Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1917-11-21
l,ontention of Operators for Higher Wages Upheld at
 Big Meetings.
|u1rIING TO SUBMIT
 TO ARBITRATION
r,,, Pearl Coons, Miss Jessie Wig sinton and Miss Annie Lindley
 Relate Experiences-Hicks and GObel Speak.

Miss Pearl Coons, an attractive kounp woman whose charms were en- Ianced by a well-fitting modish suit I pray, with shoes and hat to match, aade the principal address for the kr;kinp union telephone operators at ka Stephens tabernacle last night, Ehen about 1900 people assembled in |psp0nse to the invitation to hear pre- snted the "union telephone girls side I the controversy" precipitated by the Salkout here on November IA of 34 I the 53 operators employed at the klant of the Southwestern Bell Tele |bone company Brief speeches also Eere made by Mrs. Jessie Wigginton |nd Miss Annie Lindley, each of the |oung women appearing very hand ome in their becoming attire>and ac- hitting themselves very creditably efore the large audience-probably ,e largest that any of them had ever Iced. They told of their experience tith the telephone company, and Miss looms threw out a suggestion to those ho would aid the working girls by royiding home and wholesome in- Iuence to center their efforts, rather, an endeavor to have working girls 6Ns wage sufficient for them to be |dependent.
 Meyers Opens Meeting.
 The meeting was called to order by
 vsident M. w. Meyers of the Cen n Trades council shortly after the lion operators had marched down
 e left aisle and taken their seats on e benches provided for the choir,
 hid the applause of the assemblage. 5nh MT. Meyers on the platform were
 ]. B. Hicks, former president of the entral Trades council, D. l.. Gob'e, keanizer of the Brotherhood of Elec- icians, and J. A. Moore. MT. Meyers lated the purpose of the meeting as eing to make known the stand of hion labor, to present the girls side i the strike situation, to tell why or hnizers are used, how they are se' cted and their duties. He then turn } the meeting over to Mir. Hicks.
 MT. Hicks began by declaring that kganized labor of Pine Bluff has en- bred the contentious of the union tlephone operators. He reviewed the story of organized labor, which he tid now has 3,OOO,OOO members repre- nted in the American Feedration of hhor, and about 100000 members bt represented in the Federation. He M organized labor is misunderstood; {; at seemingly fewer people under and labor movement than misunder- and any other movement. He declar-
 that the purpose and aims are not
 create strife. or incite strikes or olence, but to better the condition of nge-earners, and pointed out that in ping so people without the organiza- bn are benefited. He told of the fowth of industry from the time of e juorneyman until the erection and >eratien of the mammoth factories
 today, and how the working men und it necessary to organize, result g the collective. bargaining be- een employers and employees and ee written agreement between unions Pd employers of the present. The nefits of organized labor, he mere,
 mentioned. evidently feeling thu! lese are generally recognized and lmitted. .As '
 Why Girls Walked Out.
 Mr. Hicks said many questions had en asked concerning the walkout
 the union operators here. and par. plarlv why the strike was called lore any demand was presented. He id that ordinarily demands are made Pfcre a strike is called: that "this es done in a way" in this instance at the unions side had remained un- nlained until last night because "we dnt have any money, and didn't see e advisabihty of entering into g wspaper argument, so we kept ou'
 the papers and planned this meetine
 get our side before the public" He called the organization of the tele' none girls at Fort Smith and Little ock, and declared that young wome1 gre discharged for "going into tho nlon." He said the telephone com