Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-02-16

IN" congregational IoyesfigatiOn -
President sorbin, of the Rend.
tag Company. Examined.

ihihtnEir HlA. February Is hc cougres.
F."h"' committee appointed 10 investigate tho
..'lh Hh Nh' h'eiipc railroad system and IN
lAn SaLuy lfii mud lcAigh coal regions and it~
relations iO ite alleged s'ou'age OF interstate
commerce on tho Kcadirg sysiem. net az She
Continental Hotel this morning and examined
ir'9i1ctt C0rbin. Of no Reading ttnNrlsd Com.
i4hl. lNe special purpose Of tho committee in
'lnlus sessions u t.is city Is a. hear the rail
i.t4o 7iie "a re question from officers 81 ,Ac
company. lu order g. Q-fllli-h the furlsli.-
li'n ~ the coWfaittrc tho alrnIe sion wa4 drawn
IRON MT. torbu iha Che Eoa4iug system had
''nnnt' non 10y way 0f Bound BROOK % New lork
atH through irhlic in hat direction, aud that 70
"'@o owns ana operates "a line of bpa's 10 carry
coal To- NnW loik. Boston. ami 0tuor Interstate
points. bat De said that the company iu ope-
riiihg these coal lines carried he coal OF The
hcahue coal and Iron Company. and was not
common carrier ia uis direction. Mr.. Anderson
aI,~ from me witness lhe fact that TIC Reading
hhhio61 Company ONus the entire capital stock
~ me kcGding Coal and Iron Company. The
charters OF both companies, Mr.. COfMn s0id,
aNleiai"l the present slate Constitution. aud
th'y expressly provided that the stock OF the
cont company might ue owned 10y the railroad
COMPANY, 80 th1t the prohibition o? SUCH
ownership ala not gilcrt these companies.
WINES said that when running fun time the
Reading ~ stem EN- plOys about ~ 1l0 men il OF
ahput the mncs. and there are now about 30W
employed Every effort hal been made 20 get
me men 20 muc ID" coal 40 81 prices as, in
competition with other operators. the company
couid AFFORD 70 pay. The Reading miners had
p.'h pail ON an average better wages than any
other miners iu the state. The miners were paid
on Siding scale, the basis Of which IL $3.50 per
ton for c0al BY "A special contract the miners in
uc hn0ilug system had been paid very large
ADVANCE Tor portion 81 last year because OF the
suiAc IN the Lehigh region. They had, now
ever. agreed togo back after January lat on the
Ola basis, aud because tho company could not
pay an advance they went out on a strike.
Mr. CUrbiu said that tie coal and iron company
made very little money when coal was az $3.50,
2 Ia ffta 90
Well. Witness item gave history Of the strike
now iu progress ON the railroad system aud IT'S
causes. BE said. aud explained at length the
reason for the statement. that the whole trouble
arose from tho attempts Of the Knights OF Labor
20 refuse % handle freight sent TO the Reading
system from the mines where there was a strike
I'm progress the Lehigh regionn and ia which
stTibc their organization WAS engaged, on 10 move
goods which carie from firms Win 10 employed
! "scab 30 OIL uon-uniOn labor Mr.. Corbln OK
planned that toe company was aHuud, rs conf
mon carrier. w accept AMI move all lrtlfhl
/ Oiierci % 10 for transportation, and could hOl
keep mon ia its employ who refused TO move
such freight
I'm speaking Of tho strikers who refused TO
come back whom they were given an opportunity
GA Tuesday. December 9th, after the Knights
had ordered them OIt, W. tornin suid; " in
this WY there were about 2.tlu men lhld on He
rolls AID none Of them shall come ba' TX while l
am president of the roaL'
MI ,,r1in quoted figures 90 show that he
EeaIiug Coal and Iron Company has only 10
epiNei since 1851 on an average lWehN-thfce
cent. ton net FOR coat, and said mat ho owner
of conf land would lease his property al
ROYALTY of tNc1tv-lve cents tou
Hefuraing to the question Of The Reading Coal
and iron Company SIR. COrbn said me cAplal
stock Of that company, Whl,h was luIl p"u''
was SSN0O' ana that 10 bad MORTGAGE
I don't of many millious-tlIriy or more
which were given for pur'ha'e-money anu
improvements lie explained that the Iue
of boats which Dee haI referred To "a caII!ihE
] coal iu connection with she Reading railroad
Company 90 Boston, New ORR, aud othcf points
was tie property Of the coal ana IRON conipany'
and NOT of ihe railroad company, ana ihal inc
b.af- were uOt Ou any Wci-uScer' alhci anu per
,.soort rfufa bat were CRAMPS" taking coal
/ To- such points A. from time TO Time were iouhu
/ necessary on convenient. The Reading ROAD does
NOT own or control any line out 81 INC S'ate tN-
cert the Bound Brook Line 10 New loTk' over
rbirh IN snips coal Boy way of the New Jersey
! Central 10 El1abcthpOrL 49,,
10 ina question " j. not coal higher now man
II wa before the strike and Is not Tess ptHs
Skinned -u Mr.. COrhlu said q" J es, coal Is hghti,
and we are practically out OF the coal business
now because We can't get anybody 10 NINE coal
referring T. the miners strike MT toiiIh
said. We are and have Dreh Wlhlhs 10 'Ahc
[ mn the question OF the read urtu eht OF INC
wages az he men n they VIII return 20 WOrk, bul
wee will not treat win them whlle lheY are OUT
We will make the basis "a high as any olhel
company, Uut We can maze IL HlEleI anu I'm.
/ neie with them. And another Thing, we can
tO tha plares Of the striking minors
iu ten DAYS N the new men can be protected
/ In in the mining districts hig men. WIN cIuD7
ana pistols, are violently hceP'us no' ,, oi,'J
/ nfher men but boys who desire 10 earn iNihs
ana t..p from starving away from me mines
and nro4kcrs. Ne have been coinpellcd TO pr"
/ fe.f th, roo men now at WORK ny ponce adi
I constable. and county Oihccis, Tue tApouSe7
of which We will be compelled 10 pay
/ don't care whether the men ucpuE ID IA" u
/ organizations or not We Will uV' scv4
I ,o ind them QUIZ but we VIII put 10
nr-h
/ ii,ris. and AK NO questions, but II mere Us hO
} more coal mined from the schuylklil region
,-.tl ,ye are compelled 20 mine II 10y dls'haIIih
| mon who have come 10 Us III our H"up4u az
/ STOOD by us 10 make way Tor re sIiher7' nO
more will ever DE mined WINE ha'o lhA"'"1o
l enough to prevent H. 49,. aha
/ Nt.T',.r,an Vilman sought 20 show mat the
railroad company. ia redht! o"iius ,no 90. ',.s
NON company. Was derelict Ia lt7 duS !, t@il y
/ H ,,,. iiter- state commerce. because the coal
/ and iron company was iainng 70 keeP its nm
I l., rreration 10 this MIR. C0rDn ftpHeu 'n'' H'
/ rf, ,of consider q coal company colhluoh Vti
I 80 "a mai IL was not bound 70 mine II 40
| ii,.r 4. ION of coal unless 10 saw NJ auu uat IL
/ was NOT hound by any KIND OF Jaw OF Vuis"',o'
=, ,,i,e its coal at a loss or merely TOT expenses
/ 1,, -, sre II OD men at Work on lhe lhllI"dI' Ht
,rg.t ~ snO ls-s than before the strike
80, a., tr,.,. are about 5000 miners al work a.
/ rnnpared with about l9uuO b'lolc W 81 ~
I Nntr1uble whatever has been eNpeilou'rd ~ /,
| ,,9,liug me railroad, aud tue company Na9 a.
{ INC men 10 wants. 49,, .ut,.-,.. o.
! thinning TO the attitude OF The strlkel.' 4
,.,n,nt,sr Of the committee asked whether NY
} 1,.r,in Jid not thiuk that IL was really ihe uls
/ ',ares 81 Sh.rkey and Hede when led 10 Ihe
-, To his no said, emphaucalIy' 10
H. H. M mon asked: Why DO you refuse 70 taae
N a. ~ ne 96JO men who went ont on thc ran.
/ g. g., svstem back?n d" Because they went Odl
i,,re onr road. Because they lett Us III W
/ ',,,.b ami tried 20 iujure our business. 10
,o,, mean g. say. and 70 20 Oh rec0Iu a. sa!inE
80 for mat. ana that only. YOU VIII no, ' IN.
| I'm hacg7" "Yes, enphaucahy' wan, INV
~ 90 ou re,ord they lCit NE ana ! gaze lncl
,ni.e IL will be pretty cod 1ay " 1,,,a
-, Who stood by me when neouo4 mp ,, a"'
- vino deserted aud attempted % run ny ~,
/ lies 80 a. Corbin concluded ms answers OlaIt'
=, 9'iiimau N a good-naiurru Nay CNplt's
,,,, none that he CorDln) might ,e'o9SlIet ~.
'no lr,fnation % keep ESQ Iaiitoad siI'aoi,
| un" e,l ont Of the settlement, anu No"iO
/ ,.,,',te,. hi. action With mercy. dit.
/ "u,ifri,, me progr.ss OF the hearing pr. torDi-
tthfelf ass lrcd mat tue sulke IA th9 inIutnt
saat ,yould DO over In a Ne.y Ie" 0als. as
$3.50 the committee the use OF a sptci" usi,
o one a., occasion Of their visit 10 me SchuylSu
upJn whittier they will 30 IN ie@ DAYS Oa
was politely declined, aad inc coIAinl
/ .he V4ia.taed 10 buy tickets aud pay lheH owl
soo Inc session lasted nearly SIX hours anu