Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1915-04-13
HEAD OF WESTERN UNION
THINKS MEN UNDERPAID
First.Class Operator Should Be Able
to Earn at Least So Il Day
Of Nine Hours.
ADMITS OPPOSITION TO UNION
Considers None OF Organizations or
Employees Qualified to Represent
Thcni--President OF Photographers
Refers to "Criminal" Methods.

! CHICAGO. April 12.-President New
comb Carlton, Of the Western Union
Telegraph Company. and S. j. Konen.
kamp. president OF the Commercial
! Photographers Union Of America, to-day
testified from their respective view
points before the United states Com
mission on Industrial Relations re-
garding wages and working conditions
OF commercial telegrapherp
Carlton caused n mild sensation when
he said he believed teiegraphers were
underpaid
( He added:
| Il think they ought to make more
money than they do. Ten years ago a
Morse telegrapher received SIS n week
II is now S23. 1t was 1880 for women.
and it is now SIS. My own view Is that
n first class telegrapher should be able
TO earn Mt least So a day OF ninc hours"
The witness said his company had
one OF the hest pension and relief or
| ganizations in the country, and II cost
the men nothing. Half million dol
lars was expended on II last year, he
| said.
! The WITNESSES opposition to the oruan-
ization headed by koncnkamp, who fol-
lowed him on the stand, was indicated
In various utteranccs
I'VE are subject to the control OF the
| Interstate Commerce Commission" said
Carlton. They absolutely fix not only
our practices but our rates. I believe,
therefore, the commission should he
given sufficient power to see that fair
wages were paid and that fair work
ing conditions were provided"
The policy of the Western Union"
Carlton said. us formed by the exccu-
tive committee"
Jacob Srlin mann nr Of no
mittee, was quoted by Chairman Frank
T. Walsh as having said that no self
respecting employer would refuse to
deal with the representatives OF union
labor.
"Is that your opinlon?" asked Mr..
Walsh.
~ believe in tho organization of
labor"
And In collective barGaining?"
IF collective bargaining is where the
organization with whom YOU are deal
ing is n responsible one-yes."
NONE OF UNIONS QUALIFIED
! TO REPRESENT EMPLOYEES
Tho witness said that in the five
years he has been with the company
! there has been no union OF photographers
| which he considered qualified to rep
resent them. His policy with tho men.
he said, WAS to allow an appeal OF all
! grievances Telesraphers have been
ulSHllSSeu from the LOT &C
tivity In union affairs, he admitted. He
said that special agents were employed
to keep the company informed. but de-
nicd that they were permitted to use
questionable tactics in obtaining in
| formation.
Konenkamp In his testimony referred
to some of the methods Of the Western
Union as criminal" and the condition
OF the operators as slavery" His
union, he said, had agreements with
the Canadian Pacific the International
News Service and the United Press. lie
declared that wages were lower now
than they were forty years ago. He
said the tendency was to lcngthcn
hours.
The constant opposition OF the
western Union to unions is no surprise
to us" said konenlkamp. The COM
pany has been consistent in that for
fifty years and for thirty years the
possession OF union card has been the
signal for dismissal. They have en-
ployed criminal methods, or at least
have turned their heads away when
! criminal methods were employed. Cor
respondence of the union was stolen
from one OF our men at st. Paul, and
the heads of teleuraphers began to fail
rs the result of information thus OBJ
own room WAS ransacked In st. Louis.
Kansas City. Denver and Salt Lake
City"
was government protection OF tho right
of the mon TO organize and to bargain
collectively.