Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-12
THE READING STRIKE.
Tho InVestigation by the Congress
siOuaI Committee.

Tho investigation by the Congress
sionaI Committee.
IBy telegraph to the Dispstchl
WASHINGTON, February 1.-The in
vestigation into the Reading strike was
resumed to-day by the special committee
appointed by the Speaker for that pur-
pose. For the purpose of estopping the
Reading company from setting up any
claim that it Was not engaged in inter
commerce and was therefore not within
the jurisdiction of the committee, Rep
resentative Anderson read and had spread
upon the record n suit in which the
Reading company by its own plea adj
mltted that it was engaged in Interstate
commerce.
John l.. Lee. an employee of the
| Reading Railroad Company up to the
time of the present Troubles and who
was chairman OF the Executive Board OF
/ Knights of Labor for the Reading sys-
ten. was the first witness examined. In
answer to questions, Lee said he did not
consider that there was any strike on the
Reading railroad. 1t vas a lockout on
the part of the general superintendent
Of the Reading road. Five crews, he
said, refused To move cars at Port
Richmond and neutrality-suspicious.
Sweigert discharged them without giving
! them a hearing. There was an agree
ment that no man should be discharged
except after fair hearing. When the
superintendent refused TO relnstate the
men, pending hearing, a genera going
out followed. Subsequently q meeting
was held in Pottsville, and it was resolved
that & settlement should be effected.
Witness and others Immediately went
| to Philadelphia, and on December
18th they called on Superintendent
Sveigert and told him they were
willing TO resume work according to the
order issued by General Manager Nc
Leod stating that all employees who did
not report for duty on the morning OF
the 9th would be dismissed from tho
companys service. Sweigsrt said " The
order, be ID your committee would
not come and sec us, only you know you
are whipped. ! have eutgeneralled you.
Had | the power Mt my back that You
people have / could 30 in tins fight and
win, but the Knights OF Labor lead
/ ers have no brains. They are ID
towards, and they arc afraid to fight.
Witness told Sweigert that they came to
prevent the strike from going further,
and asked what were his terms. Swei-
CERT said Well, want the five crews
discharged never to work any more for
this company. / further want the dis
charge Of the master Workmen OF 6S2j
and of Bernard Sharkey." Witness told
him the terms were pretty hard, but
that it was better for the Knights TO
support the discharged men than have
the strike continue. 1hey then agreed
to declare the strike Of, and witness went
TO the Philadelphia Ledger and Press
Offices 10 give notice that the strike was
of. There was DO written agreement.
Sweigert was asked 10 put the agreement
in writing, but he refused and wanted to
know if they questioned his veracity.
The next day 6weigert failed to live up
to his agreement and discharged repre-
sentative men all along the line The
men went out, as there was nothing else
to do. Sweigert, when We saw him and
asked if he did not intend to live up t.
his agreement of last night, said that he
had changed his mind.
Lee also said the kilograms sent to the
men ordering them back to work had
been withheld, aud that he believed the
reason was that The railroad company
wanted an excuse TO refuse employment
to certain Of the men it had agreed to
take back. The result of Sweigert's re-
fusal to carry out bis agreement WAS the
cause CT the second strike or lockout.
On cross-examination as to witnesses
connection with the strike in the Lehigh
section, Lee stated that he was then on
leave OF absence from the Reading COM
PAW and that Sweigert, superintendent
Of the Reading, had offered to pay him
for the period Of his leave OF absence,
but witness had declined, saying he was
drawing g. 80 per day from the laboring-
men and could not afford to take pay
from the railroad. What Sveisert
wanted him to do was not stated. The
superintendent said that he made the
offer because witness had done a great
deal for the company.
In reply to another question witness
said William /. Lewis, of Columbus,
Ohio, in charge of District l35, miners
organization, could give positive evil
dence that there has existed for some
time a combination between powerful
railroad corporations having headquar-
ters in New York to break up the or
eanizstion of the Knights Of Labor.
Hugh McGarvey, OF the Lehigh re-
zion. took the stand and test fled that he
had been a miner nearly all his life, but !
for two or three years past had been en-
Gagged in other business. He was ia
miliar with the Lehigh mining business
so far as it concerned the workman, but
was not familiar with the operators !
branch of the business.