The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-02-18

PHILADELPHIA, February i4.-S illafl
T. Lewis is National Master Workmanl
of the Miners District Knights of Labor.
He to-day proposed to order the miners
strike off in the Reading mines provided
assurance was given him that after work
was resumed the subject of wages would
be considered in conference of repre-
sentatives of the miners and mine own
ers. President Corbin, of the Reading
Road, speaking for himself, and Presi-
deat Keim, of the Reading Coal Com
pany, gave this assurance, saying the
proposition covered the ground assumed
by the Reading Company. Lewis left
for the coal regions to-day, and he is
quoted as saying that he would order
the strike off before tomorrow night.
The following is the correspondence
between Lewis and Corbin:
PHILADELPHIA, February 16.
Austin Corbin, Esq. President Philadelphia
and Reading Railway Company:
SIR-Being desirous to bring the strike
in the mining regionsof the Reading Coal
and Iron Company to a close, in order to
get the working people in or about those
mines to work. and speaking for those
workingmen, | propose to order re-
sumption of work at once upon your as
surance that / can promise the men
that after they have gone to work and
mining operations are in regular pro-
gress, the subject of wages will be con-
sidered in conference between the COM
pany and its employees or their repre-
sentatives, and upon further assurance
that no one shall be Disseminated
against by reason of his connection with
the strike. Yours, etc., w. I. LEWIS.
PHILADELPHIA, February II.
| Mr. w. T. Lewis:
| DEAR SIR Il am in receipt of your
| favor of this date. | have consulted Mr..
| Keim, president of the Coal and Iron
| Company, in relation to its contents, and
am authorized by him to say that 1t i.
| substantially in accord with our position
| and such action would be satisfactory to
us. No one will be Disseminated against
| because of his connection with the
strike; also, that this is not to be under
stood as protecting such men as have
| made or attempted to make personal as
sault ,pon the men remaining at work
and, I ther, that in any conference ovel
| wages the miners are not to expect us tC
pay higher rate of wages for mining
than those paid by other coal producing
companies in competition with us
namely, the Delaware, Lackawanna anC
Western, Delaware and Hudson, Lehigf
Valley, Lehigh Coal and Navigation
Company, and Lehigh and Wilkesbarr'
Company. But with the understanding
that we are willing to adopt basis tha
shall give our miners as much as is pail
/ bxy1 IF 10 II
derstood that the wages to be paid Oh
returning to work will be on the oil
So, so basis, and will remain under tina
basis until a change shall be mutual.
agreed upon. Yours truly,
AUSTIN CoRBIN.
PoTTsyILLE, PA, February 17.-Mas
ter Workman Lewis of the Miners M
tional Assembly arrived here to-nigh
bringing copies of his correspondent
with President Corbin, which he sd!
mitted to the miners joint committee
I charge of the strike. Lewis action W;
justified. and an address will be issue
at once ordering an immediate r
t sumption. This sudden turn
I affairs produces the liveliest graft
cation among all classes except tt
striking railroaders, who are tn
abandoned to their fate. Lee al
other railroad leaders are furious
Master Workmen Lewis and unsparil
in their denunciation of his alleged pc
fidy. They are in close communicate
tonight, presumably striving to devi
some expedient to meet the new pha
of the situation, but the univers
opinion among the outside communi
is that the railroad strike is now hoI
lessly lost cause.