The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1918-07-08
Movement Was Called Off
by President of the
Union =
AFTER CONF ,ENCE
WITH s J. WILSON
Cabinet Off g Asked That
War VS TX Be Not
Ha4- licapped

Chicago, July S.The strike of tele-
graphers employed by the Western I'M
ion Telegraph company, set for o'clock
to-day did not take place, the order for
a strike having been revoked by s. j.
Konenkamp, president of the Commercial
Telegraph union, after long distance
telephone conference with Secretary of
Labor Wilson in Washington.
Secretary Wilson asked the head of
the Telegraphers' union not to allow in
terference with the transmission of mes
sages ''of vital consequence in the prose-
cution of the war" and Mr.. Konenkamp
announced that the strike had been in
definitely postponed.
"The strike scheduled for to-day will
not take place for the present" said
Konenkamp. SIT is deferred and / hope
will never be called. We believe we shall
obtain justice through the agency of the
government and in this belief, not wish
ing to embarrass the government in the
war, we are willing TO wait reason
able time for an adjustment
The strike call was issued after the
Western Union declined to accept de.
cisions of the national war labor board
of complaints of employees Of the com
pany that they had been discharged be-
cause of their affiliation with the union.
Incomplete reports received by Pres.
Konenkamp to-day indicated that lock
outs and strikes resulted in the absence
Of approximately 243 men from their
keys.
President Konenkamp telegraphed Sec
retary of Labor Wilson, calling attention
to the recent purported statement Of
President Carlton Of the Western Union
that if there were the slightest indica-
tion of obstruction of communications
he would not hesitate to grant the men
the right to organize.
New York, July s-President New
comb Carlton of the Western Union gave
out the following statement this morn
ing:
"The cold facts are these: On Sunday
afternoon strike meetings were called by
the Commercial Teegraphers' union in
all the principal cities. In many cities
there were so few present that the meet.
| ings were abandoned. Out of our 10000
odd operating employees, exactly So at
tended and Joined the union for the pur-
| pose Of a strike. This is the one and
only reason why the proposed strike was
called off !"
Atlanta, July Thirty-two union
telegraph operators left their keys at the
local Western Union Offices to-day be-
fore orders were received cancelling the
strike call.
H. c. Worthen, general superintendent
of the Western Union, said that else
where in the district east of the Missis-
sippi conditions were normal, except at
New Orleans. Union operators at New
Orleans were not permitted by the com
pany to go to work.
New Orleans, La, July s.-Members
Of the Commercial Telegraphers' union
of America, who reported for work at
the local offices of the Western Union
Telegraph company this morning were
told that the company had no further
need for their services. Each operator,
as he reported, was asked if he was
member of the union, and all replying
in the affirmative were turned away.
More than so men who had been refused
admittance to the Western Union office
were gathered at union headquarters
here for a special meeting of the local
this morning and union officials said that
according TO their reports less than
dozen non-mion operators were at work.