The Corvallis times. (Corvallis, Or.) 1888-1909, 1907-08-16
THE BIG STRIKE
OF TELEGRAPHERS SURPAS.
SES 1883 WALKOUT.

Portland Men Walk
Out For Local
Reasons.
Portland, Aug. 14.-Portland
Telegram: Two great corporations,
the Western Union and Postal Tel
agraph companies, fguratively
speaking, the puloe Of the business
world, are today engaged In a bitter
struggle with their thousands ofem.
ployes throughout the United States.
Not since the famous walkout of
the telegraphers in 1888, when al
most to man every operator left
his key, have telegraph companies
been confronted with q condition
of affairs such as exists today. In
1883 the operators lost. This time
the balance appears to be in their
favor. Conditions today are not
what they were 25 years ago. At
the time of the tie.up in 1883 the
public did not depend upon the tel
egraph to the extent that complete
decentralization of business occurr-
ed, although much inconvience was
was felt in many districts.
In the present crisis the situation
is different. The rapid growth of
the country in the last two decades
has made the telegraph wire neces-
sary adjunct to quick dispatch of
COMMUNICATIONS between every bus
iness firm and individual in the
United States and Cauada. The
telegraph has kept pace with the
spirit of the times and today net
work of wires extends from every
metropolis touching every village
and hamlet from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and from the Gulf to
Alaska. The result of complete
tieup of these wires has caused al.
most total paraly zation of bust
ness. Stock markets, brokers, grain
exchanges, merchants and the pub
lie in general feel the blow which
suddenly takes them almost back
to the days when stage coaches and
ore train a day were the only
means of conveying communities
tions,
The struggle that Is now engag
ing officials and labor unions ovel
the entire country began March ]
las, when ten per cent. advance
in wages was announced by both ths
Western Union and Postal Tele
graph Comp +nies. This was mad,
at tine when the Commercia
Telegrsphers' Union of Americ,
was making great inroads among
the operators securing hundreds o
members with view of presenting
their grievances to the telegraph
companies.
Immediately following the ad
vance March the operators ALLEGED
that the advance was notimpartial
ly given and a demand for furthe
concessions wss made which result
ed in strike Of Weste rn Union op
orators in Oakland and San Fran
cisco being called by Presiden
Small, of the union, June FL
Through the intercession of Com
Neih, Of the United States depart
m, Mt of labor, this strike was set
tied several weeks later.
The telegraphers assert the com
psnies agreed to re-employ all sirik
ing men without discrimination
but the companies allege they agree
to reemploy the strikers only o.
conditions satisfactory to them
selves.
A Western Union operator wa
discharged at Los Angeles last wee
the Cause being given as insubordin
atiou. The entire Western Uniol
force walked out. Soon afterwar,
the L Angeles Postal forces ioine
in the movement. An effort to com
pei the Chicago forces Of both com
panies to work with nonunion me
at Los Angeles resulted in the Ch
| cago offices striking. Within thre
| days the strike has exteude
| throughout the United States an
| Canada, even to the Associate
| Press men, who were not to tax
an active part at least not at pre-
/ ent.
| Telegraphers of Canada will n
4 fuse to ermit messages to be ser
/ to different points in the Unite
4 States by dominion wires. A
4 mess ses cent to Canada points wi
Il be received, whether the senders
i Union or nonunion men, but nor
Il will be sent out to other points i
Il the United States except such me
! sages as have their origin in D