Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1916-11-21
Z DICTOGRAPHS ARE
FOUND IN THE OFFICE
Of JOURNAL OF LABOR
R. {, Gam, President of At
Ianta Federation of Trades
Makes Discovery and Says
He viii Prosecute

Following The Journals exclusive an
uounCsInenu in its early edition Monday
Il the discovery Of two dictC-raphs in
the Office OF the Journal OF Labor, in the
Grant building. R Z. Gam, president Of
the Atlanta Federation OF Trades, who
occupies one OF the two rooms in the
Journal OF LabO-'s suite, -madet a state
ment to The Journal in which he de-
clared that the persons responsible for
rue lustaIia. .u al the GictOgraphs VIII
o-s prosecuted 10 the limit OF the law.
and in which ne further declared that
ae and his associates In the organized
labor movement and the street car strike
-e,l oulrazed-
''on Saturday afternoon" said Mr..
Gam, II was informed that the confer
snces in our office in connection with
he street car strike were being caves
sr0pEed 5y s-lclns 81. UistOgrapks. and
mat cur telephones. both Bell and At
ianta. were tapped
4 made an examination. but could find
nothing: and then called in two cleo
tricians. In fifteen minutes they found
and unearrhed the whole installation.
There was \ photograph in the Office
q Mr.. Jerome Jones. editor of the Jour
al vi Labor. and = photograph in my
office. adjoining. Both telephones were
tapped
'%rhe wires led 10 the Office Of Mr.. ].
q Porter. a lawyer. who is a member
OF the firm OF Rosser, Slaton Phillips.
who are attorneys for the Georgia Rail-
way and Power company
The dlctograph in Mr. Jones ONCE
was behind q steam pipe near the ceiling,
and the photograph in my Office was be-
hind the moulding which runs around the
ceiling. The wires leading 70 Mr.. Por-
ter's Office were concealed behind the
moulding
DOWN SMALL PIPE.
our offices. on the ninth floor. are IN
the same relative position in the build
ing as Mr.. POrJer's offices, on the sew
enth floor. The wires were concealed
under the picture moulding in our offices,
were iaid against the moulding IN the
hallway so as not to attract attention,
were run down a small pipe in the stair
well. were run along the picture mould
ing 10 Mr.. Porter's office, and led into
his Ones through an opening above the
door.
Practically ali the conferences in
connection with the street car strike
have been held in my office We believe
the wires were installed on the night OF
October 81. as we found a large picture
OF James G. Woodward. in q frame. lying
on the floor on the morning OF November
1. The frame was broken
The electricians who unearthed the
installation inform me that IL required
three msa AZ least i've hours Of steady
Wor6 10 puI Il IL, as the picture moulding
mad TO be removed and put back. and the
whole job done very carefully SO as to
conceal the wire and instruments
We feel outraged. We feel that thu
sancIity OF our Office. which should bs
respected as much as the sanctity OF a
mans home, has been ruthlessly and il
legally invaded We are going to prose-
cute the guilty parties 10 the limit Of
the law. went 10 Mr.. Porter and demand
I'd an explanation, and ne declined TO dis
-uss the matter with me. L went TO Mr..
CosgrOvs, the manager of the Grant
building. and he informed me that the
installation was made without his
knowledge or consent, that he regretted
i, deeply. and that he would make a thor
ough investigation. We have laid the
whole matter before our attorneys,
James L Key. John Y. Smith and John
=. McCtelland.
PLANS OVERHEARD.
NO word or act in violation OF the
law has ever occurred in any of our
meetings, and none ever viii, but all OF
our plans which have formulated since
the installation OF the wires are now in
the possession OF the Georgia Railway
and Power company. This naturally
places US at n great disadvantage in our
EouQuCL OF the street. sAAAher anu we
may have 70 reshape our plans entirely.
If IL were not for this disclosure OF GU
plans, would have no objection 10 the
saic-oEraph staying in the ONCE, and no
objection TO our telephones being tapped.
Last Friday night we held the most
important conference since the strike
vas called. II was a Joint meeting IF
the executive committe OF the Atlanta
Federation OF Trades. the executive COM
nittee OF the Electrical Workers union
and the executive committee Of the
Amalgamated Association OF Street ami
Electric Railway Employees Every de-
tail OF that conference IS probably IN the
hands OF the Georgia Railway and Power
company. II was strictly an executive
session. from which even members OF
the three organizations. except the exec
utive committee members. were excluded.
ct don't object 20 being watched Men
stay IN the haII Of the seventh floor OF