New-York tribune., 1907-08-13
HOW THE FIGHT BEGAN.
Men Walk Ont When Whistle Blasts
Sound Order.


street and when the advance guard OF tiie
strikers anpeared there they were received WIN
open arms. The strike, like the strikes III olheh
cities which are going on, was an lrregular one
and appeared TO become automaucaHy seho
toned by the union. 1t was said that 1t was
precipitated by overt acts or the cohnpahieS'
which made il imperative on the operators 10
strike with or without an order.
In the case of the Western Union employees
+be Immediate cause appeared to be the alleged
rough treatment of three union men when they
vent for their pay. They refused last week 10
handle non-union messages from Cnicaso' anu
were discharged. In the case OF the fostaA opei
ators the immendate reason for the strihe' ~
was said was the discharge of union mad i loi
refusing to take a non-union message, te Ut,e
thing however, was evident through IL all Inc
telegraphers were ready 70 strlhe at aio uf
of the hat and take chances or the appio'oi Va
tbe strike by the national officers of the union
1t became known soon after 'iie 81 M - -
a.ben the resolution was carried at the meeting
of the telegraphers on Sunday, oelerriiie 49,
It'll Friday there was not much hope that mat
ters would remain quiet until tneh- 10. Ine % -. .n
fever was in the air. and all that was hop1u -, %
was that If the trouble was deferred unth r n
dav some means might be found, nlroueh Coili-
missioner Neill or some other medium 10 piIe
about some kind of a settlement
This was a forlorn hope, however DO a'
friction with the companies in the mood the
telegraphers were in was like touchlhg d maj ~
10 train of powder. The strike was oiiicniiy
sanctioned, appeared by the Ioiloiis s5t
received yesterday afternoon by freslue
Joseph F. Ahearn of Local 16 of the CONNER
cial Telegraphers' Union from Wesley husSeiI'
the national secretary. in Chicago:
The action N New York is perfectly legal: and
is fully sanctioned by the national eouS' .. uorS
firm and under no circumstances return " "" ~
unless officially ordered TO do So Now that "o
have New York all points are as soIo s as :, - -
oi 80 I,ress associations Chicago is absolutely
closed up No strike breakers have arrlVeo. we
have the battle won.
Cheers followed the reading of this telegram.
which were echoed by other cheers from strik-
ers I'm the corridor who could not get into the
two rooms forming the local headquarters.
These two rooms were filed to sufocauon all
dav and when. every now and then some scout
brought in bulletins that the Produce Exchange
operators were out. that the operators had
inst quit at the Cotton Exchange the news was
received with shouts of delight as II the flght
were already won. No specific demands had
been made. but ft was understood that the
strike was to continue until the companies
agreed 70 refer all disputes to arbitration The
stand was taken that the companies had been
studiously trying for some time 10 provoke q
strike and had been piling on provocations unth
the union operators had 10 strike or bust. as
one Of them said.
The following notice was sent by mail !ate
Yesterday afternoon to all members Of the union
signed by President Ahearn; c r Mcinerney'
secretary and @. T. KeaTney, chairman OF the
executive board Of Local Is:
The nat,ons, body and local officers and members
will suDnort every woman and man who Join In the
1raI,ont in the various Offices throughout greater
New York to-day. Go to your homes ana refiih''
ouiet Commit acts OF violence. Right ana JUS
tice are on our side. The public In with you
,o.or - r,as announced that the following de-
roands were made on all brokers and others
with leased wires giving them until y g. m. 10
day 20 grant them, falling which they "oulu pe
enforced by strikers: seven hour workoaS.
for a.
thirty minutes off daily for luncheon: 1t was
said that the brokers might have until noon TO
make ND their minds. their operators might
go out at a. m. II the demands were reiuseu'
just circumstances dictate
FIFTY-FoUR HUNDRED ON STRIKE?
As to the number out there was no definite
idea The leaders were not uniform in their es-
Inmates II said that when the whistle blew
three times, giving the strike signal. five nun
dred men and two hundred women walked out
OF the Western Union main office. and that thls
was followed by an exodus Of the union opera
tors in tie branch offices. Late in the after
noon Percy Thomas national vice president or
the union and candidate for president OF the
local union, figured that 300 were on strike
against the Western Union company and ZOO
against the Postal company in this city There
were 400 at work. he thought. In Independent
offices where leased wires were used and In other
places 1t was admitted that these figures were
largely gllesswork and were subject to revision.
During the afternoon reports were brought in
by strikers that the companies were placing
clerks in rows in the operating rooms of both
companies TO convey the impression that they
had plenty Of strike breakers. These reports.
whether they well founded or based on i'm
aginatiOn or suppOsition. invariably caused con-
siderable excitement.
After the officers Of the local had conferred be-
hind closed doors for about hour. Secretary
McInerney- made a statement. in which he went
the grievances of the operators already
published beginning with the discharge OF five
| mo and q "a ms n
Office of the Western Union for belonging to the
union He also went the apparent settle
nent of the trouble some weeks ago. when Presi-
dent Ciowry of the Western Union Company
sent his oft quoted letter to Commissioner Neill.
The reasons for the strike. which started In the
main office of the Western Union Company at
p m, and in the main office of the Postal COM
pany at 2:25 or 2 30 p. H.. he safd had been ac-
cumulating.
ALLEGED CAUSES REVIEWED.
There were three four immediate causes
for the strike" he said. 'One was that AS
sistant General Manager Barclay Is quoted as
referring to the five men and four women who
We're discharged at the main office as drunkards
and has not contradicted statements which ap-
peared that he referred to the discharged men
and women In this way. Another is the
preparations that evidently being made for
strike. Twelve special policemen are stationed
at the main office of the Western Union Com
pany. who were put there this morning. and
advertisements from the company have ap-
peared in the papers asking for help.
THE resolution passed at the meeting of the
union yesterday was condition that the COM
pany would discontinue advertising for strike
| breakers and otherwise Haunting preparations
for a strike. Three men who We're discharged
| at the main Office of the Western Union Com
| pany went to the office this morning to be paid
| off They were refuced in a rough way, and it
| is charged that Chief Clerk Brennan had hot
argument with one of the men, and made as il
cyrilxa m