The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-08-14
l.Esident Thomas Says. TeIs- graph Companies Are
 Badly Crippled
ASSOCIATED PRESS .,5 .,iVES PARTIAL SERVICE [, add
The Situation Over the Country Gen. orally Remains About the Same as Monday-Situation In
 Alabama Towns.

New York. August 1S-The offices of the local union swarmed today with striking operators, eager to obtain infor- nation regarding the progress of the strike The union officers told the men to create no trouble and assured them that if they remained out the companies would be forced to meet their demands. It was said that the operators employed by brokerage houses would not be affect ed by the strike, but that the brokers operators would be assessed to help the strike fund.
 Deputy President Thomas. who has charge of the strike situation in the east. said today that the companies were so badly crippled that they were unable to han,..e the business. Thomas told the strikers that the companies could not fill their places and that within a few days l. ey would be glad to meet their de- l. nds. The striking telegraphers private ly admit that the funds in the union treasury are not sufficient to finance a protracted strike. but they are depending on aid from the allied labor unions.
 The Associated Press started it's through west wire to Chicago and inter mediate points at the regular hour this morning and was moving a full report
 The Associated Press eastern circu,t rom New York to Boston and New En- gland points also opened on time with a full force of operators. There were some affecting scenes in all the excitement at tending the gathering of the striking op- orators at the union headquarters today.
 Gray haired veterans of the key who had been with the companies for years were brollen-hea a the turn In events through which they had forfeited their rights to q pension, while others felt that their advanced years made it difficult for them to find other employment.
 Men Return to Work.
 While The striking telegraphers claim the strike against the telegraph compa- nies will be successful the officials of the Western Union and Postal Telegraph companies state today that they are hand ling their business rapidly and that num- bers of men returning to work. No disorders has been reported by the po- lice, and the strike is proceeding quietly. officials of both telegraph companies said today that they have sufficient op. orators at work last night to attend to the dispatchng Of telegrams and that they would make every effort today to fill the places of the strikers. It was reported last night that the operators at Canzo, N S., the chief American cable station would go out today but the cable departments of both the Western Union and Postal say they are handling their business without interruption today and they believe the strike Is not likely to interfere with them All during last night pickets of the strikers patrclled In front of the buildings of the telegraph company and sought to turn back strike-breakers.
 Strikers Are Orderly.
 Their methods were perfectly orderly and those who did not head the persuasions of the plckets were permitted to proceed to the offices of the companies without mo- 1estation There was a gathering of striking operators in City Hall park op- last night but the crowd soon dispersed Officials of the Western Union said to- day that they hade the usual number of operators at work last night and that the work of transmitting telegrams pro- gressed smoothly Over fifty of the opera tors were housed during the night in the building and food was provided by the company.
 Night Chief Operator Robinson de- clared that the charges made by the union officers that the companies were placing dummies at the key in order to deceive the public were false and that every man who sat at an instrument was an operator. Nearly 100 operators worked through the night at the Postal telegraph office and officials said today they were making good progress in getting off busi- ness