Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-01-13
TaE READING TROUBLES.
Result or the Conference Between
President Corbin and Business.
IRy telegraph to the Dispatch.l


PHILADELPHIA, January 12.-lnquiry
here as to what happened at yesterdays
conference between President Corbin, OF
the Reading company, and the delega-
ton OF businessmen from the mining
regions is barren of results, but two New
York papers published this morning, IN
identical language, the following After
hearing what the different members OF the
committee bad to say Mr.. Corbin replied
that he heartily sympathized with the OBJ.
ject of the committee, which was 10 end
the strike, which he dep'ored as much
as any one but that the position and
duty Of the company were perfectly
clear. He said there was nothing the
company could submit to arbitration.
The subject OF the railroad strike was
closed that strike was over. The men
who LETT the service Of the company were
discharged, aud would under no circum-
stances be taken back. The leaders OF
the striking miners, he understood,
would not he satisfied even If the ques-
ton OF wages should be conceded. They
would demand that all the new men on
the railroad should he discharged and all
the discharged men taken back. This
alone would make arbitration impossible;
but beyond this Mr.. Corbin said the pc
siton Of the company regarding miners
wages was Just and fair and honest. aud
its maintenance was demanded by every
consideration Of sound business policy.
If all the coal companies, he said, could
be brought together to agree to an adj
vance OF wages, Reading would pay rs
high rates as anybody; but to talk
about submitting to arbitration mat
ter which might make it impossible
for the Reading company to compete
with other coal-producing and carry
ing companies was useless. These
were questions which the company
never could submit to arbitration. The
company bad taken its position with
great care and deliberatlon. 1t was
right and would never recede. He said
the miners bad violated their contract
with the company. The proper thing for
them to do was return to work, ana then
if they had any grievances the company
would patiently hear anything they had
to sey +; would do them full justice,
and would in the future. as it
had in the past, pay better wages
than any company for the same
class of work. Mr. Corbin said he felt
very sorry FOR the great body OF miners,
who he felt sure had been misled by
their leaders. He was sorry to see them
suffer; hoped that they would return to
work at once, and suggested to the COM
mittee that they might do excellent SER
wee to themselves, To the miners, to the
company and the public by trying to
cnliQhten the miners, who had been mis-
led into a strike which WAS utterly
wrong and without cause. They should
try, he said, to induce the miners to
return to their allegiance to the
company. This WAS the way. and the
ouly way, to end the strike. The com
mittce was much impressed with Mr..
COrbin's canoid statement Of the posi-
ton OF the company, which many OF
them admitted Vas nnpregEGble.
The miners committee returned to
P0ttsylle without having met any OF the
on..-rt Of the company. tn" most in
pO..2o. question is whether the miners
will, in case OF the advance they are bat
Ting Tor is granted. desert the railroad
men .nd return to work. The Knights
Of Labor leaders maintain that the men
will stand or fall together, and that the
strike cannot be settled unless both the
miners and the railroad hands are
appeased. The Reading officials gave
no information on the subject, and
the leaders VINO represent the miners
refuse TO define their position and to say
whether there is any possibility OF di-
vision of the two bodies of employees.
The only prominent leader in the city
was ". T.. Lewis, master workman OF
the Miners District Assembly, No. J33,
manager of the miners strike. He sub
mits good-natnredly to crOss-eXamlna-
ton by newspaper-m'n. and has under
their Efforts talked q GREAT deal and sald
nothing ct all beyond this "ihis much
vou can say, TINT when the proper time
comes we Will define our position and
the public will then be satisfied that we
are in the right.