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Newspaper Page Text
WESTERN UNION BLACKLIST IS REVEALED Henry Lynch, telegrapher, a Brit ish citizen living in Winnipeg, Can ada, told the U. S. industrial relations commission at Hotel Sherman today his story of why he quit the American flag. , "I was driven out of the United States hy the blacklist of the Western Union," he stated. "The only trade I can make a good living at is com mercial telegraphy. The Western Union discharged me along with 15 others in September, 1910. For six months I tried to get back. Officials from chief operator to general man ager admitted my record was clear, but they shut the door to me. "I have a list of the names of 18 other men now working in Canada in the same situation. They have quit the American flag and are now Brit ish subjects because the Western Union drove them out with its black list. "I am a member of the union in Canada. We have a contract with the Canadian Pacific Ry. During the 1st four years wages have been raised from $75 to $100 a month, hours of service reduced, two weeks' vacation yearly with pay secured. We have established the right of a man to have a chance to ilve as a man and deal with his employer in a manly, open way. S. J. Konnenkamp, president Com mercial Telegraphers' union, testi fied: ' "Western Union spies burglarize lockers -and search pockets of men suspected of union membership. Spotters live at boarding houses and listen to table talk hoping to catch union sympathizers. "Most of our members are on the union books with an alias instead of their real names. They pay their ini tiation fees and. dues and are en tered on the books at George Wash ington, Patrick Henry, Stonewall Jackson. All the greafmen of his-1 torjr have their names 'on our books. It is not uncommon for us to receive membership applications and the re quest that we enter them under false names. The rights of these men as American citizens are gone." o o HUMANITARIAN TREATMENT FOR CONVICTS GOES GOOD New York, April 13. Humanita rian treatment for convicts as exem plified in the reforms of Warden Os borne of Sing Sing prison received further impetus when it was learned today that the Western Union Tele graph Co. and the Pennsylvania Rail road Co. will co-operate by furnish ing employment to discharged pris oners properly recommended. The warden already has received telegraph instruments to be used in teaching classes in" telegraphy and 60 applications for enrollment were im mediately forthcoming from the con OPINIONS DIFFER -IN NAVY; ADMIRAL OUT OF OFFICE t -fto"" EL5KE Rear Admiral B. A. Fisk'e, who re signed 'from the navy. His testimony before the house, committee differed from'triat of Sfcy "Daniels." -&-,:..,