The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-04-15
BARRE PHONES
ARE SILENT
The Strike Went into Effect
Here at Z O'clock
This Morning
NEARLY ALL VERMONT
is NOW INVOLVED
Chief Operators Are Trying
to Answer Toll and
Emergency Calls

Practically all Vermont, with the ex-
ception of Montpelier, st. Johnsbury, st.
Adams and Newport land Woodsville
just across the Connecticut river, be.
came swept into the strike Of the tele-
phone operators of the New England
Telephone & Telegraph company this
morning; and the service at most OF the
stations was at a standstill except for
that which the chief operators could give.
The movement seems TO have gone like
wildare late yesterday, and in many Of
fees the managers did not expect the
action until the operators gave formal
notice by walking out.
In Barre the decision to 60 out was
reached at a meeting Of the operators
last night when c. W. Sawyer of White
River junction was present. Mr. Saw
yer addressed the members of the plant
department, SO called tincluding the me
Nehanical branch of the eompany's force
and then talked to the girls of the ex-
change. The plant department, compris-
ing IA men, announced that they would
go out Thursday morning at Z o'clock
pending the granting of their demands +;
and the operators, after temporarily or
ganizing by electing Mrs. Ethel Broggi
secretary, voted unanimously to go out
this morning at O'Clock
So when the chief operator, Miss Ida
Cook. arrived at the office this morning
she found the night force leaving for
home and no day force on hand and
Miss Cook, who is not a member of the
operators organization (ehief operators
are not qualified for membership has
had the entire board to herself all day
With the day force thus reduced from
eight to one, il manifestly has been i'm
possible to keep mp with the business
and hence the chief operator has been
attending merely 20 the urgent calls, in
cluding the toll service OF the exchange.
The commercial department is still at
work. The normal force of girls in Barre
is IL, of which 10 are operators, one a
chief operator and one in charge Of the
commercial department.
The girls in the Barre exchange have
been getting the same pay as in the
Montpelier and other exchanges " the
state, except at Burlington and Rutland.
They receive So a week at the outset,
with raise after short time. After
four years they get Sll.50 and after six
years Sl3 This is somewhat less than
in Boston, where the strike movement
started, the operators there getting a
minimum of IS a week and a maximum
of SIG after seven years 1t is under
4 L..s H. IL
$40 minimum and a SD maximum, the
maximum being reached in four years.
The girls in the Barre Office have an
eight t-hour day.
State Almost All Tied Up.
Manager ]. II. Gowdey Of the Barre,
Montpelier and Waterbury exchanges
came to Barre this morning from his Of
flee in Montpelier and investigated the
local situation He said that the service
all over Vermont was practically at Il
standstill Montpelier operators were
still working at that time although it
was not certain what course they would
pursue. Toll service was being kept
open, he said, and emergency calls were
being attended TO whenever the help
available would permit
Asked as to what steps the company
would take toward restoring the service
in case the strike should be of some
duration, Manager Gowdey said that the
first move, he expected, would be TO get
ex-operators to sit in, and, that if ex-
operators were not available it would be
necessary to teach new employees. He
said that the instructions from the com
pany came from William r. Driver of
Boston, who represents the New England
company.
Manager Gowdey expressed the opin-
ion that much of the disagreement be-
tween the operators and the company
was over the method of approach to
Postmaster General Burleson, who, rs
the government agent, controls the wire
systenaer He said that the operators in
Boston objected to taking their demands
to the local telephone officials, then with
the telephone operating board at New
York, again with the wire control board
in Washington and finally with Mr.. Bur
Lesson.
The state, with the exception of Mont
pelier. st. .Johnsbury st. Albans and
Newport, was involved in the strike this
morning, said Mr., Gowdey; and he add
ed that practically all of New Hamp-
shire, excepting Woodsville, was also
shut down except for the service which
chief operators were able to give. Mr..
Gowdey said that no demands had been
presented to him.
This disruption Of the telephone serv.
ice has, of course, seriously interfered
with business in Barre and hereabouts,
especially as the Inauguration of the
strike movement was not expected at
this time, although it was considered by
the public as probable that Vermont
would eventually be drawn into the mat
ter should the trouble at Boston be of
long duration.
Montpelier and Waterbury Out Thurs
day.
President w. b. Harmon Of the local
branch of the International brotherhood
of Electrical Workers, issued the follow
ing statement this forenoon to the press :
al peneraI strika of the oneratinp forces