Evening star., 1947-04-08
Telephone
Continued From First Page.)

OF tIl6 CcltpilOllc COlllPdly n1io Vic
Western Electric Co. here has halted
all work on the new Anacostia plant
at Twenty-eighth and M streets Sc
The telephone company said this
stoppage threatens to prevent the
May scheduled opening OF the two
new exchanges, Victor and Twining,
to serve $1,000 new subscribers In
that area.
Dial service continued without q
break. Manual service in the Lud-
low exchange in the District and
the Capitol Heights and Locust
Spruce exchanges In nearby Mary
land was kept going, although sub
scribers were asked to limit calls
to essential messages.
Joseph A. Beirne, president Of the
National Federation Of Telephone
Workers, declared that his union
has settled down to long strike. "
After conference last night with
Mr.. Warren, he said no settlement
proposal had been advanced.
In the country as whole the first
Nationwide strike of telephone
workers cut long distance service by
80 per cent and put millions Of
manually operated telephones prac-
tically out of commission.
Union and industry leaders re-
portedly were studying the situation
especially with an eye to determin-
i ing the effectiveness of both sides.
Union leaders declared that with
comparatively few exceptions their
forces were holding tight.
The Washington strike headquar-
ters at I'll Thirteenth street NV,
reported that union members were
holding firm" The pickets, a
spokesman said, are enthusiastic and
well disciplined.
Chesapeake g. Potomac Co
spokesmen here declared that be-
tween % and Is per cent of their
normal operating force was on duty
again today.
They are very proficient in their
| functions as emergency operators
and emergency calls are being han
died without difficulty, according to
j. B. Morrison, vice president and
general manager. He praised the
manner in which many management
employees are performing tasks con-
siderably difficult from their regular
duties.
General Picture Unchanged.
Company officials had an early
morning chuckle when a teen-age
messenger girl came into the build
ing and complained she has not re-
ceived a picketing assignment or
been measured for a placard. A
company representative told her the
strike headquarters was a few doors
down Thirteenth street.
The second day of the strike found
little outward change in the general
picture here. The Western Union
Telegraph Co. reported 20 to Is per
cent more kilograms yesterday and
this morning. An official reported
that some overtime" had been
worked by operators last night, but
the number of employees has not
been increased. Telegraph company
officials in New York said the COM
pany's business has increased about
Is per cent nationally.
Special arrangements were an
nounced by the District Medical
Society today to facilitate prompt
handling Of long distance medical
emergency calls.
1.-THE telephone company will
maintain long distance service to
the medical bureau for outgoing
calls" Bureau Manager ]. Richard
Connolly said. "Only emergency
calls such as calls to out-of-town
physicians for consultation and calls
for emergency medical supplies and
equipment will be accepted"
If a doctor has an emergency call
to make he should telephone the