Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1908-03-06
THE MEN ARE READY TO QUIT
Some OF Them Have Their Pay
Checks Cut Right
In Half.
With shop Men Talking Strike and
General Reduction All Along the
Line Things Look Black.

Are tslegraphers employed by the Rio
Gfande going TO remain at work or
not! That Is the question the tele-
sraphers are asking themselves. Moth
ing VIII be known until some word IL
received from Denver, where COM
mlttee representing the wiremen is now
IN conference with officials of the COM
pauy.
The threatened cut in salaries has
oeeurred' It became effective March |,
according to circulars issued by the
company. Instead of reductions pro-
purtionate to salaries, as 1t was first
announced, the cuts made take all
down to $50 and with 90 cents hospital
zoe the IiiO Grande's wiremen arc now
getting $3.50
This salary is a thorn in the flesh Of
every man and the entire force along
the system has expressed its opinion,
ANA that opinion Is most omphatically
against the cut. as made.
LIVING is TOO HIGH.
AZ least good educa ton is neces-
sary to becoming a telegrapher and IL
majority of the boys have much bet
ter educations than the ordinary school
training. So the idea OF working for
S5shO does not appeal to these men
little bit They say they Will not
strike. but simply quit. The men III
this city are saying little but that they
are THOROUGHLY disguised is not deuicu.
II is being pointed out to the compIn
that living is too high for any sue
wages in the west and especial
throughout Colorado and Utah and
as most of the photographers have faip-
HES they are looking around for some
sort of employment with fair wages al
tached.
MEETING IN DENVER.
Just what is happening in Denver is
haHN Fae Ion a
men, themselves, aside from the MEM
bers of the committee knowing lust
what is going ON, But If no concss-
sion can be obtained the men will I'M
doubtedly abandon their Keys They
assert that they win be driven out of
their profession. 1t Is point
ed out that the most ignorant
OF common labor gets in the nelghbor-
hood of 81 a day, and the fact that
| Greeks, Italians, Austrians and other
foreigners are making better than 500 80
per month for swinging a pick or carry
ing rails is perhaps the thing that
hurts most.
TWO HUNDRED MEN.
There are at least a couple of hum
dred telegraphers working for the Rio
Grande. Two men are usually en-
ployed at each station and some offices
demand three men. At division and
terminal points the number is con-
slueiAbly higher. The reduction came
IN with the nine-hour' law of Con-
gross, which has just become effective.
This provides that no man in the en-
ployment of a railroad company can
be kept AT work for a longer stretch
than nine hours IN "a. But circular5
sent out by the Rio rande company
indicate that this law Is fun of loop
holes or neeGA thorough revision from
an employees standpoint The Rio
Grande announces that where an Office
Is not worked continuously night and
day. men VIII be asked to work ~ hours
and In cases OF emergency" men viii
be asked to work four hours additional
TO the prescribed stretch without pay
for this extra time" and emergency
cases cannot occur more than four
times In a week.
SOME WE'RE GETTING sfgJ.
Some of the men whose salaries have
been cut 90 $50 less so cents havo been
getting as high as st2b. with tho
photographers ready TO quit and the shop
men urrtyed for a strike II the open
shop policy Is enforced. the labor stu
alton viii be another load for tho Gould
lines 10 carry. owing to present
stringent conditions any widespread
conflict between employer and employc
rs to be avoided and conferences have
boon on constantly In Denver head
quarters, The present conference on
between tho officials of tho corpora
ton and tho telegraphars' COMMITTEES
is the second within few weeks. the
first having been called to discuss the
threatened cut. The shipments COM
mittee Is also comforting with the COM
pAny in Denver.