributed TO j. Charles bdl-
clay, assistant general manage: OF the western
Union Company. in the newspapers TO the eILeoI
that the five men and four women were dlS-
charged because they were drunkards NheH
this was referred to at the meeting the teies
raphers were wild for a strike. Ihis union lS
not doing any mud singing, and 1 think II MI
RarcIay made this statement 1t is poor judgment
on his part. and the company should lmnfeula,e
IN release him from any duties of a dlplolhdllc
kind If he thinks it is diplomacy TO insult hNe
men and four women of good characteI' "i.O
are EMPLOYEES he evidently is not ft for ms posi-
ton OF the five men, three of them are Tee
totaIers, and can make affidavit TO that erect
and the other two are moderate drinkers. As 10
the four women. they are respectapIe S"uiis
women who live with their parents. ana there Is
no need for them make affdavits Inc "ho'e
thing was A gross Insult and for this reason tfie
officers of the union will have a fine job on thelr
hands keeping the rank and file Of the union
from breaking bounds and going on strike
I'VE have advised the nine members TO take
immediate action as 10 the statement ana Il II
;s true that Mr. Barclay made il they VIII not
only call on the District Attorney and start
criminal proceedings against Mr. Barclay' aS 'io
law allows them to do. but they VIII also seek
damages in the civil courts,
WHAT Mr.. THOMAS HAS TO SAY
"As matter of fact the highest salary any
commercial telegra pher gets is 81 30 a week
The average first class commercial telegrapher
gets about SIS a week. There are hundreds "l
operators in this city in branch offices known
as juniors who receive from s. 10 Sll a week
Operators, TO make from so to s9l "eeh'
rnust practically work twenty-five hours extra
each week The cost of living is so great in
New York City that they have TO 90 Sc" III
other cities in the East where the average wage
scale is less than in New YORK teIegraphers dI :
compelled to work even greater numoer OF
hours 10 meet the cost Of living The Telegraph
companies are offering inducements to the opeF
ators to remain at work. II has been thelT Gus
tom in the past to make similar oHelS anu
when the trouble is over put them oack 10 the
lowest scale I know OF men Who because 'ies
acted as strikebrea kers. were paid the best sal
ari4s during the strike and after the strike had
their wages reduced from $50 10 $40 mohu
narticularly reeollect one man whose wages
we're scaled down TO $50 and he was then dls ,
charged have no doubt this method would
be pursued if the company Is not 1orced Io iieeI
the demands of the telegraphers
Then Vice-President Thomas made this state
ment with great emphasis;
MAY BE GENERAL STRIKE FRIDAY
"Tf the national president and the executive
committed who will meet this week in Chicago
,,robablv on Thursday. order general strike
,,.1, communicate the orders to all locals east
of Pittsburg north to Canada and south 70
Florida and ] have made arrangements 10 u"
this irrespective of telegraphic communications
r-o- over twenty years the telegraphers nave
-,oda every legitimate effort TO advance. pro-
,ac+ and maintain their conditions of employ
mont We are not, as has been stated by an
official of one Of the companies, denagoglc leau-
ers but believe that when economic conoitiohS
have so changed during the last twenty years
tbe telegraphers who because Of the nature OF
,bair ennIovment are unusually Intelligent
,yorkrnen. should advance with the rest OF man
kind Indeed, efforts to hold the men III re-
,,a;,. ,rt,o were anxious for a strike have had
10 he constantly made, and think that the ac'ion
taken at to-day's meeting will show the opera
tors that the telegraphers are proceeding In
thoroughly careful and consistent manner
president Joseph F. Ahearn of Local 10 when
seen last night said;
THE appearance of James P Archihaid al a
critical moment in the proceedings, when was
sent for and informed that Mr. NeiiI, MT
C;omners and Mr.. Easley were going to Chicago