Evening star., 1909-05-07
Formation of Union, Says
Press, Act of Rebellion.
URGE GOVERNMENT TO ACT
'P. T. 7. Syndicate Illegal, Decision
Of Attorney General.
PERSISTENCE TO BE PUNISHED
General Strike Considered Probable
as Result Of Yesterdays Events.
Pauron Dismissed.

PARIS, May both public sympathy
and the law seem today to be clearly
against the Posts, Telegraphs and Tele-
phones Employees Association. which yes
terday threw down the gage of battle to
the government by Transforming itself
into a syndicate, or union, under the laws
Of 1884.
This would place the association on the
same footing as the workmen's unions.
The action was calculated to give it the
right to strike against it's employer, the
state.
Strike Proposition Referred.
The congress Of railroad men, at a
secret session held today, decided to sub
nit the question of general strike to a
referendum and appointed a permanent
strike committee.
Dispatches received here from Havre.
Lyons and other cities say that the
Posts. Telegraphs and Telephones En-
ployes' Association has voted in principle
for general strike.
The newspapers this morning, with the
exception of the extreme socialist or
gans, are unsparing in their denunciation
of the step taken by the association as
an act of rebellion. They urge the gov
ernment to proceed with energy and crush
the insurrecton before the movement in
CULTS the other categories Of state en-
ployes
Federation Directs Plan.
Evidence accumulates today that the
formation Of this union yesterday was
only the first step in far-reaching plan
of the General Federation Of Labor to
place the entire machinery Of the gov
ernment at its mercy.
The law of 1854 limits unions to pro-
fessions and trades engaged in com
petitive industry The attorney general
of the republic is to decide summarily
that the syndicate is illegal and order
its dissolution.
As soon as this is done the organizers
of the movement will be subject to heavy
fines and Imprisonment if they persist in
meeting.
The issue between the "syndicaIists'
drawn by yesterdays events. A general
strike is considered probable in the i'm
meulate future.
Government Will Fight.
The government. which is preparing ,or
the threatened conflict. has caused the
word 10 go out that it intends to gov
ern.
When the delegates of the various cat
egories of employees in the bureau of posts
and teegraphs visited the ministry of the
interior. where they expected to find Pre-
mier Clemenceau, yesterday morning,
they were told that he was not in.
They bore a letter granting their request
for an audience. 1t Is true. NJ. Ciemen-
ceau has been i'll for several weeks, but
M la N a
What steps the disaffected employees will
take Is not yet known. The day has been
spent i'm perfecting their organization.
The government further defied its eni-
ployes yesterday by suspending NJ. Pau
ron leader Of the recent strike.
Under the personal direction of the
premier and Minister of Labor Barthou
energetic measures have been taken
against a walkout.
Ten thousand candidates for postal
work have been enrolled Guards have
been placed over the telegraph and tele-
phone switchboards.
Automobils have been reserved. Sol
diers have been trained for postal work.