The Bottineau courant. (Bottineau, Bottineau County, N.D.) 1895-1929, 1919-02-06
WIRE OFFICIALS LOAF
konenkamp Charges Concerted
Effort Being Made to Dis
credit Federal Control.
Makes Claims Of Managers Deliberate
iy Impeding Efficiency Of Telegraph ;.
Transmission, in Order to Create
Prejudice Against Govern
ment Regulation.

In an effort to discredit federal con
troll of the telegraph the managers of
the Western Union and Postal are
practicing a sabotage that would land
any other person In the pe%nitentiary,
declares President Konenkamp of the
Commercial Telegraphers' union, who
is seeking the reinstatement of 700
victimized union telegraphers.
I'VE have a bundle Of testimony"
said Konenkamp, Ito support our
claim that the companies are sabo-
tagging the government; that they dis
charged competent and necessary to-
legraphers because these workers at
tended meetings of their union; that
company business is given the right Of
way yer important cash business that
Is often forwarded by mail, and that
telegraphers are ordered to go Slow
SO that managers may show the pub
lie, to use the words of one official,
This Is what you get under govern
ment CONTROL
Sidetrack Messages.
Postmaster General Burleson has
In his possession a protest by Atlanta
citizens who show that Western Union
officials at that gateway to the South
ordered employees to give company
business the right of way. The small
est detail of company management il
placed before business Of vital need
to the nation. As high a. 10000 of
these deadhead messages have been
filed In one day and important tele.
grams were shipped by railroad, while
company officials assured a complain
ing public that the government, and
not they, is responsible.
ITO perfect its sabotage policy at
Atlanta the company has ordered some
Of it's men to report at 10 a. m. in
stead Of $3.50. This has resulted In
an hour and one-half accumulation
Of business, in addition to the dead
head business, which company oflcials
increase whenever possible. Il
ordsrsd To 90 Slow.
From many western points I have
recsived Information that telegraphers
have been ordered to go slow-to re-
duce speed. This was one Of the
things that put Haywood and his
crowd in the Leavenworth peniten-
Giary.
AT Los Angeles, CAL, substitutes,
or what We call extra men, have been
told by Western Union omcials that
there WAS no work for them. At the
same time Santa Barbara and other
cities were calling Los Angeles for an
hour and ene-half. Later Los Angeles
would reply that its service II disor-
ganized because Of government con
troll
Competent Men Jobless.
"a Chicago competent telegraphers
IRE seeking employment while the
companies plead . lack Of men - an
oxcuse for poor service.
I'm Oklahoma City two operators
were discovered talking while At work.
They were discharged, and the COM
pany gave notice to connecting cities
That because Of the scarcity OF labor
the ONCE had to close ct midnight, and
fhat after4nidnight business would 10
handled the next day.
we have testimony that employees
. New York ONCE left their wires
@ mge other employees TO Join the
0mpany' union formed ~ President
GnSlton u ~ Westsrn Union. At the
mnne time WAr munitions plants 81
Anponia, Waterbuxy, Bridgeport and
othef Connections townsMsrs trying
@ oopnAct With New York 10 ct nd
Il Nl1&elr sceumulettng msn1ages.
a4EoWeGteFn Un10a g1so -