The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-01-19

fnvo.ginr tens Of tbouslndS OF workers Ia no
way conu,ctcl with tho original movement
Thodl soatsh has two phases: Tho Philadelphia
and Read.ay Railroad company, It's Line run
ming 10 tho Schuyiki.l from the former city
70 The later, AID sending bTanchcs through
ali that section Of the anthracite coal belt, Is
O very prcspslog3 corporation, o. wh Gu Mr.
Austin Ccrbia Is president. It's gross earn
incs IN 1857 were s2i, lj2,52J, an increase over
1885 Of { l,910,2ff, the clear profit over all
exrenses being reported at S2,@J3.OJ8. But
connected with it-indeed part OF the same
corporation-is tao Reading Coal and Iron
company, which he'd gross earnings last year
of si9. 455,8O7, and Il clear profit, Us reported
'on change" Of S654, 2l0. But in 1886 it Is
claimed there was a clear loss OF 81, l3l 49,.
Il is obvious that the managers would seek q
reodiustment OF the relations Of the two;
but it is ncedloss 10 detail tie movements, OK
cept ito state that the usual course was
adopted-tO reduce wages.
In the summer of lSS7 the average earn
ings Of a miner in the Schuylkill valley were
e. per day. Tic company then agreed 70
give an S per cent. advance, and in addition
/ per cent. for each advance OF 3 cents per
ton in the price of coal ct Schuylkill Haven
over the SEQ standard. As coal has lately
beon S2S5 or more at that point, the miner
who earned g day in August would now
be earning, say, 500 Per day :; the rate was
maintaincL. But tho company claims the ex-
pirati0a # that agreement, and 50 tbore is q
margin Of thirty OF forty cents a day Tor the
AVERAGE miner between the conflicting claims.
The company asserts that IL contracted
specifically with Tia men for the limited
time and stoottho loss. 0udtlat the men now
violate the agreement AID refuse to take then
share Of tue reduction. o. course, the miners
understood the agreement differently, and SO
5000 men ouit wOT. az the Instance Of John
II. Lee. chairman OF the reading employees,
the rullroad being also Involved Mr.. Cor
bin was able % supply tic place of the strik-
ers on tie railroad ~g.lioeutly 10 keep up a
sem5laace OF traffic; lat lie made no serious
attempt 20 DO So in the mines. The coal ship
ments rapidly declined, and one by one the
MANUFACTURES in all that region began clos
ing for want oi fuel; each stOppage cut OF all
increasing number Of closely related indus
tries, and 60 % least $1,000 workers soon be-
came Idle ond stagnation set in through all
the region.
Al Tho usual phenomena Of strikes have
been noted; tho mon who took the strikers
places Oh tAafr4ins were boycotted and they
welo Turned onf Of hotels and boarding
house.; tho Knights Of Labor began at once
organiziug all the connected industries to re-
sist any unduo pressure on tho miners; the
usual brood Of Pinkerton's men and detec-
tives were put on at once; the usual expires
sions OF hatred and defiance and the usual
contributions from workingmen elsewhere
were also soon the order Of the day. Cor
bins attitude has been that there is nothing
to compromiso-only an agreement TO carry
out. The business men of Reading and many
in Philadelphia early in the fight appealed
TO him 70 orbitrate, and suggested Mr..
George w. Childs, of The Philadelphia
Ledger, as referee, but Mr.. Corbin refused.
1t seems but yesterday that politicians
.spointed- with pride" 10 the fact that there