The Washington herald., 1919-06-23

that the agreement with the Western
Union provided for an allowance by
the Federal government to that COM
pany of sS,O00.OCO per annum, to guar
antee the increased rate of dividend
established during the unusually pros
porous year 1917.
Owners Dividends Guaranteed.
By returning operating control of
the wires to the private owners, and
in force the financial
agreements. the operating companies
are guaranteed their high rates of divi-
dends and all necessary cash to fatten
their sinking and other funds from
government moneys collected by tax
alton from all of the people. There
tore. 1t is immaterial to the owners
under these conditions, whether the
telegraphers' strike lasts one month
or one year.
Telegraphers are. because of the
indifference and laxity of methods
of discipline and training, respon-
sibility for which lies with the man
agement of the telegraph companies,
lacking in technique in workman
ship. 1t is not lack of ambition on
the part of the individual that works
to his advantage in this respect. The
employing companies insist on speed
as against accuracy. and. preferen-
tial moving of profitable traffic to
the detriment OF prompt service on
urgent and Immediate service" mes
sages.
object to QucStionnaire.
This is little understood by the
. -
of irritation to the worker, who is
an unwilling party to a policy which
has for its purpose increasing of
net revenue at the expense of eff
cient service.
There are other features in con-
nection with employment in the tel
egraph service that have added to
the discomfort which finally resulted
in a walk-out. One of them is the
obnoxious questionnaire an appli-
cant is required to fill out before
given employment.
Are you a member of any teleg-
raphers' union?" is one of the ques-
tions.
Are you afflicted with writer's
cramps of telegraphers' paralysis?"
The telegrapher. as an individual.
is slow to resent infringement of
his personal liberties by employers.
But after years of patient submis-
sion to petty tyranny. a rancor de-
velops that. with frequent added in
suits to his independence and intel
ligence. makes him a worthy and
dangerous antagonist in a battle
such as is being fought now between
telegraphers and the Postmaster
General. by direction of his mentor.
Newcomb Carlton. president of the
Western Union Telegraph Company.
Resent Filling War Chest.
He resents most vigorously his mite,
contributed through subscriptions to
the war bonds, saving stamps, etc,
being used to make good losses sus-
tanned by the wire systems because of
the strike. He points with pride to
the service emblem and liberty loan
100 per cent credentials in the window
OF his home, and when an added gold
star indicates a son killed in battle, he
asks himself:
lis this what my boy fought for;
and is il to create a strike-breaking
fund that / have been investing my
spare change in war saving stamps?"
Six weeks before the strike order
was issued. the writer undertook. as
neutral, to harmonic the extreme
views obtaining among the leading
spirits on both sides.
With the knowledge that Postmaster
General Burleson's retirement was de-
sired by leaders in his party. and
that such retirement would have a
qUieting effect on the steadily increas-
ing unrest among workers who came
under his jurisdiction through war;
time legislation. I visited a high Of
fcial in the Postoffice Department and
put the case to him bluntly and with
out reservation, suggesting that in
view of the statements Of the Post
master General indicating that he had
no intention of resigning from the
Cabinet, might 1t not be possible to
induce him. on a plea of indisposition,
to take few months vacation and
give an acting Postmaster General an
to untangle the disturbing
developed since he was
given administrative powers of the va
rious wire communication systems.
The net result was comparable to a
pleading throng of helpless citizens
seeking admittance at the doors of an
empty citadel, to be greeted with a
resounding echo. Nobody home"