The Bridgeport times and evening farmer., 1919-04-15
Y. E. PHONE
 SERVICE TIED UP
Continued from Page one)

ClcIL6S SGINSd Dy t4iS ANSW LHSldnu company, according to officials Five hundred of these are in Massachu- setts, Maine has 5000, New Hamp- shire had 40, 900 and Vermont 30,0OO.
 No immediate action in regard to the strike was planned today by off cials of the department of justice, ac- cOrGinE to statement by United States Attorney Thomas J. Boynton.
 The switchboard in the Federal building was operated as usual the young women there having been in structed to remain at their posts to prevent interference with the mails.
 Washington, April 15.---Holding the New England telephone strike was without justification, the Postmaster General today instructed tile man. | ager of the company at Boston to re- place the strikers or take any other steps to see that they maintain ser vice unimpaired.
 A committee of the employees called on Postmaster General Burleson sew eral weeks ago, being received as representatives of their fellow work c'-s. They asked for certain wage in creases and were told that the da- rnands would have to be presented to the company in Boston, which 1t was i said they agreed to.
 Before they left it was stated off, cially today, Postmaster General Bur 1 leson called the company manager | and directed that when the schedule ! was received it's consideration should | be expedited as much as possible and l forwarded with recommendations to the wage board in New York.
 When the schedule was not pre- | sented, it was said, inquiry evoked the reply that the employees did not l care to present a schedule.
 Handling of the situation created 1 by the strike was said to be a matter l entirely for the local authorities. Of l ficials of the postof1ce department ! claiming the government as a trustee l for the properties, with control of 1 operation resting with the company 1 management.
 Officials said the department had
 expressed willingness to bargain col 1 lectively with the employees, it's posi- I tion on that question being entirely | harmonious with principles laid 1 down by the war labor board. The
 telephone employees, 1t was said, were 1 asked to present a schedule Of the
 wages with increases desired, but re- i fused to do so and the department
 had nothing on which to act.
 Springfield, Mass, April 15-Be- 1 tween 500 and 600 operators, com prising the entire union force of the
 New England Telephone and Tele- | graph company, obeyed the strike or | der today in the district uprising
 this city, Chicopee, Westfield and
 smaller towns. In the local exchange 1 only one chief operator and her as
 sistant were on duty. Tickets were 1 established as soon as the operators
 of the night shift quit at ' o'clock
 and the girls patrolled the buildings
 in pairs as instructed by the police. | No effort was made today by the
 management to open negotiations with l the strikers. The operators held a
 meeting to discuss plans.
 Burlington, Vt. April 15-Tele-
 phone service at the local exchange
 and throughout the city ceased at '
 o'clock this morning, all the regular | operators leaving the building. Eff
 forts are being made to answer emer-
 gency calls by employees who are not
 regular operators with a fair degree 1 of success. There was no evidence of i'll feeling on the part of the strik- ing operators and no disturbances have occurred, the girls all staying
 away from the building.
 DED0DT EEEE0DQ