The Mathews journal. (Mathews C.H. [Court House]) 1903-1937, 1912-05-09

tue MaFcOni OFFICES about $3.50 O'CLOCK
Monday morning. He was asked
; whether ne had any occasion durins
the days that followed, before the
2 Darpathia reached port. 20 send hei
/, any messages. and replied he hao
authorized the transmission OF sew
b eral.
Senator smith then questioned him
concerning the two messages which
We're intercepted shortly after 8
CLOCK ON the night the CarDathia
reached port, sent by Chief Electrician
SIMPSON, OF the United States Navy.
ana transmitted by the navy to the
investigating committee.
smith read these messages. the first
or which said I'M part.
Rave arranged for your exclusive
story IN dollars in four figures; Mr.
1arSonI say nothing until you see
This was addressed to the opera
tors aboard the Carpathia.
-. Seconu message was an Injunction
10 silence, and added:
now do your best 20 get clear"
! Both We're signed Sammis.
Operators Right to Sell.
Inc chief engineer said that. while
ne had not personally sent these mes
SageS, he had been party, To- tra or
rangement with a New York nav,s.
paper Tor stories of the wireless one
ratOrS personal expenses and he I
nau telephoned TO the Narconi sta I
uoh at Sea Gate. y. Y. where an
charge that night. '-
Sammis said that to his mind IL was
only fair that some RECOGNITION be
gwen these operators, as the rasult
or whose fidelity the lives Of 700 per
sons had been saved. but no df1 NJ, +
originate or personally arranae for
the sale of the story. He said that the
New Ork Times agreed to paw 81 OOO
Ior the stories Of the two operators
ana he had told them this
re SAID mat ne had seen all Of the 4
messages that passed between the
shore stations and the Carpathia. and
mat ne believed that practically every
-NtW YORK newspaper sent MESA ges (
ASKING everybody on the Carpathia. i
Iionh the captain down to the sur a.,
ViEors, for exclusive stories. {
lie also expressed the opinion that
II would not be wise for the senators
10 recommend any hard and fast rule
against the sale by wireless operators 7
OF narratives Of their personal ex- !
perlence after they reach port. :
have done nothing Of which am :
said Samnnis. .
have you done anything of which :
you are proud?' asked Smith.
es' l have done a good turn TO ,
~ men VINO deserved some substan- a
LiaI recognition, and, who ordinarily {
90 not have much of this worlds 7
goods" replied Sammis.
Sdhnmls explained that the wireless
operators were subject to the orders
% the captain on shipboard, and that
me captain could censor all MESA pes 5
operators held the positions of fu1ior
'N1iiO'
. Bride and Gotham, said witness. did
the best they knew how. If responsi-
o lily existed II was on the part of the 7
captain, n he realized the peOple We're
waiting for news. He did not realize
IT. tnen why should the operators2
. " DO you have anything to do with
IlXlng the wages OF operators?
a Not the English operators: only q
LIS ON On american ships. There are '
OhIy Tour OF these, one each on the St |
fauI, 81. Louis, Philadelphia and the I
New York. Sammis said they were Q
pdlu $50 a month and their board. l
Ihey nae no difficulty in getting good
operators at that figure. .
The English wage, said Sammis he
ulu not know exactly, but thought ii )
was $40 month; but money went !
twice as far on the other side.
AT this point Chairman Smith car .
oi'HI, one witness into an economic dis +
cussloh OF wages, and considera HE :
Ieehng was manifested by an evident
attempt on the part of the Chairman I
10 brow beat the witness. and his re-
Ius2I to permit the witness to make :
explanations.
Sammis said the wage was NOT :
as much he would like to :
see paid, but it was ali thar :
could be afforded.
witness insisted that the companv o
ny. ne operators were all doing the D
.eSt they could, and that il was nm ?
-ortunate that Marconi. who was re- -
SpohSlDIe Tor the saving of 700 lives !,
lad been censured for what was done =
we VIII leave out your personal 4
'uloSy, snapped the chairman who !
wanted to know if il wouldn't he ~
VI ulsclpllne TO encourage such lovaI- D
y as operator Bride displayed in re- 90
naming on the Titanic at his duty .
'l'II one minute before she sank. be
,ause he was not given permission to I
cave, than TO give them encoura.ye-
nent IN Keeping their mouths shut''
or the purpose of telling their stories
or pecuniary reward.
Sammis replied that he ba5 not
sealed the lips Of the operators 5, as
ne chairman minated. on the CON
rary, he had provided a means for
'hSeallng them. He saw no objection
% Mnat ne did, but admitted that the
working out of the ARRANGEMENT
which he made for the operators 10
sell their stories had been unfortu-
nate and got him into a lot of trou-
Q. Did you tell him to shut his
a. 1 did not.
Q. Did you tell him to say nothing
uhlt ne saw NOu2
A. l save him the information that
Ihe New York Times wanted him to
Tell his personal experiences after he
got ashore.
Sammis explained that the ARRANGE
ment had been transmitted to The
operator at Sea Gate to forward To-
the Carpathia and that the LANGUAGE
OF the messages was framed by the
operator there. He said that Bride
could not have sent a news dispatch
of 1000 or 1900 words at that time
no matter who had wanted il.
SammiS wanted to know Of the
chairman, in all due respect. he said.
what course Smith would have had /
the operator pursue to send a mes
sage or TO wait until he got ashore.
when he would be accessible to all :
reporters.
Smith replied sarcasticany that he !
was not testifying and that the wit 5
ness was the man under oath. ]
The chairman again went into the y
matter of the message to Bride about
holding his story for dollars in four :
figures"
Sammis said he thought he was do /