Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-11
rnE READING LABOR TROUBLES.
Congregational Investigation - 10 the
Causes ana tGecta.
IBy tolegrQ0h u No Di.uatchl

iBy telegraph o. the Dispatch
WASHINGTON, February l0.-The spe-
cal committee appointed to investigate
the existing labor troubles in Pennsylva-
uia held ITS fret meeting To- day, and or
gained by eloctlng Representative I'LL
man as chairman. Representative
immm, of Pennsylvania, whose district
is IN the Reading coal region, WAS re-
quested to make preliminary statement
with reference 20 the troubles there upon
which the committee might proceed to
an intelligent investigation.
Mr.. Brumm was not sworn and was
REGARDED as AN adviser of the committee
rather thauasa witness. He began 10y say-
ug that in his opinion the trouble IN the
coal region, Is primarilv Il natural result
oi an over-developmcut of an industry
simulated dutmy the war The pro-
duet of anthracite Goa. under the present
system ol mining and shipping Is
larger than the demand for It at
present prices. Changes in the method
ID conducting coal business had
compelled Tie Reading company TO be-
come a proprietor of coal lands and TO
mIue coal for IT'S railroad 10 carry. and
DOW the anthracite coal trade OF Penn
-yivania was practically monopolzed by
tlrcc great corporal. Reading.
larkawanuo. and Lehigh. Formerly the
prices Of coal, rates OF toll and wages,
as We'll as the quantity OF output IN
these systems. had been regulated by
what was known as the Anthracite
Board of Trade, bu, now from the best
information he could get they were con
troled hv board consisting of repre-
sentative men from these thIee systems.
Ihr prices of coal We're regulated
hv circular issued 10y the CORPORATIONS,
rut now such prices were fixed he did
lot know, but probably 10y positive de
cree OF the heads Oi the corporations.
individual operations In the territory
controlled 10y the Reading were allotted
% certain output which they would be
permitted 10 anne. such allOtments be-
iug based upon the proportion which the
mining capacity of individuals bore to
That of tue whole Reading region. The
annual capacity Of the whole Reading
region WAS about thirty million tons, but
ONLY fifteen million tons were permitted
70 be mined. Mr. Brumm Was of the
opinion not only that this whole
striking business or lockout, as It should
be called. was fosiorcd by the heading
company, but that al OF the corporations
named were as deep IN the mud as the
Reading was IN the mlre Strikes and
l0ckouts helped 20 keep down oyer-pro-
auction. in his Judgment II the coal
mining business were not connected with
the carving system the effect would be
q pat a higher price on coal nj the
mines ana lower price on freight IN
;lat way, while miners could be- paid
higher wages. the lowering oil tolls would .
allow coal 70 be sold more cheaplv, and /
by the incidental Increased demand the /.
coal output could be increased and more +
work afforded the men. As an illustra-
ton, the price OF coal loaded IN cars 40 +
mines 100 miles from Philadelphia was /
81, and IN Philadelphia II was - per
ton in suit between q goldman and .
the Rea ing company, Reading itself I
admitted that the cost OF transportation /.
between tie two points was fifteen cents I
per ton. and vet they charged $3.50 more T
than that for freight When the Work I.
mans Benevolent Association was pow
er m the coal region, and there were nu- .
meTOus individual operators, Mr. Btumm
SAID. the men were better treated.
After this the railroads ny unnoyances .
Of all kinds crushed ont great many
individual operators and secured control /
Of others. From the time the "long (
strike occurred, in which tne men were /
beaten, there had been constant COM /
plants that while the established -. 30 4
scale, known ~ the Reading scale, was I
ostenslbly in existence, It MAS really 4
violated from time 10 time 70 the miners /
injury. Coming mp nearer to the present /
strike, Mr.. Brumm said that after the /
miners bad become more prosperous /
they again organized and made de-
mand for IL per cent. advance on the
scale. The Le6igh company refused to
submit the demand 10 arbitration, and
the result vas the present Lehlgh STRIKE,
which beesn in September. Reading
compromised on an per cent. advance
for four months
Mr.. Brumm then gave the miners
story OF the strike on the Reading,
which began In January. The statement
was in substance the same as that which
has already been Published, ana was