Evening star., 1907-08-28
WIRES ARE GROUNDED
Telegraph Companies Suffering
All Sorts of Annoyance.
BLAME STRIKING OPERATORS
Also Suspect Railroad Telegraphers Of
Interference.
HAVE DETECTIVES ON GUARD
Plans Of the Executive Board to FL.
nance the Strike for Six
Months.
BLAME STRIKING OPERATORS
HAVE DETECTIVES ON GUARD
Special Dispatch to The Star.


Special Dispatch to The Star.
CHICAGO, August 2S.-Railroad tele.
graph operators. who out of sympathy
with the striking commercial men, are said
to be causing trouble on the wires, are
threatened with criminal prosecution by
officials of telegraph companies. The
Western Union company, which is the
greatest sufferer in this respect, has been
secretly conducting an investigation and
number of arrests are expected at any
time. While the Western Union company
was preparing to protect its interests the
federal government met with direct inter-
ference in the transaction of its business
and found 1t necessary to detail troops to
patrol a line over which it desired TO send
messages.
Wires leading from Lacarne to Camp
Perry, Ohio, were tapped at 10 o'clock
Monday night and an operator who broke
in scored the camps key men who were
| sending out messages for the government.
Later the wires became useless and IL
was found by investigating parties that
they had been looped and grounded. Mes
| sages Of Importance could not be sent
out from camp. The detail of soldiers Sc
| lected to patrol the line had instructions
to arrest any one found tampering with
the lines, and all suspects will be turned
over to the civil authorities 10 be prose-
cuted under the criminal code.
Much Wire Trouble.
| Superintendent +. P. Cook of the Western
Union company declared today that a de-
tective would be placed in every office in
/ the country, II the interference with the
wires assumed such proportions as to make
the course necessary. The Western Union
controls the wires on practically every rail-
road In the country. and Its commercial
business in many instances, goes through
the railroad Offices
Since the beginning of the strike 1t ia
said that trouble with the wires has caused
more inconvenience than has the lack or
operators. At the union headquarters the
strikeleaders disclained responsibility for
the trouble.
The wires of the Postal company do not
run along railroads. except on the Santa
Fe and the Pennsylvania lines. On the
former railroad the teiegraphers p u,a are not not
pany says he is not having any trouble
with the wires.
Strike Finances.
Plans were made today by the general
executive board of the striking telegraphers
to finance their strike upon a basis of six
months duration. President John j. F1tz-
patrick of the Chicago Federation of La
Dor was called before the general executive
board and asked to assist In arranging
campaign of speakers to be sent out over
dc frSyp Lob nr
ganizations. The amount required to meet
the demands upon the strike FUND Is $lOO.-
600 week.
600 will be required. Merchants In various
lines of business today are circulating pe-
titions addressed TO President Roosevelt.
asking that the President renew his Efforts
to have the differences between the West
ern Union and the Postal Telegraph COM
panies and their operators settled at once.
The general complaint Is made In the pc.
titions that continued great losses 10 pus'-
ness result from the Interrupted teiesraphic
service.
Still Paying Double Wages.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, August 2s.-General Super
intendent Belvidere Brooks of the eastern
division of the Western Union company
said today that according to the company's'
official report from all points In his division
there are on strike only 1870 men out of q
total of 7lO5. This includes all the cities
east of Pittsburg and Buffalo and north OF
Washington and Is about Is per cent or
the regular working force. Mr.. Brooks said
all these men went out originally, and that
the strikers numbers had not been aug
mented since the strike began.
There has been no change in the situa.
tion as far the company Is concerned,
said Mr.. Brooks, ''and business Is being
handled in an entirely satisfactory man
ner."
Mr.. Brooks said it was not true. has
been said. that the company had stopped
double pay to those who have been working
since the strike was inaugurated
I'VE are still paying double wages to
those who are standing by u.s. SAID Mr'
Brooks
The telegraph operators of the Long Is
land railroad and the officials OF the road
will hold conference today on the de-
mands of the operators for shorter hours
and an increase in pay. According TO an
official of the road. both sides VIII make
concessions and the matter Will be settled
harmonousiy There will be no strike on
Long Island, according TO the same official.
There are two hundred operators work
ing for the road and the railroad virtually
controls the wire system of Long Island.
These operators have refused to handle
Western Union business since the beginning
of the telegrapher strike. and II was hoped
by the commercial teleSraphers union that
their demands would be met with refusal
and another strong force be added to the
strike.
Big Wireless Plans.
Special Dispatch TO The Star.
NEW YORK, August 2S.-Strike or no
strike the New York navy yard will be In
dependent of the telegraph companies with
in the next three weeks. according to an
announcement made toda.. The new
communication between official Wash.
ington and the yard W i'll soon be carried on
exclusively by wireless. The yard will also
be able to talk with ships at sea for a dis
tance of 900 or more miles, 1t was said,
Delegates to Sanitary Conference.
DIR. Hugo Roberts and DIR. Juan Guiteras
have been appointed by Cuba as delegates
to the third International sanitary CONFER