Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1909-05-07
Defiance Hurled in French
Governments Face
By Dissatisfied Employees Of
Posts, 1e|eglaphs & Telephones
4 Legal Organization Made and
Right Of Striking Secured.

Paris, May G.-The famous p. t. T..
that is. the Posts. Telegraphs and Tel
ephone Employees Association. threw
down the gauntlet of battle today L"
the government by Transforming itself
into a syndicate or union under the
law of 1854. thus placing the associa-
ton on the same footing Win WORK.
mems unions with the right to strike
against the state employer, as the
workinen have the privilege OF dong
against private employers.
This defiance, whici' Is nothing short
of open revolt, came IS a sudden ana
sStional sequel OF Premier Clenen-
ceati's failure today to receive depu-
tatior of postal employees, VINO called
10 present demands for the redemption
O: promises which they claim the gov
eminent had made when the recent
strike was declared off. The premier
was III and confined to his room. but
the delegation pretended To believe
that his indispositiOn was simulated
Their failure to be received. however,
served as pretext. and within an hour
the transformation Of the association
into national syndicat" was effected
and the statutes Of the reorganization
officially were filed in the City hall.
1t was what the French call coup
de theatre but if it proves successful.
it would be more like coup detat, for
its purpose is to make the employees
the masters and rot the servants %;
the state The statutes of the orsani-
Zaticn follow strictly in form of those
of the workmen's organization. They
declare Tie purpose to defend economic
interests and give moral and material
support to members having differences
With the administration. ana. farther
to seek the passage of economic and
social laws in the interest of the or
ganization A committee is created
following the lines Of trades unions.
to act as intermediary in such differ
encca. and members are foLbidden. un-
der penalty of losing their member
snip. to present issues which may arise
personally to the administration
The most serious aspect of the stu
alton is the fact that the leaders in
this new movement are undoubtedly
hand in glove with the moving spirits
of. the General Federation of Labor
which is now universally recognized
AS . revolutionary organization and
pairing for a general strike to destroy
"CapitalisIn."
The suppression of this organization
has frequently been contemplated hy
the French government
Fortunately. a considerable proper
ton of the postal employees have had
their eyes opened to the revolutionary
venture on which the miltants pro-
pose to embark and have broken away.
There are loyal servants enough to
form a working nucleus to fight a gem
cral strike. which tonight is considered
q matter of hours.
The government. which claims to be
prepared for any eventualty it is con-
coded. must now act vigorously or alb
dicate. and the leaders of the move
ment apparently have no option but TO
declare a strike the minute the gov
eminent makes a hostile turn. The en-
tire country is tremendously excited
by the violent agitation of all sorts.
to which it has been subjected for
months, and real fears are entertained
that a whirlwind will be unclaimed.
There are even intimatiCns in some
quarters that the Royalists and other
reactionarics arc furnishing funds to
stil up a revolution in the hope Of
eventually imposing q new regime. No
level headed observer however ser-
onsly thinks the republic in danger.
Up to late tonight the government
had given no sign as to what move it
intended to make in answer to the
postal employees action. In the mean
time the latter have not been idle. The
railroad sortcrs at a meeting endorsed
the syndicate movement and voted in
favor OF the principle of a general
strike. \ delegate of the Marseilles
section informed the meeting that the
support of the Seamen's Unions could
be counted upon.
The matter of the registration of the
statutes of the new syndicate is now
it. the hands of the attorney general,
to whom the City hall officials fer
warded tie document in regular course
for an opinion as to whether it COM
ALI. ,,-:s 4, :a.