Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1915-04-14
Official of Big Wire Service
Company Explains Why No
Labor Organization Of En-
pIoyeS Is Now Permitted.
POSTAL PEOPLE ON
MOST CORDIAL TERMS
Big Strike and Its Results
Figure in Hearing by Com
mission on Industrial Re-
IatiOnS.

Chicago. April lS.-1'he commercial
telegraph business, the present sun
iect of inquiry by the United states
commission on industrial relations III
session here, was presented from
widely divergent angles today.
The witnesses were s. j. konen-
kamp. president of the Commercial
Telegraphers Union Of America, VINO
completed his testimony; BelVldere
Brooks, vice president and former
general manager Of the western
Union Telegraph company Henry
Lynch, telegraph operator VINO
claimed that his unionism forceu MN
into exile in Winnipeg, can; ~.
Perham, president of the order Oh
Railroad Telegraphers; Edgar q. Bar
rett, of Bowners Grove. ILL.,, west,
ern Union employe, who confessed
himself n former special agent OF
"spotter." and Edward G.. Reynolds
general manager of the Postal Iele-
graph & cable co.
MIR. Brooks made his opposition to
the Telegraphers union known as at
present constituted.
Objects TO Officials.
Il will not say that we object 10
the present officials but that INFER
ence may be drawn" he remarked
Thirty years ago our company op-
uosed the union, but just PRIOR 20
fqO7. when a strike was called cost
ing us 100000, the. union became
reiuyenated and we made no protest.
Then came strike talk and we offered
arbitration. on June 20, 1907
through the fundamentally of Df.
Neil. commissioner of labor, and par
tieipated in by Mr.. Ferham and MT
Konenkamp, then a member OF the
executive committee of the unions
J. Small was president-an agree
ment was reached. The very next day
strike was called in San Francisco
which eventually spread all over the
country Since then we have NOT
cared to employ men Interested IN the
union
Mr. Perham took the stand TO ex-
plain that when the strike was caileu
s j. Small was on the Pacific coast
and could not be reached with news
Of the agreement and the men in san
Francisco walked out in ignorance
of it.
Treatment by Postal Company
Mr.. Reynolds said that the welfare
of the employees of the Postal com
pany was his personal and special
consideration. He spends much OF
his time making visits to the various
offices. There is q union within the
company, he said officers of when
take up grievances with the head OF
the company. Vacations with pay are
allowed, and there is benefit sys-
tenn.
In 1907, members ef the CONNER
cial Telegraphers' union were en-
ployed by us, but the strike was fore
shadowed when the union men began
ccercive tactics. They made errors
for the purpose OF placing their non
lnnion companions in a bad light, ana
/ when they struck they did so without
having made a single complaint or
demand to the company" said the
witness. 1--WE were merely Informed
| that they had been ordered out. II
damaged the company greatly and
would have wrecked it had not some
! old timers like myself been able still
to send the Morse alphabet"
| Mr.. Reynolds disagreed with the
| Western Union witnesses on the wage
question. "They are paid as much
! now as they would be able to earn III
/ any other line of endeavOr,' he said
i He said that he had led in fighting
/ loan sharks, from whom the men were
| chronic suffers, and had provided
sanitary working quarters for EN-"
| ployes.
"Our men are satisfied, absolutely,
| he concluded
! Barrett said that while engaged as
| a "spotter" he visited various cities
| but oklahoma City was the orly place
where he found union men and so re-
| ported to the company's chief special
agent named Shoemaker. To get the
! information he joined the union.
/ II used honest methods to get the
| information" he asserted.
| Commissioner O'Connell then read
to him his application for member
| ship. It bound the members to keep
faith with fellow members, to dc
nothing to injure them, and contained
other pledges of loyalty.
Il didn't read all that stuff. A
! blank was showed at me and ! signed
! It without reading it, said Barrett
| He said that he was at present en-
ployed by the Western Union, and
| held membership in the Order OF
Railway Teegraphers. AT this Mr.
/ Konenkamp nudged Mr. Perham in
! the side, and the latter grinned, whis-
| pering audibly, ~ don't know him !"
Mr.. Lynch said that he was dis
missed by the Postal Telegraph COM
pany, where he had an unblemished
record for attending an open union
meeting He applied again and again
for work with the. Western Union
where he said he had "A previous good
record, but was put off until he con-
| cluded employment in the United
! States was impossible.
He was asked why he didn't get
work on a railroad and replied that
/ the pay was too low.