The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-06-13
POSTAL GETS
PEACE OFFER
FROM UNION
First Steps Toward Settle
ment Of Nationwide Tele-
graph Strike Taken at Chi
Cago by Strikers Leaders.
BULLETIN.
BULLETIN.

WASHINGTON, June 13,-Employes
Of the Southern Bell Telephone com.
pany in Atlanta were dismissed "tor
good and sufficient reasons, and NOT
because OF union affiliations, Postal IN
spector Cole reported TO Postmaster.
General eurleson today,
CHICAGO, June t3--First steps toward
a settlement Of the nationwide strike
Of commercial teleqraphers were TAKEN
today when officials Of the Commercial
Teleuraphers' Union Of America submit.
ted TO the Postal Telegraph company
conditions upon which an agreement
could be based
Tho conditions, In effect, provide that
the strike would be called off so Tar as
the Postal is concerned II that company
viii agree to wage adjustments lmmedl-
ately after full control has been Given
the company by the wire adnlnlstra'
tlon.
The conditions which are understood
to have been requested by the Postal
Telegraph company, were forwarded TO
New York officials of the company to-
day according to reports here, Union
officials said an order issued sometime
ago by postmaster-G General Burloson
and still In effect prohibits the cont
mercial telegraph companies from slgns
Ing wage contracts with operators, For
this reason, 10 was stated, the condi.
tions were 50 drawn as TO provide actual
wage agreements would not he entered
into. nor other concessions granted un
| ~ after the government had dlseons
| ttnued all control,
with tho announced determiaRtiou pf'
/ making the wire tie-up IN the eonits
| try complete, SO far rs corumerrtai Dust
| ness IL concerned by next Mondays
pcketing committees in scores of towns
and cities today set 10 work urging
telephone girls to Join the strike Many
girls already are affiliated with the In
ternatlonal brotherhood Of electrical
workers which has called strikes for
next Monday that viii affect lJ0,e0o
workers according to strike leaders.
II was estimated the number ct
workers idle today exceeds 22,oOO with
the number swelling hourly. Moral
support to the strikers VIII be given
by the American train dispatchers as
soCiatiOn, according to n statement to-
| day by It's president. j G. lursen.
AZ the opening of the third day OF
the strike leaders IN the union today
professed to be encouraged, asserting
that additional men had gone out dur
Ing the last "a hours, and that more
would Join the ranks Of the strikers dur
ing the day On the other hand Officials
of the Western Union and Postal Tele-
graph companies claimed number OF
men who lctt their keys on the first day
Of the strike had returned to work and
| that only slight Inconvenience had been
| caused by the walkout.
linton officials said the order issued
Yesterday to members of the Order OF
Railway Telegraphers to refuse to
| handle commercial business Of the two
| big telegraph companies after tomor-
| row morning, would be Of great adj
| vantage In their fight to force recog-
milton of the right of collective bar
| gaining, improved working conditions
| and an Increase in wages. Further en-
| couragoment was found by the union
men In the order for a strike Of more
| than 100000 electrical workers next
| Monday unless n settlement of their
| differences were effected in the mean
| time.
IT also was announced today telegra-
| piers employed In the brokers Offices
| IN the West would hold meetings to de-
eide whether they would so out In
avmpathv with the commercial men
Only If Needed.
| S. j Konenkamp, president Of the
| Commercial TelegraphCrs union, who
is directing the strike from headquar-
| ters here, stated however, the broker
men would be called out only II It be-
| came apparent such acton was neces-
sary to win the strike,
| Despite claims Of union officials that
$4,000 telegraph operators We're idle
| yesterday and that the tie-up would be
complete by Monday, commercial tee
graph business particularly between tha
| larger cities, Is being handled on prac-
tically "A normal basis, according to re-
ports to the commercial companies here
| last night,
The strike leaders gained further con-
fidonce through adoption by the Amer
iCan Federation of lAUor of a resolu-
tion pledging moral support to ths
strike called for June l6. by the In
ternational Brotherhood of Electrical
| Workers The union men claim the
brotherhood has a membership of more
LAan 10000, which includes the bulk
of the union telephone operators
throughout the country Charles Ford,
secretary Of the brotherhood denied re-
ports that some of the members al
ready had walked out IN sympathy
with the striking telegraphers.
The Association of Western Union
Employees, which represents 60 per cent
Of the employees of the Western Union,
has received kilograms from all Sec
tions OF the country saying all work
ers were reporting for duty, despite the
propaganda of the strikers to spread
the trouble"
Fewer Postal employees were out yes
terday than Wednesday according to
reports to the Chicago office