The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1918-06-05

New York, June 2.-The Westerr
Union Telegraph has declined to sub.
NIT to the jurisdiction of the nationa,
war labor board which sought 10 ad-
just the differences between the com.
pany and those of its employees wh,
are members of the Commercial Tele-
sraphers' Union Of America.
The Western Unions decision be.
came known when the report of an
executive session OF the war board
held here yesterday, was made public
tonight. 1t embodied a report by W.
I'll. Taft and Frank p. Walsh. Joint
chairmen of the board. who conferred
with Newcomb Carlton. president of
the Western Union, in an effort to
compose the differences between the
company and those of it's EMPLOYEES
who had been dismissed, it was charg-
ed, because they joined the Com
mercial Telegraphers' Union of
America.
complaint against the company's
action was taken to the war board and
Mr.. Taft and Mr.. Walsh made an in
vestigation. They then submitted q
proposition in the nature of a COM
promise based on the principles un-
DERIVING the work of the war board.
This platform recognizes the right of
men to organize and holds they should
not be discharged for membership in
trades unions or for legitimate trade
union activities.
This compromise proposal under
which the Western Union was not re-
quired to recognize the union and by
which the union was bound not to Use
the strike an weapon, was submitted
to Mr.. Carlton, but he declined posi-
lively to permit employees of his COM
pany to join the union unless a refer
endum OF all the company's workers
showed that majority of them favor
ed such a step.
correspondence between Mr.. Taft
and Mr.. Carlton followed, with the
result that the joint chairmen ended
their report to the board yesterday
with this statement:
In view Of the correspondence il
does not seem useful to further pro-
long the mediation. The construction
OF our principles as set forth i'm Mr..
Tafts telegram to Mr.. Carlton leads
to the conclusion that the Western
Union Telegraph Company should ac-
cept this compromise 1t de-
ciines to do so or to submit to the
jurisdiction of this board and no fur
ther action Of the board is therefore
recommended except the publication
OF this report of the section and the
vote Of this board upon the report"
In his final letter to Mr.. Carlton,
Mr.. Taft wrote:
II ask you to consider again this
proposal before final rejection. OF
course your submission to our juris-
diction is a matter of discretion. but
L deprecate an attitude on the part
of an employer of men so widely dis
tributed which may defeat the use
fulness Of our board"
THE Western Union is not seeking
to deprive any one of his inalienablc
rights" said Mr.. Carlton, in a state
ment issued tonight, "but 1t recog-
nizes that it's employees must choose
employment with the CO.. "a q,
membership i'm the c. L. u. of A..
with employment in the many other
telegraph positions open to them. for
the Western Union employs less than
20 per cent. of the total telegraphers
In the United States. The company
says in effect to it's employees If you
desire to join the c. T. U. of A., then
we must part. So long as you retain
your position with the company you
will have every protection and a full
right OF appeal. but we can not agree
that YOU shall join any organization
which imperils the continuity of the
telegraph service which this COM
pany is expected to provide for the
government and public OF the United
States"