The Atlanta constitution. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1885-19??, 1888-02-14
WHO rs TO BLAME
For the Labor Troubles in Penn
Syivania?
INVESTIGATION BY THE COMMITTEE.

WASHINGTON, February tt-Tho invcStga-
ton into the Reading strike was resumed to-
day by the special committee appointed by
the speaker for the purpose OF stopping
the Reading company from setting
mp any claim that it was not engaged in inter-
state commerce. and that it was. therefore,
not within the jurisdiction of tho committee
Representative Anderson road and had spread
upon the record a suit in which the Reading
company, by its own plea. admitted that it WAS
engaged in interstate commerce
John l.. Lee, an employe of tho Reading
railroad company, up to the time of tho pros
ent troubles and who was chairman of the
executive board of Knights OF Labor for the
Reading system, was the first witness exam
incd In answerto question. Mr.. Lee said he
did not consider that there was any
strike on the Reading railroad. 1t was
lockout on the part of the general
superintendent Of the Reading road Five
crews, he said, refused to move cars at Port
Richmond ard General Superintendent
Sweigort discharged them without giving
them u hearing. There was an agreement
that no man should be discharged except
after fair hearing. When the superintcn-
dent refused to reinstate the men, pending u
hearing, a general going out followed Suisse
quenty meeting was held in Pottsville and
it was resolved that Il settlement should DO
effected. Witness and others Immediately
went to Philadelphia. On December u they
called ON Superintendent Swcigert and told
him they Were willing to resume work accord
ing 20 the order issued by General Manager
Mcleod, stating that all employees who did not
report for duty on the morning of the 9th
would be dismissed from tho company's SER
vice. Mr. Sweigert said:
''Thc order be id Your committee
would not come and see us only you know you
are whipped. have out generated you. Had
| the power at my back that you people have |
could 80 into this fight and win, but the
knights of Labor leaders have no brains.
They are id towards, and they are afraid
to fight.
Witness told Mr.. Swegert that they came
to prevent the strike from going further and
asked what were his terms Mr. Swcigert
said:
"Wcll, I want tho five crews discharged.
never TO work any more for this company. |
further want the discharge of the master work
man of No. 6,2S5 and of Barnard Sharkey"
Witness told him the terms were pretty
hard, but that it was better for the knights TO
support the discharged men than have tho
strike continue. They then agreed TO declare
the strike of and witness went to the Phila-
delpha Ledger and Press offices to give
notice that the strike WAS of. There was no
written agreement. Mr. Sweiger: was ed to
put the agreement in writing, but he refused,
and wanted to know if they questioned his
veracity.
The next day Mr. Sweigert failed to live up
to his agreement and discharged representa-
tive men all along the limo. The men went
out, as there was nothing else to do MIR.
Sweigert, when we saw him and asked if he
did not intend TO live up to his agreement OF
iaat night, said ho had changed his mind.
On cross-cxamination as to witness con-
neCtion with the strike in tho Lehgh section,
Mr.. Lee said lie was then on leave OF alb
sence from the Reading company, and that MIR.
Swoigert, superintendent of tho Reading, had
offered To pay him for the period OF his leave
of absence, but tho witness had declined, say
ing he was drawing $50 per day from the
laboring men, and could not afford TO take pay
from the railroad.
About 5000 persons, or one half of those on
gagged III the mining business III the lIehigh
region were employed by practically but three
concerns. The strike in that region began in
September. The trouble was simply n contin-
uation OF the difficulties existing since 1871.
The immediate cause OF the strike was that, as
the wogknien claimed, the basis system of
wages Was too low. Tho men wanted an adj
vance OF sixteen per cent but the operators
took no notice of tho demand. The miners
would hardly average Sli0 per
annum their earnings. Perhaps
twenty-five per cent of the miners accumu-
lated little money; since the strike began
many of the Lchigh miners had found work in
other regions, bat about forty per cent were
stll idle. He knew Of none who were actually
starving, but there were many III want, Since
September labor organizations had distributed
5000 or rs, 900 weekly among these people
Ho said that the miners were valued by the
assessor of taxes at 800 and laborers at 1910.
The companies deducted the amount of taxes
from the miners wages, together with two per
cent commission for making tho collections
and turned ii over to the collector OF taxes
The tax amounted to as much as $3.50 for u
miner.
Chairman Tilman believed that the witness
must be in error, saying, that IS four times n
high rs | have ever heard of negro being
taxed in the south-In the nature of q poll tax,
for this IS II poll tax"