Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1910-02-03
HELLO GIRL" ON
STRIKE, MORE PAY
EIGHTEEN OPERATORS OF MAR
SHALL TELEPHONE CON-
PANY IN WALkouT.
BOTH SIDES GIVE OUT !
STATEMENTS OF CASE
Girls Claim They Are Not Getting as
Much as They Earn, and Company
Claims Wage is as High if Not High
err Than Ever Before-company Fills
Switchboard.

Marshalltown has full-hedged tel
ephone girls strike on today, as re-
suit of a waliSout of eighteen operators
of the Marshall Telephone Company's
exchange this morning. The company
filled the places of the girls who quit
without interrupting service. The girls
want more money, but as yet have not
fixed the amount. The company claims
that it is paying as high, if not higher.
wages than ever before. and more
money for operators than is paid in
other towns. The wages run from $40
to s25 per month for operators de-
pending on the length of service. Over
time and Sunday work is paid for at
the rate of 1212 cents per hour,
The girls who left t:leir places to-
day include four operators on the Bell
side or toll lines, and fourteen switch
board and relief operators.
Vice President and Superintendent
w G. Bowe said today that the places
of the girls who left had been nlled by
ed for the company, or the old Bell
company, before.
On the other hand the girls who quit
say that office help the cn:er operator
and others who are not regularly on
the switchboards are being pressed in
TO service, including the night girls
superintendent Bowe, however. SAYS
that the night girls are not on duty to-
day.
Both Sides Give Out Statements.
The Times-Republican saw both the
superintendent and representatives of
the strikers. Both gave out state
ments.
Mr.. Bowe said that the first intiula
ton he had had thai the girls were
not satisfied was a few days ago, when
three of the girls waited on him and
told him they were not satisfied with
their wages.
Wednesday night Mr., Bowe said one
of L girls telephoned him at his home
after he mad gone to bed, and asked
him if he would meet the girls at the
office He told the girl who was talk
ing, who. he says, refused to give her
name, that he did not care to dress and
come down town at that nour, but that
he would see them in the morning.
This morning. he said, no one was there
: to take up the matter.
Says Pay is Up to Standard.
Mr.. Bowe said that the wages paid
gin operators here was up 10 the
standard of other towns. was as high
# not higher than ever before. and
he believed S. higher than many towns
He explained that girls were started
as operators. without any experience
whatever, at $40 per month. Their
wages are increased as they remain
IN the service He said most of the
girls who left were receiving SIS. While
the rate in the old office, he said was
q little higher. and some earned more
money in salary per month, the over
time paid now. at the rate Of 1872 cents
per hour, made the money earned
larger in amount than under the old
system He said the working day was
about eight and one-half hours. and
occasional periods We're allowed for
rest, when a girl might go TO the rest
room and read, or do anything she
chose.
Mr.. Bowe said that the girls were
all given So as Christmas gifts. and
that if a girl was iii for a day Or two
the company did not deduct anything
from the pay check.
The Girls Side.
"A committee OF the girls, when seen
by the T.-R. said that the complaint
was that the operators had to do more
work, and harder work now, in the
new Offices, than they did before in the
OLD, and Were not receiving any more
money. Three of the girls who are
among the strikers. and are receiving
s25 per month. have been working for
the company almost four years An
no civ
The girls say that in the old Offices
when they did not have to work so
hard, some of the operators drew as
high as s27.50 They said that their
dinner hours had been heightened a
quarter of an hour recently, making an
hour and quarter for the MONDAY
meal but that the rest periods were
few and far between and only came
when they were teaching some new
girl the board.
Have Meetina Tonight
When asked how much money the
girls wanted, the members of the COM
mittee said that they had not decided
as yet what demand to make, but
that some decision would likely be
reached at a meeting of the strikers
to be held tonight.
List Of Operators on Strike.
The list of operators on the strike,
rs given out by the girls, is as fol-
lows: Harriet Streeter. Edna Seberg
Esther Sheetz, Anna Peterson, Lillian
Perrin, Ansia Keefe, Bessie Swift
Mamie Herschel, Freda NewbIon
Nettie Seberg, Media Sehwietert, Avis
McGlothen, Elizabeth OHearn, Ruth
Coughlan, Anna and Kate Weber, Mrs
Carrie Kirkpatrick, and Mrs. Olson
Superintendent Bowe said that he
had no positive Information that all
OF the eighteen girls were in the strike
- some Of them worked nights, and
Ne would not be able to know whether
or not they were going to resume their
work until 9 o'clock tonight, the hour