Los Angeles herald., 1907-06-27
TELEGRAPHERsA ARE
STANDING FIRM
MEN EXPECT TO FIGHT UNTIL
THEY WIN
President Small Hopes That Struggle
viii Not Be Prolonged, but In-
sists That Operators De-
mands Prevail
81 Associated Press.

BY Associated Press.
OAKLAND. June 26.-At Sunset hail.
headquarters of the striking telegra-
phers. President S. ]. Small said this
morning:
al am hopeful the present strike will
not be prolonged. We are very anxious
to avoid any kind of trouble but when
forced to it, we will, of course, fight.
That is only natural. Should the two
telegraph companies refuse TO meet
their operators in order to ADJUST the
differences now existing there is no
doubt in the world but that the
struggle will continue until we can
force a government investigation. The
people of this country and particularly
those in California, are lot in a mood
to tolerate Strong armed methods We
claim that the telegraph companies are
using strong armed methods to in
crease their earnings.
"They tax the public twenty
to forty per cent, and give as their
excuse for doing so the increasing of
the employees wages, when in fact they
are double crossing those same en-
ployes, and the ten Pr cent increase
promised them last March has not
materialized.
1--WE are willing and anxious to do
ANYTHING in reason to adjust the
present trouble. The union need not
appear in the adjustment at all, and as
has often been stated before, If the
employers of the telegraphers will deal
honestly and honorably with their
operators they will never hear of the
union. We claim the sliding scale,
black list, and the employment OF
women at less than will pay their
living expenses is dishonest and in a
way criminal That is what both the
Western Union and the Postal Tele-
graph companies are doing all over
the country"
At midnight Tuesday the following
report was received at union head
quarters showing where and how San
Francisco and Oakland tel.grams for
the east are being handled:
Messages Delayed
In the San Francisco office there are
$40 messages on hand, twelve hours be-
hind. In Los Angeles there are $50
messages, twenty hours Lehind; in Salt
Lake there are ITS messages behind,
which are eighteen hours late; Port
land has 346 messages twenty-four
hours late; land Seattle has 4S0 messages
tWenty-four hours behind.
Yesterday there were sent from Los
Angeles many messages to Oakland
where they arrived in time for delivery
in the early morning.
The fact that Denver, Salt Lake, Los
Angeles, Portland and Seattle are re-
laying conet business is significant.
Under normal conditions San Francisco
works direct with Chicago, New York
and other large eastern cities. Since
the strike occurred business has been
routed in any and all directions from
the east to San Francisco. The prac-
tice of telegraph companies being to
get business as near the storm center"
as possible and then, if communica-
ton has not been restored, send it to
San Francisco by train. The following
telegram was received by President
Small from Dan A. Mahoney. local
secretary Of the New York union. 1t
reads:
"Good luck. God bless you. The en-
tire east is solid with you"
President Small now threatens to
call out the Chicago telegraphers.
SAN FRANCISCO, June 26.-Super-
intendent A H. May of the Western
Union said this morning that the COM
pany had taken on several new men
and was handling business IN salts
factory manner. In a few days, he
added, the city branch offices will be
reopened.
Superintendent Storrer of the Postal
company declared that they had enough
men at work to dispose of the messages
offered with but slight delay. He said
the company would only fill the va
cancies in the Office with operators of
the right sort.
OYSTER BAY, N. Y, June 26.-The
telegram asking President Roosevelt
to investigate all violations of the anti
trust law by the telegraph companies,
received yesterday from the Washing
ton Central Labor Union. was .oday
transmitted to Herbert Knox Smith,
chief of the bureau Of corporations Of
the department of commerce and labor.
No instructions were given Mr.. Smith.
This telegram is the only one the
president has received on the subject.