The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-02-22
LEE GIVEN A HEARING.
HE EXPLAINS THE SPECIAL SER.
VICES" VOUCHER.

An Absolute Denial That he Was inthe
Employ of the Company to Report the
Mems Proceedings While in the Ser
vice Of the Knights--Why the Miners
Struck Tho Committee at Shenan-
doah.
PorTsyrLLE, PA, Feb 21.-John L.
Les, Chairman Of the Executive Committee
Of the Reading railroad employees, was be-
fore tAe Congressional Investigating Com
mittee this morning. Mr.. Lee desired to
b' sworn in reply to Superintendent Swell
CARDS testimony charging him with being
employed 10y the railroad company in Octo-
her last and paid by them to watch the em-
ployes who wers threatening to strike Mr..
Lee said that the voucher he signed
in October of Especial services"
at Pottsvillo was for work done
while in the regular employ of the COM
panY. a part OF the work being done in Sep
tembcr. He had for part Of the time
specified been engaged i'll finding out the
temper of the men, but he never was in the
pay Of the company while engaged i'll the
Business of organization He had signed
the voucher for special services because
Supt. Sweigard had told him to, MS the
work was done out of his regular employ
ment as machinist. He put in evidence
letter from himself to Sweigard
reporting the difficulties about
the movement of engines at Palo Alto
during the time which he was paid to show
this was part of the special service. The
letter was dated in September, which was
part of the time he was on this service.
Witness said he did not leave the companys
services until November, and denied abso-
Int I,r tl,ot ho haH In, M ,lru
of the company to report the mems proceed
ings during any of the time he was in SER
vice of the knights of Labor.
TwENTY-sTX CoLLIERIEs IN OPERATION.
If tho existing status throughout the 10.
gion can b3 maintained resumption may be
regarded aus accomplished
Tho CrOfter speakers argued that the
deer forests ought to be curtailed and the
land given to tine Crofters. II that were
done, they said, they would then favor en-
igration, if such scheme were found neces-
sary After IA lengthy discussion Mr.. Cam
eron's amendment was rejected by vote
Of 1914 TO 1873.
WHY THE MINERS STRUCK.
SHENANDOAH, PA, Feb. 21--After hear
inc Mr.. Lee at Pottsville the Congressional
committee came to Shenandoah, whore
several miners were heard. They concurred
in the opinion that the miners struck be-
cause bnb INellluR COdi COMPANY ItluSeu
TO continue the per cent. advance in wages
after Jan. |, and that the strike Of the rail
road men had nothing to do with the miners
strike Two of the witnesses said they had
been strikers and had returned to work
Monday under Master Workman Lewis
agreement with President Corbin, but had
been discharged. This they held to DO d
breach of Corbin's agreement.
John McCutcheon, an old miner, testified
rs to miners wages and the cost of produc-
ton of ton of coal from the mines He
thought that the labor would amount to
about SOC. a ton, and other expenses TO as
much more. Adding to this 35c for royalty,
he estimated that tho total cost to the
operator, not calculating the in
terest on his investment, would DO
81. % per ton, or perhaps less, not any more
certainly When the witness was asked
why he felt certain that the company could
pay per cent advance, he said that in 1869
and since, much more than that had been
paid, and coal was cheaper in 1869 than it
was now, and the cost of transportation
less.
STILL IN OPERATION.
ASHLAND, PA, Feb. 21.-The same col
lieries that worked yesterday were in opera
ton to-day. No employees have been dis
charged or suspended in this district and
the miners feel satisfied, but say that if
ordered out again they will obey the order.
The Reading company to-day had
twenty-six collieries i'll operation. Ton Of
their collieres are undergoing necessary re-
pairs and six are idle on account Of the men
refusing to obey the resumption order of
Master Workman Lewis. All the coieries
at work are practically full-handed, and
should no others resume the company would
probably ee quite able to produce all the
coal justified by the present de-
mand of the market. The alleged
DETERMINATIONS" continued to-day at
most Of the colleries where applications for
work we're made in considerable numbers,
but the coal and iron Office people claim
that the discrimination" consists simply in
refusing to discharge one man to make
room for another, and in not taking on
former strikers, except where their services
are needed. Whether this constitutes dis
elimination" in the Specification contem-
plated by the terms of the Corbin-
Lewis agreement, will remain for
tho National Master Workman to
decide. To this end his return
here from Philadelphia is anxiously awaited.
Should he decide it to be such it may be
predicted that the Reading authorities will
MOI yield TO his decision, while if he then
proceeds to carry out his threat Of calling
out the men again there are few here who
believe that his order will meet with general
response.