New-York tribune., 1919-06-10
Plans a Nationwide Protest
Agai11st Using Levies ON
Income to Reimburse w.
u. and Other Companies
All Unions Asked to Aid
Company Head Charges US.
Official Backs Plan to
Force Federal Action
A protest by eseanizad -labor against

A protest by esganizsd labor against
the diversion of income and Federal
taxes for the, purpose of making good
any loss that the Western Union and
ether wire systems of the country may
sustain in the nationwide wire strike,
called for Tomorrow, is planned by the
Commercial Telegraphers' Union, it was
announced here last night.
A resolution will be introduced with
in few days at the American FEEDER
alton of Labor Convention, now in ses-
sion at Atlantic City, calling on that
organizations 100000 members to
make such a protest, Percy Thomas,
deputy international president of the
wire union, declared.
Mr.. Thomas, who has said that un-
der the present arrangement between
government and companies, Federal
guarantees leave owners of wire sys-
TENS free to fight labor at the expense
Of the government, asserted that, fol-
lowing the introduction of the reso
luton, the general public would be
called on to join in the protest against
contributing money toward what he
termed a basic attempt "to strike a
death blow at the right of labor to
organize"
Plans Widespread Protest
Millions of protest slips will be
printed, Mr.. Thomas declared, and dis
tributed all over the country for filing
with the next income tax instalment,
due June Is, and on the payment of
Federal taxes Of all kinds, including
amusement and luxury levies. A for
NAL statement issued by Mr.. Thomas
reads:
"a resolution will be introduced at
the American Federation of Labor con-
vention, which in effect will call upon
all union men who pay an income tax
or other Federal taxes to file with
their payments written protest
against the diversion of any of their
money to the Western Union Telegraph
Company and other wire systems.
"Under the present plan between
wire companies and the government,
every union man who pays a Federal
tax does so with the certainty that
the money he tolls for will be used
to make good any losses the Western
Union suffers in this strike and to
Union of America, a constituent men,
Der of the American Federation of
Labor, and, basically, to strike a death
blow at the right of labor to organize" :"
Blames Federal Official
Other developments in the wire
strike situation, scheduled to begin at
six a. m. tomorrow, were:
The charge by Newcomb Carlton,
presidentsof the Western Union, that
the telegraphers' union, acting under
suggestion by an official in Washing
ton, is trying to frighten the public
into the belief that the wire situation
is so acute that it requires interference
by the government, and the reiteration
OF his opinion that there will be no
strike of Western Union employees to-
morrow.
Statement by Joseph P. Hayes, presi-
dent of the Association of Western
Union Employees, that kilograms from
locals of his association, which he says
has $1,000 members, are coming in
from all over the country, pledeing
loyalty to President Carlton, and pre-
dieting that the strike will prove a
fizzle and spend itself in a few DAYS.
Announcement by Mr.. Hayes that the
Western Union Company had decided
to pay out of it's own pocket wage in
creases granted to it's employees, retro
active from August /, 1918, to January
I, 1919, which had been eliminated by
postmaster General Bureleson. This
back pay, according to Mr.. Hayes, will
total about s1,o00,OOO.
Declarations by Vice President
Aingsbury, of the American Telephone