Norwich bulletin., 1912-04-30
ENGINEER sAMMIs
Resents Imputation That He Caused
 Suppression of News.

Frederick M. Sanmis, chief engineer of the American Marconi company, re- sonted bitterly the imput2tion that ha had been the cause of suppressing the news from the CaTpathia, which he said had resulted in nelghbors point ing the finger of scOrn" at him. He said he told the CaTpathia's wireless operators to hold their personal stories for sale, in order to furnish a reward for them.
 T did not send the messages di- rectly," said Mr. Sammis. T tele- phoned to MT. Davidson in charge of the wireless station and I instructed him to tell the boys that arrahgements were made to care for them. thought 1t would brace them up."
 MT. Sammis said the arrangement to "care for" the operators was made by MT. Marconi and MT. Bottomley, the general manager, and that he merely had carried out the plan as described, He said he went to the Strand hotel to meet Operator Cottam, but failed to get in touch with him. The Oper- ators, he said, each got $75O for their stories.
 Got None Of the Money.
 'Did you get any part of that?' asked Senator Smith.
 Absolutely not,' replied the wit ness: who added that no other official of the American Marcon1 company re- ceived anything
 The witness acknowledged that prob- ably a "mistake' had been made in the manner in which the stories were placed
 T think it would have been much better to have placed them with the Associated Press" he said. They then would have had general circulation and there would have been no sore toes"
 Sammis said the international tele- graph convention had already gone on record as putting news despatches last on the list of wireless business as to precedence, putting ship positions first, general business, passenger business and others ahead
 Sammis declared that Bride and Cottam operators on the Carpathia, l should not be blamed for not sending | news from the ship,
 Wages of Operators. If there is any blame" said sam mis, Tt should be upon the captain of the Carpathia. The captain of a | ship is censor for all wireless messages sent from Q ship. The operators are i there to send and receive. They send nothing that the captain does not pass on"
 Sammis said that American wireless operators on board ship receive S45 a month The English operators get four pounds month. The senator led Sammis into a long discussion of ] the rate of operators wages. Senator Smith demanded to know if the witness did not believe 1t would have been more "creditable" to himself and to his company if they rewarded sUch heroism as was shown | by Operator Bride rather than by | sealing their lips to arrange for a pittance from a private source. The | witness replied that they were "alI doing the best they could"
 Senator Smiths Pertinent Question.
 Both Senator Smith and the witness began to show signs of irritation. the former contending that Sammis was eYading questions and the latter com | plaining that he did not know what | the chairman was seeking to ascertain q dislike to press these questions, ' l said the senator, but I want to bring | out all the facts, to the end that this practice, which is vicious, shall be stopped"
 The witness said he was in eefn- plete accord with Nr, Marconi, whe drowned upon the custom, He added that abolition of the practice should be effected with great care,
 ''fo save the feelings of operators who have grown up in the company servieeT' inquired Senator Smith, sar- eastically.
 Considers $2o Month Fair Wages
 'sNot at al1," responded the witness ''but it might have bad results. When operators realize they cannot de any writing or sell their experiences, Rlucf of their ambitiea would be gene.n
 Tine witness said that the questisH of salary did not enter into the mat ter. lie thought about $2e moatf was flair"
 After explaining that the criticism | of the naval operator on tho cruiser Chester was act intended s9 east aay