Norwich bulletin., 1915-04-15
by
TeIegrapher;
OF STATEMENTS MADE BY GEN
ERAL MANAGER REYNOLDS,
FIVE WERE SUBPOENAEI
None of Postal Operators Satisfied
Too Little Money-No Redress.

Chicago, April 14-Five Postal TeIe
graph company telegraphers, suddenL
subpoenaed to appear before the Unit
ed States commission on industrial re
lations, today unanimously contradict
ed yesterdays testimony of Edward q
Reynolds, general manager of the com
pany, who said that conditions of ern
ployment were 100 per cent. satisfac.
tory. Mr.. Reynolds remarked that th
commission could confirm his state
ment by asking the men.
None of the Operators Satisfied.
The five witnesses said that none q
the operators were satisfied, in th1
main, because they thought they did
too much work for too little money
they knew of no way to obtain redres
of grievances, and there were minol
troubles.
D. f. Rogers, working g. regular
extra split trick for the Postal com.
pany, was the last witness. A he wal
being excused he was asked by Franz
P. Walsh, chairman Of the commission
if he had any further complaint II
make.
Thinks He'll Lose His Job.
Only that won't have any job to
morrow" he said.
Mr.. Walsh replied:
'If you or any other Of the young
men get into difficulty because of youi
I14C A4AC Va lllAo NOA4I-
mission, please notify Secretary
Brown
Its ten to one that you will heal
from me-" Rogers insisted.
''Oh, let us hope not" smiled tha
chairman.
Never Get Another Job.
'Tll be fired, and 1 never will get
another job" the witness concluded.
Other witnesses were Thomas Car
roll, traffic superintendent, western di-
vision, Western Union Telegraph COM
pany; George Duffy and Eli Rosen-
burg, messenger boys; B. Frank
Shrimpten, secretary and treasurer of
raphers' union of America, and w. r.
Russell, s. P. Aubrey, T. L. Yarring-
ton and Glare e. Emerson, Postal COM
pany operators who preceded Rogers.
S. ]. konenkamp, president Of the
ttelegraphers' organization, added q few
garding the telegraphers' strike of
1907. When Russell took the stand
Mr.. Walsh stated interrogattvelyi
Mr.. Reynolds, your general mana
among Postal company telegraphers
were satisfactory and there were no
complaints?"
"Houndins of Men to Speed Up"
There is much dissatisfaction over
wages and the hounding' Of the men
to speed up Mr.. Russell replied. TN
Chicago our instruments are too close
together and we can't work in comfort
and when short relief from the key
is necessary sometimes you can't get
it for hours"
"Why don't you state your griev-
| ances through the union?" Mr.. Walsh
asked, ''or association of employees to
| which Mr.. Reynolds testified yester-
day? Mr.. Reynolds stated that this
| union elected it's own officers and was
| a channel for the adjustment OF griev-
| ances."
Never Heard of Postal Union.
'tI never heard of it, responded the
| witness.
The other telegraphers either had not
heard Of the union, or only vaguely.
They regarded the chief operator as
the court of last resort, they said. and
| considered It, a hazardous experiment
| to appeal that high. They complained,
if at all, to the sub chiefs. Russell said
that he wrote direct to Mr.. Reynolds a
year ago, but never received reply.
No Two Men Satisfied.
| There are 300 men in the Chicago
| Office and don't believe that you can
| find two of them who are satisfied" !"
| said Russell.
'.Mr. Reynolds testified that he him
self was not satisfied with his own
salary interjected Commissioner
Ashton, who laughed and added:
| you needn't answer that"
| The witnesses work on circuits pay
| ing $S5 a month, but those Of them on
| the extra list were unable to work full
| time and earnings fell below that.
| Emerson said that he never had trou-
| BILE getting short relief from the key
| if he appealed to the chief operator.
| Warrington complained that the COM
| pany required the men to rent the
| tVpewrfterS used in the office while a
rival company provides them free to