The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1919-04-17
BrattlebOrO and Bellows
Falls Operators Will
Gather in Latter Place to
Elect Officers of Local
Union = Farmers Lines
Can be Operated Without
Assistance of Central Of
flee

Four men, constituting the plant de-
phone exchange and including the wire
chief, went out on strike at Z O'Clock
this morning in accordance with an ulti-
matum given several days ago. Before
they went, however. the storage batteries
which are vitally essential TO the opera
tion of the telephone system, We're re-
newed and everything left in first class
condition SO far as the men were con-
cerned. The batteries viii last until to-
morrow forenoon, but it will be necessary
to re-charge them then if any service is
to be maintained.
While the strike of the men is largely
out of sympathy for the operators, they
also ask for an increase in wages, and it
is stated by some of them that neither
the men nor the operators win return to
work until both strikes are settled.
The plant department strike affects
all New England, so practically all of the
New England Telephone & Telegraph
Co.'S workers are now walking the
bricks" They say that they have prom
ise Of wide support from other labor or
carnations, which if carried out would
practically paralyze all industry.
The workers express the belief that
the strike could and would have been
settled if the government had left it to
General Manager Driver, as this is the
first labor trouble of any consequence be-
tween the company and its employees.
1t is declared here that more non
union operators than union operators
have left their posts in Vermont, because
they have the protection of the union,
and that when the trouble is adjusted
practically all the operators will become
unionized.
| Alfred E. Darling and Charles Tidd of
| the plant department here and four Brat
| tleboro operators went to Bellows Falls
this morning to attend meeting of the
| local union this afternoon for the elec-
tion of officers. The operators in the two
towns constitute one local union as there
are not enough in either place to consti-
tute union under the bylaws.
/ In response to the company's adver-
tisement for help several applications
have been received, but no new operators
have been hired. 1t is reported that a
| Bellows Falls operator was here yester-
day in an attempt to induce former opera
tors not to take the places of those
formerly connected with the local ex-
change.
In many places operators act as pickets
in front of the buildings where the tele-
phone offices are located, but no trouble
from this source has been experienced in
Brattleboro.
As result of the cessation of tele-
lphone service there has been substan-
tial increase in business at the Western
Union telegraph office.
i On the farmers lines the subscribers
can call each other without assistance
from the central office, and some of them
have an understanding as TO when they
viii take down their receivers SO as to
talk without ringing, thereby avoiding
annoyance by listeners.
All-night emergency service was main
ltained in the Brattleboro exchange last
night. but tonight the exchange will be
Ielosed at 10 o'clock as the tax on the
lstrength of the only two operators avail
able is found to be too great for continu-
Gus service.