Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-09

Grand Army Hall was half full OF people last
night when Mr.. Paul T. Bowen stated that the
meeting had been called for the purpose Of giving
the representatives OF the striking miners and
railroad men in Pennsylvania an opportunity to
tell OF the true state OF things at Reading and to
give the people OF Washington chance to extend
to the struggling workingmen such sympathy and
financial aid as they could. Messrs oyster, Law.
son, Stickel Suter, and Foley were appointed q
committee on resolutions. Mr.. Bowen then intro
duced the representative OF the Lehigh miners
Mr.. Hugh McGarvey, who gave a history OF the
controversy between the operators and the miners,
tracing the wage difficulty back to 1867 when a
system OF combinations OF corporations was
formed for the purpose OF reducing expenses, con-
sequent upon the close OF the war. Since that
time, he said. there has been gradual reduc-
t1on OF wages at the mines, and for over
seventeen years the anthracite miners have
existed In state OF wage-slavery. In
go mutual agreement was reached which
was observed by the corporations until about 1879
when there was great lockout, men being de-
prived or work for SIX months. They were then
compelled to accept reduction OF 20 per cent and
since then there have been further occasional re-
ductionS that have brought so per cent or the
miners down TO a bare subsistence. and a poor one
at tnat. Two years ago joint committee was
formed and invited the Operators to a discussion
OF the matter. This and OUher Invitations re-
quests and demands were'lgnored All the miners
ask is chance TO arbtrate, and they Will give the
operators the choice OF arb:tratOrs and also the
cnoice OF an umpire. The voice OF the Schuylkill
miners was TdlSeu Oy DANIEL McDuuy, who re-
peated Mr.. McGarvey's statements In regard to
the miserable condition OF the anthracite miners
AS Illustration OF the enormous profits made by
the operators he quoted the statistics OF 1856,
which show that the anthracite coal product OF the
state for that year Was worth Sl2O, 700 OOO while
the cost OF wages was but $50, ,OOO,OOO. The aver
age wages do not exceed $500 week.
The railroad mems side OF the question was pre-
sented by Messrs. Jas. p. McLeer and ]. Ii. Glea-
son. They described the manner in which the
Reading superintendent first promised and then
refused to arbitrate with the labor committee
and also how the telegraph companies refused to
send out the message ordering the strike.
Mr.. Bowen read letters from senator Blair and
Representative Cox regretting their inability to
attend the meeting, and then introduced Con-
gresham Brumn, or Pennsylvania, who eulOgiZed
the bravery and her0ism or the anthracite miners
He dealt with the corporations with ungloved
hands, and made an eloquent appeal TO the Dis
tricJ worklngmen TO aid their rell0w-laborers. He
said that II the Congressional special committee
would go TO the bottom facts startling state OF
things would be uncovered. He was followed by
Hon. Franklin BOrend, also from pennsylvania
who supplemented his earnest remarks by the do
nation OF a new bank-nOte toward the fund. the
committee appointed reported series OF resOlu-
tiOns expressing sympathy with the strikers ana
promising aid, which were unanimously adopted
committee was appointed 10 canvass Washing
ton 1Or FUNDS. collection was then taken up, re-
sulttng Ia liberal contribution.