The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-01-01
STRIKING PLAYED OUT.
THE READING employees FAIL TO
GO OUT IN A BODY.


Far from Paralyzed.
PHILADELPHIA, Dec. 31.-The action
taken by the local assemblies of the Knights
Of Labor last night indorsing the order OF
the Reading convention for general strike
of the Reading railroad employees did not
materially effect the business of the Read
ing company to-day The men did not
quit work with the alacrity which the lead
ers anticipated, and in many cases they re
fused point blank TO strike, pre-
feIing to renounce allegiance to the
knights of Labor The most notable
instance of obedience to the order of the
Knights was at the freight depot at the
Willow street wharf, where several hun
dred freight handlers and laborers refused
this morning TO continue work The retire
ment of this large force delayed business
for time, but in the course of a few hours
the company had gathered large number
Of non union men from various points and
put them to work, and the work of loading
fnd unloading freight at the depot was pro
eeded with.
~ THE BLOCKADE RAISED.
} The blockade was soon cleared up and the
.Ihcials reported everything moving salts
stIctorily. The presence of the green hands
attracted a few of the strikers and a crowd
of curious people to the wharves, but there
was no excitement or disorder. At some of
the other depots some few men went out,
but their places were quickly filed with
non-union men and the movement of regu-
lar freight trains was but slightly affected
There were many applications for work at
the main office of the company to-day, and
those whose services it was thought would
be of benefit were given letters to the de-
partment superintendent.
ALL QUIET AT PORT RICHMOND.
Everything remained quiet at Port Rich
mond to-day. The strike continued with
unabated vlgor so far as the men of Local
Assembly No 62S5 were concerned, but
the Reading company at Port Richmond
seems to be fast approaching a condition
that will make it independent of the old
men. The strikers still stood on the streets
and talked about sticking out to the end
but in the meantime the company was fast
taking on ali the hands it needed, and was
hourly getting nearer to the condition when
it car conduct its business
with new. hands. Supt. Keim
in explaining the situation at
Port Richmond to-day said: "At o'clock
this morning work was resumed at the coal
piers with the new men who were at work
yesterday, augmented by new arrivals of
some twenty or more Italians, who came
with am Interpreter, and probably fifty who
made individual application for work at the
Richmond street wharf. Ten wharf engines
are at work this morning, manned by three
local engineers and about seven new EN-
gineers. Four wharf engines are at the
round house under steam. but are being
held for returning loyal engineers, who, be-
cause of intimidation, have not yet reported
for duty.
LOADING VESSELS.
Yesterday a schooner, which arrived
during the afternoon, was loaded with a
full cargo of coal and sailed late during
the day The work of wheeling coal into
the various vessels and chuting coal direct
from cars to vessels is progressing all over
the pier. Another steam collier sailed for
an Eastern port to-day and the work of
loading the others now in port is progress
ing favorably.'
General Superintendent Sweigard said in
reference to the published report that a
committee of the knights of Labor was to
call on him, and give him official notifca-
tion of the action of the Reading conven-
ton, that he had heard nothing of the com
mittee and knew nothing of 10 other than
that what has been published. "No COM
mittee has been called, he said, lat least
not to my knowledge Some members OF
the Knights of Labor organization quit
work this morning, but their places have all
been filled | assure you the company's
business is not suffering in the least"
LABoR's EXECUTIVE BOARD.
al am simply giving my own opinion, !"
said Secretary Hayes, of the General
Executive Board of the Knights of Labor,
in discussing the situation, "but it is my
impression that the Executive Board will
not interfere in the matter. 1t has not been
asked to yet and do not believe it will be.
The strike is in the hands of the Reading
employees themselves, and [ judge they are
better able to handle it than any other body,
being thoroughly familiar with every
issue involved. So far as the Executive
Board is concerned the members
know nothing beyond what they have read
in the newspapers. You see we are not of
ficially informed of the strike unless we are
asked to interfere, SO that in this case we
have only the same means of learning the
news that the general public has"
''Do you regard the disarmament of Local
Assembly No. 1925 serious matter to the
orderN
mot at all. This is an every day event,
where one assembly disbands, five new ones
are organized"
URGING A STRIKE.
Most extraordinary efforts have been
made by the strikers in the coal regions
and in Philadelphia all the forenoon to in
duce the men in the shops in this city to
strike TelegraAA inn1inerable have been
sent here making al sorts of promises of
support and that il the Reading men would
join in the strike 1t would extend to every
station all over the Reading system So
far these kilograms have all been answered
by a stern refusal, the small percentage
of those in favor of a
strike not daring to go
out Advices from the coal region this af-
ternoon say that the most serious difficulty
there is on the Shamokin and Mahanoy di-
vision, where hardly dozen men are at
work The Gordon and Mahanoy planes
are likewise idle, and under this condition
OF things not all the coal mined could be
shipped TO tidewater if all the colierles
were running. In the Mahanoy valley alone
there are standing 1000 loaded coal cars un-
able to move.
NO STRIKE AT READING.
READING, PA, Dec. 3l.-Up to noon to-
day there was no signs OF a strike of the
Reading roads men in this section. The
company's car and machine shops, which
employ in their several departments 5000
men, have not been us busy as now in many
years. Heretofore in winter many suspen-
sions were made, and the employees retained
wore reduced TO eight hours ~ day. Now
every man has ten hours work, and many
make over time The several Knights of
Labor assemblies of this city have held
meetings, and the prevailing sentiment of
the members was that a strike would be ill
timed and not advisable, ard that nothing
would be gained thereby There was q notable