The Birmingham age-herald., 1919-06-12
Burleson Declares Strike Without Justification and No Amount of Pressure Will Bring Modification of
 Rules Affecting Employes
By Associated Pres.

Washington, June 11.-De- claring the strike of wire em- ployes which began today was " wholly without justification, :" Postmaster General Burleson said in a statement today that .''no amount of pressl,-e will avail to make the wire control board extend or go beyond" rules and regulations affecting employees laid down during the war by the national war labor board.
 MT. Burleson said his information was that telegraphic traffic had not and would not be delayed. Government business. which makes up the bulk of that handled by the telegraph com- panies here, was reported moving as usual today and at the state department it was said there had been no inter ruption of cable communications with Europe.
 The present strike of wire employees Is wholly without Justification" said the postmaster general Tt started at Atlanta, Ga, because it was claimed employees of the Southern Bell Tele- phone Company had been dismissed solely because of utilization with the labor organization. The complaint was promptly referred to post office inspect ors for investigation. While the in- vestigation was in progress and before the investigators had time to ascer- tain the facts a sympathetic strike against the Western Union was called in the southeastern states An in significant percentage of the operatives recognized this order to strike. Mes sages were not delayed and business was handled as usual. In the mean time 1t was ascertained that only seven employees of the Southern Bell Tele- phone company had been dismissed dur ing the month of May. as compared with an average of five for two months preceding and the nvestigation of these cases so far completed shows that no discrimination whatever has been practiced against employees of that company because of union utilization.
 CONTROL NECESSARY
 The senate committee having re- ported a bill in favor of turning back
  owners and she house ccsnmittee hav- ing indicated a purpose to take action along similar lines, an order was is sued continuing the operations of the wire systems for the remaining period of government control under order No. 1783, dated August 1, 1918. This was necessary so that the companies again could take up their own operations when the period of government control ends and could resume full control of their properties with as little confusion and disturbance as possible, and fur ther so that they could promptly take steps to protect their finances from the consequences of too sudden action on the part of state utilities commissions in the change of rates which had been fixed during the period of government control.
 After this order was issued the present strike was ordered Our in- formation is that the telegraphic traf- fic has not been delayed and the in- formation received indicates that it will not be delayed During the period of government control the rules and regu- lations of the war labor board have been strictly observed and will con- tinue to be observed during the con- tinuance of government control, but no amount of pressure will avail to make the wire control board extend or go beyond those regulations.
 When the period of government con- trol ends the wire systems can be and will be returned to their various own CTS intact with their operating organi- ga tions intact without the values of these properties having been in the slightest impaired.