The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1918-08-11
OPERATORS NEAR
| STRIKE AGAINST
WESTERN union
continued Discharge of
| Organization Men
Create Bitterness.
no ACT MONDAY
.ompers Will See Burle-
son in Effort to Gam
Reinstatement and
| Square Deal.
TO ACT MONDAY

Washington. Aug 10~-President
y. J. Konenc4mp. Of the Commercial
Photographers union is tonight trying
10 hold hts organization away from
| he threatened strike Monday, at least
kntn Samuel Gompers. president OF
| he American Federation Of Labor,
ban see Postmaster General Rurleson
bird put labor's view Of the telegraph
Iituatton to him straight and ferctoly-
Mfr. Gompers hopes to see the post
master general Monday II the latter
returns to the city" said Frank Nor
bison vice president Of the American
Federation OF Labor, this evening.
1.-THE entire labor movement Is vitality
Interested in tho telegraph situation
nd Mr.. Gompers will lay the matter,
we understand il, before Mr. Burle-
on"
President kouencamp was wiring
is unions that with the assurances
hat had been given and the confer
|nces arranged for Monday ne
bought the strike threat harntui
ather than beneficial and declared
hal he would not sanction the strike
/ this time.
However, additional UNIONS were
Ixtng in stsike Yates aud u looked late
Knight as though konencamp might
OF be ahle To control his organiza-
&on. Seattle, on the coast had voted
b go out at noon Monday and the
hilaire OF the postotfiee department
|, curb the western Union's anti
MON war had been denounced IN
&,ch vigorous terms at a meeting OF
he New York operators that there
,as a report here thtt the New YORK
Operators might walk out.
Seattle's Central Federation OF
labor sent kilograms 10 David J.
Nevis Of the Burleson wire control
card. to Secretary NJ Labor Wilson
|ns to President Wilson. declaring
has the 5000 organized workers OF
cattle were highly indignant at the
reatment of the teleCrap piers and be-
eyed that the latter's patience had
een shamefuliy abused, The fele-
rams were Joined In by the mayor OF
cattle.
Unions at Savannah and New Or
Aans wired that they would Join with
tianta In a strike Monday at A, NJ.
l. Louis and Cincinnati had already
voted.
konencamp today broke the silence
imposed on him by Postmaster Bur
ssnn.
The matter has gone too far for
10 go unheard by the public any
bncer." he said. we have done
servthing possible to get this matter
e,tled for months. The war labor
bard recommended that our men dis
hsrged for union activities he re
STATED by the Western Union. freSi-
eut Wilson wrote letter TO Presi-
pnt Carlton. of the Western Union,
liking the same thing. The presi-
ent's labor policy covers every de-
and we have made We are lined up
huarely with him. Refusal of the
iestern Union to accept his policy
id failure of any authority To en-
krce it brings us to the pass at which
e now are"
Executive officers of unions closely
sociated with the c. T. Il. A, are in
he city in touch with the develop
snts. Among them are F. j. Nc
ulty. of the International Brother
pod of Electricians and II. b. Per-
am. OF the Order of Railway Tele-
taphers.
After conferences among them
lives and with Frank Morrison.
resident konencamp wrote the wire
hntrol committee today pointing out
at the war labor board and Presi
Init Wilson had both passed on the
stice of the telegraphers' demands
hd that now after months the post
kice was asking his men to wait a
rther indefinite time while IL made
new investigation. Meanwhile the
miles of the locked-out union men
ere in rags and starving. He ask
a blanket order of reinstatement
[ainst the Western Union. suggesting
lar If there .9ere disputed cases
ese might be the subject OF special
vestigation.
As the postmaster general was out
the city no action was taken on
e letter. No action can be taken
htil Monday when the Gompers-
nrleson conference is expected. But
ese will both come after Athe time
i by the southern locals for their