The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-06-17
HUBS HELLO QUEEN
HERE TO SHOW US
May Matthews, President Of
Local Al, Would Organize
Telephone Girls.
BARS SYMPATHY STRIKE
No Wire Walkout Now, Says
Carlton = Konenkamp Ex-
pects Settlement To-day.

Now that the telegraphers strike ID
Increasing. according to the telegraphers,
now that there isn't any strike, accord
ing TO Newcomb Carlton, president OF
the Western Union, and now that the
strike will probably be settled anyway
nv Wednesday, according to S. ]. Konen-
samp, president of the Telegraphers
Union, Miss May Matthews. president
a, Local Al Of Boston's fair telephone
operators, deserves some attention, two
or three hundred New York telephone
Eiris believe.
expected to throw the fear Of Cod into
the hearts Of the telephone officials. ac-
cording to an official of the telegraphers,
who later dictated a statement that the
officials we're panic stricken" when they
learned of her plans to organize a union
and subsequent sympathetic walkout.
Put the telephone officials apparently
we're unaware of panic stricken condi-
tons yesterday afternoon when F.. A.
stevenson. director of long lines of the
American Telephone and Telegraph Com
pany, said without agitation that the
operators of his company were apparent.
" satisfied. for there were no demands
before the officials Of the company.
Miss Matthews. who doesn't appear as
Il she could throw the fear" of any
thing into anybody. said that the policy
Of the telephone girls union would be
to avoid strikes as far as possible.
And Miss Matthews seems to follow
policies with fidelity; for, true to teIe-
phone custom, she kept several report
ers and newspaper photographers wait
ing for nearly an hour forty-five min
utes. to be exact-in the McAlpin Hotel
Yesterday while she took a bath.
She arrived here, she said, to better
conditions Of telephone girls by making
their living conditions better through in
creased wages, and she wishes to enlist
the sympathy of the public through the
press. The press was invited. and ac-
cep,ed, and she was asked TO FIX the time
for the interview.
Five o'clock at the McAlpln," she an
svered.
Reporters and photographers began to
arrive a little before 5. One telephoned
up at and learned from no less an au-
thority than Miss Matthews that she was
In her bath and would be thus engaged
until 5:45, telephone unions, reporters.
photographers or anything short of the
house catching FIRE in her particular sec
ton Notwithstanding.
They have called upon Miss Matthews
and found her a Utopian dream-in
Palm Beach, white hose and a fioppy
picture hat-who proposes to organize
them into union demanding better
wages and getting them. The girls are
enthusiastic about being organized, Miss
Matthews said, and then she proceeded
to deny in a well modulated voice the
long heralded sympathetic strike of the
telephone operators in affliation with
the striking telegraph operators. How
ever. late reports last night said that In
ST. Louis, Los Angeles and several
smaller cities. where telephone girls had
been organized recently the operators
had walked out. Gripping the service to
an undetermined extent.
However when she appeared she
wished 1t understood that the organi-
Estion OF the telephone girls into a
union was separate and distinct
measure and that it was in no wise re-
lated to the telegraphers nor did the
telephone girls contemplate instituting
a sympathetic strike with the teleg-
raphers
Discussing the teiegraphers' strike.
NJ. Carlton went so far as to say
there isn't any strike"
I'VE had little trouble in Oklahoma
City" Mr.. Carlton continued. But that
vas this morning. The men walked out
fo' little while, but the Office was re-
opened shortly afterward. Otherwise
conditions along the line are normal"
Edward Reynolds. vice-president and
general manager of the Postal Telegraph