Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-01-27
CHAIRMAN LEES ANSWER.
HE ACCUSES PRESIDENT coRBlN OF
 BREAKING FAITH.
Charging the Company with Sending Pinkerton Detectives and Police to Port Richmond, Before Any Strike Took Place, to Intinidate the Workers.

PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 27-General Manager Mcleod, of the Reading railroad, was again in his office yesterday, and he said that he did not leave suddenly Wednesday to have a talk with President Corbin or anybody else on an important phase of the miners strike. His absence was due, he said, to routine matter of no public moment, and he had not held any consultations or received any propositions bearing thereon. He added that there was a heavy snow storm in the coal regions that had interfered with mining work.
 The impression in official quarters is that the resumption of work at individual collier ies will create such uneasiness among the Reading mine operatives that they will grad ually fall into line and resume, and that the companies that are now paying the advance will then stop doing so until readjustment of wages is reached.
 General Master Workman Powderly is so far recovered that he expects to be able to at tend the session of the executive board in this city on Feb. 6. He wrote letter to General Secretary Litchman, in which he said he hoped to be in Philadelphia in few days No action whatever has been taken in refer ence to the Reading strikes by the general board, nor is it likely that anything will be done before the regular meeting next month.
 Chairman Lee has just issued his reply to President Corbin. The following is copy:
 Mir. Corbin's statement of the railroad trouble and what he calls facts is known to be an untrue statement to mislead the public, as he attempted to do in the miners case, but failed. MT. Corbin says the employees of this company at Port Rich mond, in charge of the switch engines, refused to transfer the elevator company's goods consigned them, and for refusing were discharged.
 Now ask MT. Onrbin: Was he not aware that the general superintendent, Mir. Sweigard, had entered into an agreement that none of the employees of the company should he discharged without fair and impartial hearing? will refer Mir. Corbin to article 13 of the agreement signed by MT. Swiegard.
 When the committee waited upon Mr. Swell gard he refused to comply with the articles of agreement, and he further refused to hold any conference with the committee. The police and Pinkerton men were sent to Port Richmond, and were on the company's property intimidating the employees before any strike had taken place. This fact alone, MT. Corbin, justif1es the people in saying that the strike was premeditated by the officials of the Reading Railroad company. Bear in mind, MT. Corbin, your subordinates dis charged the men at Elizabethport without ac- knowledging the agreement between the com pany and its employees. We would like to call the attention of Mir. Corbin to the fact that the company, or it's representative, MT. SweigarI has made objections to labor organizations, and stated that they would wipe out the Knights of Labor. Finally, on Saturday, the 24th day of December the general manager issued an ord IT that the names of such employees as did not report for duty on the morning of TuIsday, the 27th day of December, would be sti4cken off tine rolls, and their places filled by new men. That done When our commit tee visited Mir Sweigard on Dec. 26 the committee agreed with MT. Sweigard to make an uncondi- tional surrender to him for the discharge of the five crews, together with Barnard, Sharkey and Ambrose Hede, and then agreed to obey the order issu d by General Manager Mcleod that the men who did not report for duty would be discharged.
 Now, right here, MT. Corbin, we would like to ask you: Did the company carry out the orders issued by the general manager when the subord mates under the general manager discharged all the prominent men along the entire line of the road who complied with his order of Saturday Dec. 24, and did go into effect Tuesday, Dec. 2i Who is at fault in this difficulty, the men who obeyed the order of the general manager or the officials who disrespected Mir. Mcleod and his order of Saturday, Dec 24?
 Mr. Corbin says: No man shall be ostracsed on this road because he belongs to labor organ is to render faithful service and obey the management" If MT. Corbin means what he says, and will act accordingly, there is nc good reason why he will not hear our side of the case, and when he gets the mems side of this case he cannot say they refused to obey the order oi the general manager, and if his officers have lost their heads and caused this strike, why moi shoulder the responsibility where it belongs anC 1 start your mines and railroad and do not let tho public suffer any loss and inconvenience on ac | count of the action of a few stubborn officials over whom you have absolute control The trouble caused by them, and it is the opinior of the general public that it is your duty to enc 1 the trouble. JOHN L. LEE,
 | Chairman of Executive Committee.
 READING, Jan. 27.-The great strike in tn, Schuykill regions is beginning to have seri ous effects in eastern Pennsylvania. No les than eleven furnaces have either been com pelled to blow out or bank up their stocks il consequence of their inability to get coal The striking miners are apparently as soit as rock, and the Reading company ha only been able to partially start up few O its collieries. It is said the individual opera tors are becoming dissatisfied and are dis posed to blame MT. Corbin for the presen state of affairs, as they are willing to pa, the per cent. advance.
 MT. CARMEL, Pa., Jan. 26.-The strik here is unchanged. Efforts made to star the Spring and Keystone collieries proved un successful The railroad yard at Locus Summit presents a deserted appearance There is not a single carload of coal on the | tracks.
 MT. Dingley's Shipping Bill. i WASHINGTON, Jan. 27.-The house yester day proceeded to the consideration of the bil amending the laws relating to navigation
 Mr. Dinolav of Maine explained that fin