The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-26
SMALL GETS HERE and TALKS
TELEGRAPHERS' HEAD VAGII. ON
ARBITRATION PLANS.

Ibe Relieves. However. Thnt strike VIII he
short Lived. Lasting Not More Than
Few Weeks at the Outside Rose Pas
Tar stOks Also Addresses Meeting.
Sylvester }. Small. president Of ths Com
mercial Telegraphers' Union, reached this
city yesterday morning from Chicago. to
lie greeted by a committee Of the striking
tel"graphers' both men and women He
went to Everett Hall in East Fourth street.
There a meeting Of telegraph check boys
and messenger boys was on. After n five
minute talk Small went to the Aston House.
At 4 O'Clock he returned to Everett Hall TO
address an open meeting OF the strikers.
Small was greeted warmly.
in coming through the country TO New
York. said Small, ia part, Il sometimes
found II hard TO realize that from Is 200 to
5000 t~elegraphers are on strike and that
the Western Union and Postal Telegraph
companies are deprived of - per cent.
OF their operators The reason for this
strike 10 that the Western Union and Postal
companies prosecuted the telegrophers for
30 many wears that they could stand il no
longer. After the agreement was made
II was broken by the companies within
tnree hours by the discharge Of four or five
operators belonging TO the union on the
say 40 OF an unfair woman.
We took the case in our own hands. and
u people walked out. IL was the culmina-
ton Of twenty -four years Of indignation.
Not 2 per cent. OF the s5 per cent. who went
on strike would return except on their own
terms According to some Of the news
papers, my coming to New York means
arhit ra fipr in Al fau .laxa Tha.a ,,.,, -
arbit ration. but il would need to be Of the
right kind"
IL looked. Small said, as II the strike might
last two or three weeks. He wanted the teleg-
raphers to gen out and hustle for money and
to make the fight not only for the CONNER
Telegraphers' Union. but to recognize
that II was a fight for all working people.
As to arbitration. il might come or il might
not. he was sorry to say he could not make
any definite statements az to any negoti-
atoms. but might have something To say in
a few days.
Mrs. Rose Pastor Stokes then took the
hoor. She said that the demands Of the
operators were reasonable in every wav
and that as a matter Of fact they had asked
too little when they asked Is per cent.
increase in wages. The other demands.
she said. should not be refused 10y any fair
minded employer. especially the demands
ih hNN bypcWtltcis. mIe. otOheb tnucu
by saying that the proper place 10 strike
was at the ballot box and that the teleg-
raphers should get the full product of
their toll, winding up with an argument
for socialism.
A long statement issued late in the day
by Small included the following:
II looks 10 me after attending the meeting
ut Everett Hall this afternoon that II will be
all over but the shouting within a week The
telegraph companies cannot possibly hold
out much longer unless the business Of the
country can dispense with the telegraph EN-
tirely, We have fully " per cent. OF all the
commercial telegrapbers in the I nited States
on strike. This applies to large and TO small
cities, Thousands OF one man offices are
closed In the various States and the KEYS
TO the doors ia the possession Of city officials
to be turned over TO telegraph company in
when they arrive.
We have started 10 raise a large fund
two OF them in fact. One is for the benefit
of the strikers and the other is 10 be expended
in propaganda work In favor OF Government
of the telegraph. Although the call
for funds had only been out a few days. many
were received before | left Chi
cago. and strange to say as much was re-
In the campaign fund rs for The beneh'
Of the strikers. Judging from The sentiments
expressed in the letters accompanying these
"GOvernm ent control" and not
vision OF the tsrif viii he the issue OF The
next Presidential campaign.
Much has been published sbou, arbitration
.stsly. The cry from coast 10 coast is no
arbitration.