The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1934-12-28
Scant Reward
Given W estern
Union Stool
By a Telegraph Worker cOrre-
spondent

NEW York; you frequent the
business section around Third St.
and Broadway you will come across
Louie Moore. He is a Western Union
messenger. The only unusual thing
about Louie in appearance is that
he appears much older than the
average day messenger. The older
messengers grown old in the service
have been relegated to the night
shifts where they would not offend
the sensitive eyes of the business
men. But not Louie. He remains on
the day force in spite of his CRAVING
hair, his gradually slowening gait
and his wrinkling face. Louie Is past
40, possibly night so, and he still
wears the uniform of a Western
Union mutt" If you asked Louie
for his story he would not tell you
the truth. His shifty wandering
eyes would betray guilty con-
science, a sense of guilt that time
cannot erase.
He betrayed his fellow messengers
in 1924 and has done similar work
since then. The company's reward is
that Louie can wear his NUTS
uniform in the daylight instead of
after dusk. Yet Louie can't look you
straight in the eye Here's the low
down on Louie Moore.
In 1924 the exploited messengers
became restless under the increasing
pressure of their daily misery. Wage
cut followed speed-up in quick sue
cession under the impetus of the
new delivery policy. This delivery
policy was based upon more de-
liverieS 2nd pick-ups Of kilograms
at lower cost. The pressure Of dis
content pushed Louie Moore for
ward as the organizer of new
union. Immediately the officials of
the company with memory of strikes
in 1917, 1919 and 1922 still fresh in
their minds, got busy.
First, they started work on Louie
Moore. They asked him why he was
dissatisfied His complaint was that
he was messenger too long and
aspired to be clerk. Superinten-
dent Hayden, now deceased, pro-
NOTED him Immediately TO clerk,
stating he must have been overlook
ed but was willing to make amends.
Moore then showed his despicable
character by not only quitting his
organization work but also turned
the membership of the union over
to the company. Many were fired,
others transferred and some were
visited at their homes and threat
ened with dismissal if they didn't
quit their union.
Moore was satisfied with his cler-
ical job but not for long. After the
company was sure that the dangers
of a messenger union was over,
Moore was denoted back to a mes
senger. He is still plodding the
streets. However, they paid him
about two schedules higher than the
rest of the messengers in his Office.
For this bride Of higher schedules,
Moore acted as stool pigeon time
and time again. Each time the rates
Of pay were cut in his Office, Louie
reported the "kickers" who were
taken care of. He also passed among
the messengers in the wardrobes
and told the boys who were much
younger than he that the best thing
to do is to take the cuts and not to
do anything about 1t.
Louie Moore, the perennial stool
pigeon, is getting old. The memories
of his dirty, filthy betrayals may
not plague his nights but I'M
doubleday the messenger work is
beginning to gall on him. But what
can Judas Moore do about it? The
company no longer needs Louie who
has outgrown his usefulness but he
depends on his job to exc out his
miserable existence.
BY now Louie may be in the scrap
heap where all traitors belong.