Republican farmer., 1919-04-18
N. E. PHONE SERVICE IS
 TIED UP
Completely Suspended By
 Strike of Operators This Morning.
OPERATORS QUIT
 AT7 O'CLOCK
Arrange For Little Interfer- ence With Army and
 Navy Business.

more than 5000 young women operators in the employ of the New England Telephone and Telegraph Company and the Providence Telephone Com pany for wage increases tied up the telephone service today in the greater part of New England, except in Connecticut.
 At T a. m. it was announced or ders issued by union leaders, virtu- l ally all the night operators in the larger cities and towns quit work and, accompanied by the day operators, reported at union headquarters for picket duty.
 From that hour telephone sub- scribers found their instruments useless, as the thousands of calls that lighted up the various switchboards went unanswered. Only chief opera tors remained at work, the supervisors going out with the operators. In some of the smaller exchanges ef- forts were made to give some sort Of service by the help of the chiefs and such other employees as could be ob- tained for the work, but they were able to handle only 8 small frac- ton of the business.
 At the main office of the New Eng land company here early in the day, 1t was announced that first reports indicated "a pretty complete tieup of the system, but with some local ser vice being given in small palces.'
 Plans were being made it was added. for restoration of service" Strike headquarters here reported all" of the five thousand operators in the Boston district idle, with un- nouncements coming in constantly that the strike order had been gener- ally observed iu outside cities. Pick cts were established in front of all the exchanges and at railroad stations, the union leaders ga ying they anticipat ed that the company would endeavor to operate the lines with men and wo- men from outside New England.
 There are approximately 63o.00C telephone subscribers in the four ] states served by the New England company, according to officials Five hundred of these are in Massachu- setts, Maine has 5000, New Hamp- shire had 10000 and Vermont 3O.O0O, | No immediate action in regard tC the strike was planned today by off cials of the department of justice, ac- | corcing to a statement by United
 States Attorney Thomas J. Boynton.
 The switc chboard in the Federal building was operated as usual, the } young women there having been in l structed to remain at their posts tc prevent interference with the malls. : Washington. April 15.---Holding the New England telephone strike was , wit j7lStjfiPaf Post STPT 7 General today instructed the man P ager of the company at Boston to re / place the strikers or take any other 7 steps to see that they maintain ser vice unimpaired.
 A committee of the employees called . on Postmaster General Burleson sev- , eral weeks ago, being received as representa- tives of their fellow work CTS. They asked for certain wage in creases and were told that the da, mands would Rave to be presented tc the company in Boston, which it was
 said they agreed to.
 Before they left, it was stated off cially today, Postmaster General Bur leson called the company manage and directed that when the scheduI was received it's consideration shouI. ,, be expedited much as possible ant . forwarded with recomme endations u the wage board In New York.
 1 When the schedule was not pre-
 sented, it was said, inquiry evoked
 the reply that the employees did no
 care to present a schedule.
 Handling of the situation created by the strike was said to be a matte ! entirely for the local authorities. Of . fciaIs of the postofice departmen
 claiming the government as trustee 1 ho n-o-artiaS O 7 operation resting with the compan,
 mana cement.
 Officials said the department hat
 expressed willingness to bargain col
 1ectively with the employees, it's posi-
 tion on that question being "entirel, 5 harmonious" with principles lait
 down by the war labor board. I'm l ! telephone employees, it was said, wer 7 asked to present a schedule of tn wages with increases desired, but re : fused to do so and the departmen
 had nothing on which to act.
 Springfield, Mass, April 15-Be , tween 500 and GOO operators. com a prising the entire union force of th' 3 New England Telephone and Tele graph company. obeyed the strike or
 der today in the district comprisini this city, Chicopee. Westfield anC : smaller towns. In the local exchang
 only one chief operator and her as
 sistant were on duty. Tickets wer . esta blished as soon as the operator ;, 1 of the night shift quit at : o'clocl ! and the girls patrolled the building | 1 in pairs as instructed by the police No effort was made today by tn management to open negotiations witt " the strikers. The operators held : meeting to discuss plans.
 Burlington, Vt, April 15-Tele
 phone service at the local exchang Il and throughort the city ceased at = o'clock this morning. all the regula = operators leaving the building. Elf l. forts are being made to answer emer is gency calls by employees who are no [ regular operators with a fair degre e of success. There was no evidenc il of ill feeling on the part of the strik ing operators and no disturb7A ce r have occurred the girls all stayin l away from the building