Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-02-17
INQUIRING STATESMEN.
THEY OBTAIN MORE INFORMATION
REGARDING THE READING.

Superintendent white the Subject ope r.
ated Upon-wbat He Knows About the
vexed Question-significant Figures Re-
IstIng to Labor In nIassaohusetts-An
Army of Unemployed Laborers.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Feb. IFS b. Whit
ing, general superintendent of the Reading
| Coal and Iron company, was the witness
examined Thursday by the house committee
invt stigating the strike. lie said in answer
| to Parkers questions that the anthracite ter
ritory embraced 40 square miles approxl-
mately, and that the total output of the
whole territory was 81, 76i no long tons in
| 1887. Coming down TO the miners strike he
| said the agreement published by Corbin be-
| tween the company and the miners was COM
posed principally by himself (Whitingl and
approved by the higher officers Previous to
Jan. /, 1883, the miners had wanted an ex-
tension of the time under which the per
cent. increase was paid, but when the agree
ment was made he told them the officers
could not go beyond the period of the receiv.
ers' control, which ended Jan, /, lsSs. The
object of the agreement was to put the min
ers on Jan. !, 1883, just where thoy were
before it was signed
He explained the basis often referred to-
1t meant that coal selling at 81. 30 per ton at
the mines certain wages were to be paid.
When the price of coal increased the wages
increased cent for every cents of increased
price. This was so much better than the Lee
high basis that man earning 81 per day in
the Reading mines would earn but Sl.SG in
the Lehigh mines. Generally Whiting cor
roborated the statements heretofore made by
President Corbin as to the September agree
ment--that If the Lehgh troubles were not
settled by Jan :, 1883, the men We're TO go
on working at the wages paid previous to
the agreement He said, however, that the
men believed the Lehigh strike would be
over before Jan. J. and when they found it
was not it presented an unexpected compile
cation to them.
The Knights of Labor was the organiza-
ton principally responsible for the strike.
That order had ordered the men to quit
work, and had prevented them from resum-
ing by methods usual in such cases. Out of
a total of = 600 men employed in the Read
ing collierts all but about 2,001 went out be-
tween Dec 10 and 20. About ., 900 of the
entire number of employees were boys, earn
ing 81 cents to 80 cents day. The men
earned from s. to 81 a day. lie could not
say what the average daily wages of the
miners were. The pay roll was over $500,
600 month, but many of the men did not
work every day.
Anderson has theory, gathered from the
testimony of the strikers examined in Wash
ington apparently, that the strike was en-
gneered by the railway officials, and just
here he put series of questions calculated to
bring out the facts in support of the theory
He asked: "Are men induced sometimes to
become idle to check the output of coalF
Whiting said there had been arrangements
between the prroduing colleries to stop he
mines when the supply of coal exceeded the
demand; and that such plan was in opera
ton in lss", at which time the percentage of
output for the Reading colieries was tixel at
20 per cent. # the whole.
Parker continued his questions to show
that the company had saved large sum in
wages by the strike, and Whiting said the
sum amounted to 100000 per month, but
notwithstanding the increase in the price OF
coal, which he judged had been about 80
cents per ton, he said the company, to the |
best of his knowledge and belief, had been u
loser by the strike.
ave understand" said Parker, shat doc |
tors bills, rents, grocery store accounts, sti-
ponds to the priests, etc, are deducted or col
lected from the wages of the men by the
company. Is that soi'
mo, sir. This company makes no such
collections, except the rent OF houses it |
owns" The only things the company sold |
were powder and fuses to the contractors, Tor |
use in opening up gaDg-ways in the mines |
1t is sod on fixed schedule according TO |
contract Whiting further said that the |
miners received 81 day and other classes in |
proportion at the fixed rate in force prior to |
Sept. II.
Whiting was not opposed to labor organi'
cations. The company had done nothing to
induce the strike. The men would be will |
ing to work for less wages if they had work |
to do. When sSed how it was that all tie
other companies could pay the advance, and
the Reading company refused, Mr. Whiting
said that they could pay it only while the
Reading mines were idlo, and tina the high
price of coal would not be maintained sim
gle day if the Reading strike was ended.