The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1919-04-15
STRIKE STARTED
ATT Il. VI. TODAY
IN FIVE STATES
All Of New England Involved in Move
ment with the Exception Of Connec-
ticut-Service Was Practically
at a StandStill.

Boston, April ia strike OF more
than 5000 young women operators in
the employ of the New England Tele-
phone and Telegraph company and the
Providence Telephone company for wage
increases tied up the telephone service
to-day in the greater part OF New Eng
land except in Connecticut. AT a. m.
in accordance with orders issued by un-
ion leaders, virtually all the night oper-
orators in the larger cities and towns
quit work and, accompanied by the day
operators, reported at union headguar
ters for picket duty.
From that hour telephone subscribers
found their instruments useless, as the
thousands of calls that lighted up the
various switchboards went unanswered.
Only chief operators remained at work,
the supervisors going out with the OPP
orators. In some of the smaller ex-
changes efforts were made to give some
sort Of service BY the help of the chiefs
and such other employees as could be OBJ
tanned for the work, but they were able
to handle only small fraction of the
business
AT the main office of the New England
company here early in the day, il was
announced that first reports indicated
"a pretty complete tie-up OF the sys.
tenn, but with some local service being
given in small places"
'Plans were being made" it was add
ed, "for restoration of service.
Strike headquarters here reported all
Of the five thousand operators in the
Boston district idle, with announcements
coming in constantly that the strike or
der had been generally observed IN out
side cities Pickets we're established in
front of all the exchanges and at railroad
stations, the union leaders saying they
anticipated that the company would at
tempt to operate the lines with men and
women from outside New England.
There are approximately $4,000 tele
phone subscribers in the four states
served by the New England company,
according to officials Five hundred
thousand Of these are in Massachusetts;
Maine has 10000, New Hampshire 10000
and Vermont 10000
No immediate action in regard to the
strike was planned to-day by the Off
cials Of the department Of justice, ac
cording to statement by Y. S, Attor
ney Boynton.
The switchboard in the federal build
ing was operated as usual, the young
women there having been instructed to
remain at their posts TO prevent inter-
ference with the mails
The stock exchange where business is
largely transacted over private lines, was
little affected by the strike, but broker
age houses dependent upon telephone or
ders from customers, were greatly handi
capped At the federal reserve bank,
where so per cent of the business is
usually transacted by telephone, it was
said that messengers were being used to
handle large part of the work and that
government telephone lines still in oper.
alton were taking care Of the remainder,
Almost a Panic in Boston Meeting.
A mass meeting of telephone operators
in Fay hall at the corner OF Washington
and fremont streets was adjourned when
it was discovered the hall would not hold
all who sought admission. Finding that
the crush in the aisle was too great, the
union leaders decided the hall must be
vacated. In the rush for the stairways
several girls fell and some tainted, but
no serious injury was sustained. Many
girls made their way down fire escapes.
Later the union officials endeavored to
obtain the use of Mechanics hall, the
largest in the city.