Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-19
THE READING rROCnLrS
'"o yong TesSionaItnvesttgationC Con-
ttnUed Yesterday.

10y telegraph . the Dispach1
fHILADELPnIA, february I8.--Tbe
congressional investigating committee
resumed ITS inquiry into the HEADING
railroad strike tins morning. the first
witness being GcuGal-Su
Swelgard, of the Reading Railroad Com.
pSny, who was recalled TO enable him 70
put In evidence the text of the agree.
ment made with the employees of the
Ih'road company, anc voucher show
ing that Lee, one of he leaders of the
labor organizations. had been in the nav
oil the company while he was at Potts
VILE at the outbreak ofthe trouble. MIR
F 0Weigard read clause IF the agreement
"hlch guaranteed 10 the men an in
Vestlgaton. The men lad claimed tbat
they had been guaranteed 4 fnr trial
before discharged for any cause. The
clause OF the agreementwhich was re,d
was that every man should receive fair
trial IN the case Of NV accident that
might have occurred through careless
ness. The Lee voucher was for special
services rendered during October at
Pottsyille, and the poywas at the rate
OF -. 80 day.
John Norris, one Of the editors of the
Philadelphia Record. was called. He
said that he had been Investigating the
coal trade and tae management OF the
Reading Coal and Iron Company for
many years, and as a consequence the
H'cord had gone into the coal business
Tor the benefit of the people of Phila-
delphla, and had succeeded in reducing
the retail price OF coal in the CITY from
5000 to $3.50 ton. This was done by
the HccOrd without profit for itself
Since the strike the puces had gone up
again. The company charged SI8O A
Ton from the mines NV, and did the
same service twenty-five years ago for
sL22l. Witness quotedfgures to show
that coal could bo bougm at Port Rich
mOnd for nincty-iive cents less ton. if
wanted for shipment to Boston or New
York, than was demanded if the very
same coal was intended for the Philadel-
phla trade. Norris said that last wear
the Reading Railroad Company had
earned 10 per cent on tie cost of the
road, and was one Of the most profitable
roads in the country. It's losses came
from the necessity of paying interest on
It's enormous debt, which was the result
Of the policy of combining ihe business
Of carrier with that of ming. Witness
said that be had thoroughly investigated
the statement made by CorIu that the
Reading Coal and Iron Company had
mined 1000, 600 tons Of ,oal from
1876 to 1858 at loss of over
Sl2,OOO,o0O having paid Sj7, 100000 to
mines and received but 81. $500, 600 for
their output Witness quoted fgtres
by years from 1876 TO 1883, and said that !
the proceeds for that period had really /
been, as shown 10y the company's own /
books, $50, G2f.00O, and thus the com
pany had really received S290O0,000 I.
more than it had paid ont
Norris proceeded at length TO give the /
committee a great deal OF statistics and I.
data, and at the conclusion of bis testi- /.
mony was cordially thanked for the light +
he had thrown upon the subject
II. j. Bennett, one OF the leaders Of /
the Knights OF Labor, WIS then put /
on the stand and testified TO facts in con
nection with tine strike and the interview .
with Sweigard. lie said that the clause
quoted 10y Swcigard from the agreement .
offered in evidence to-day was one I'M
der which they claimed tnat they were
entitled to an arbitration before the dis
charge Of the crews who refused to move /
Taylor ~ Sons cans. In reply to ques-
tons as to the right of labor TO dictate
terms to capital, witness said that, re-
sembling Providence in creating proper
tv. labor has a right TO control and man
age it.
Bennett went on TO review the strikers
version of the progress of events from
December Odd until the men went out on
q strike. He sal that over three hun
bred police officers were put IN the yards
at Port Richmond on December Odd, and
It was on account of their objection to
such police surveillance that the strikes at
Port Richmond took place. It was not
really an ordered strike, but a spontane-
,ous going out of the men. Atthe same
line the men had received information
IF the strike at EliZabethport on account
If the company's insisting upon their
oadlng of Eckley COxe's boats Coxe's
miners were on strike on December |
18th. Al the frcight-hsndlers went out
n sympathy with the ElZabeihport
.trikers. Bennett said Sweigard was
.shed by q committee from the men to
ubmit the question at once to arbi!ra-
ion. aud Bennett gave q narrative OF
he interview between the committee and
hat official. Bennett gave his version
4 the interview between Lee and
Sweigard. lie was not present himself.
ut when he came out Lee told him that
5weiparl .lad attempted to bribe HIM,
nd failing 10 DO this had discharged
lim.
The witness was then asked did the
Knights of Labor claim the night to !
ictste 10 the railroad company or ITS
nstomcr. what class Of men they should
mplov or what wages they should pay. !
Witness said q" No; but We claim the ,
light 10 compel the company and others {
o nav union wages if We can, and to do !
II lawful acts TO compel them to do So ,
Inion men in this purpose do not con .
ider either the rights Of the public or
he rights OF the company or OF Con-
ress. but only the nights OF the men IN
he organization. upon the theory that ID
hat body the concern OF one Is tle CON
ern of all" The basis of all strikes, he
aid in response to questions from Judge I
,bipman. was as he had said, that the ]
,en who created the products OF labor a
he laboringmen, had "A right to in avery f
,rge measure, ii not entirely, control 1t. !
Witness said that the strikers were sup G
orted by voluntary contributions which \
al been received by tue committee OF /
Inch he was chairman TO the amount OF y
B 600. and this amount had relieved Q
bout 600 or 700 persons all that had @
pplied for help. d
Considerable cross-exsmination fol- +
WED as to Lees action in being III the q
Nv of the railroad company when he s
as at Pottsville in October Witness Y
I'D that he did not know what business,
any. Lee had with the men at Potts
lie at that tiIne.l
The examination of the witness was
included by Mr. Anderson, who put a 6
lmber of questions to allow his own h
al Witnesses statement TO go on re V
I'D that labor as well as capital had G.
chit 70 combine for its own protection. d