The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-06-10
Tomorrow Is Telegraph Walk
out Day Over Nation.
Late Company Concessions All
That Can Avert 1t.
APPEAL TO UNION LABOR
President KOnenkamp Sends
Words to GOmpers.
Operators Say Million Back Pay
Is on Way.

Chicago, June 10.-Only eleventh
hour concessions by operating com
panies can prevent the strike tomor-
row of some 10000 telegraph and tele-
phone operators, S. ]. Konenkamp,
international president of the Com
merciaI Telegraphers' Union of Amer
lea, said today after receipt OF addi-
tIonal reports from locals in various
sections of the country.
The only ray of hope, union Off
cials said, was that officials of the
Postal Telegraph & Cable company
might sign the new agreement thus
keeping employees of that company out
Of the strike. This hope was based on
a message to the effect that the Fed
eraJ Telegraph company operating
land wireless lines on the Pacific coast
had offered to sign the new agree
ment.
Local chapters in many cities have
wired President Mackay of the Postal
company urging him to sign the new
agreement before the strike" said Ko-
nenkamp. Mr.. Mackay has always
been fair to us. 1t is not unlikely that
thru his efforts we may not have to
call out the Postal telegraphers."
Appeal to Gompers.
Mr. Konenkamp today sent the fol-
lowing telegram to Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, which is in session in At
lantic City:
'The Commercial Telegraphers Of the
United States will strike tomorrow for the
fundamental right to organize into trade
unions anil to bargain collectively The
attitude of the wire administration under
Bureson and his restoring President CarIe-
ton to control of the Western Union Tor
the purpose Of destroying us makes this
strike inevitable. You are aware of the
promises made to us by the goEerume ut.
You know how they were violated. Me'nq .
ton, conciliation and arbitration have not
been available for us because the em-
ployers, doubt our strength But feeI
confident we will surprise the nation by
"T earnestly ask the convention now In
session to take some action to help us
destroy the worst labor autocracy this
country has ever known
1t was announced that the Mont
gomery county Illinois) Telephone
and Telegraph company signed the
of between $50 and 200 workers which
had been in progress six days.
w. U. Employees May Not Join
The association of Western Union
employees may not Join the strike
Jos. H. Hays. president of the associa- =
ton. today sent a message to all mem
bers urging them to continue at work.
He said officials Of the Western
Union had assured him the company
would soon pay the retroactive wage
awards recently ordered by Pcstmas-
ter General Burleson and so end all
disputes over wages.
Mr.. KOnenkamp stated, however, that
all non union operators would strike
despite action of the association. adding
that many association members had
pledged unity in their respective districts
In supporting the strike.
Distribute Million in Back Pay.
New York. June 10-JOseph II. Hayes
president Of the Association Of Western
Union Employees, intimated today that the
Western Union, as soon as the present
ill-advised agitation is over" will dis
tribute about S1,OOO,Oo0 I'm back pay.
The postmaster general has, as you
know, turned the system over to the
Western Union organization to operate,
said Hayes, in n telegram sent to locals
Of the association in all parts of the
country.
We have taken this opportunity to
discuss with the company's officials the
retroactive feature of the increased com
pensntion made by the postmaster. Jan
uary 1, 1919. We feel justified In saying
that the company will at an early date
pay out of its own pocket to those of con
tinuous service from August 1, 1915 t.
January /. 1919. as outlined in the com
pany's letter of July %.