Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1888-02-13
Ri INVESTIGATION.
John L. Lee Tells the Story Of tho Strike to
the Committee.

the committee.
WASHINGTON, February John l..
Lee was the first witness before the strike
investigating committee to day. Mr.. Lee
detailed the events leading up to
and preceding the strike as they
have been published. Mr.. LEE said that
when the Lehigh strike was N he was
sent to Mr.. CoRBTN to secure his mediation
between the operators and the men.
He e~ndeavored to have Mr.. Corbin ex-
ert his influence in behalf of 4 settlement
between the Lehigh operators and the men.
Mr.. Corbin told him he did not zee why
there could not be a settlement; that he
was paying the 8 per cent advance and the
Lehigh could afford to pay it too. Mr.. Cor
bin, said he, as a business man, wanted to
make money, but he wanted 10 make it
out of the public. He would like to pay
the men good wages and the Company
would lose nothing by it, because coal
would advance and the public would
have to stand the expense. General
Manager McLead suggested anoth-
er advance on coal and said he
thought it would be best for the
men to make hay while the sun shone, but
witness thought that az it was likely the
conditions would continue only one month
the men would be better satisfied TO have
the present arrangements continue.
On cross examination witness said that
VIM. Il. Lewis, Of Columbus, Ohio, in
charge Of District 1876, miners organiza.
ton, could give positive evidence that there
has existed for some time a combination
between the powerful railroad corpora
tons having headquarters in New York to
break up the organization OF the knights
of Labor.
At the conclusion of Mr.. Lees testimony
Hugh McGarvey, of the Lehigh region,
took the stand and testified that he had
been a miner nearly all his life, but tor
two or three years past had been engaged
in other business. He was familiar with
the Lehigh mining business 81 far az it
concerned the workmen, but was not ia
miliar with the operators branch OF the
ydsiness.
In order to keep up wages, the miners
Union in 1870 enforced a thirty days stop
page, despite the operators protest. They
were refused work at the end of the thirty
DAYS and afterwards were told that they
would not be taken back except at q 10
per cent. reduction.
After a strike, they were forced to accept
the reduction. Witness declared that the
operators alone fixed the price of coal in
all cases.
In answer to Mr.. Stone, who asked what
was the immediate cause of the strike in
the Lehigh region, witness replied that the
basis of prices was too low. The rates
paid were 424 cents per ton for big vein,
while the contract called for 43} cents.
The advance demanded by the miners was
Is per cent. Miners would hardly average
$3.50 per annum as their earnings. Per
haps % per cent Of the miners accumulate
a little money.
Mr.. Stone asked if the operators had not
accumulated large fortunes. The witness
replied that some Of the wealthiest men in
the State were in the Lehigh region. Since
the strike began many Of the miners had
found work in other regions, but about 40
per cent. were still idle. He knew Of
none who were actually starving, but
there were many in want. Since Septem-
Der the labor organizations had distributed
SIS, 900 or $1,000 weekly among these peo-
pie. He saw that miners were valued by
the assessors of taxes at 800 and laborers
at SIS. The companies deducted the
amount of the taxes from the miners
wages, together with 2 per cent. commits.
sion for making the collection, aud turned
it over TO the collector of taxes. The tar
amounted to "a much as So so per man.
Chairman Tillmau believed that the
witness must be in error-saying that Is
four times as high ~ I have ever heard Of
a negro being taxed in the South, in the
nature OF o poll tax-for this is a poll
tax
In answer to Mr.. Parker, witness said
that the catholic miners paid their priests
about fifty cents a month apiece through
the company's office. At the time OF the
strike there were about 5, 900 Hungnrians,
Poles aud Italians in the region. The
chairman inquired whether the witness
was paid for lecturing for the benefit OF
the miners, and he replied in the afirma-
tive.
John H. Dawson, a miner from Mt. Car
mel, in the Schuylkill region was the next
witntss. He said that the general i'm
preston was that the Philadelphia and
Reading Railroad Company, and the Coal
and Iron Company were under the same
management. The witness told how the
operators had managed to reduce the wages
of miners by gradually increas-
ing the work by widening the breast OF
coal, while lowering the pay for yard:
The operators lived in luxury and had
their fast horses. Mr.. Pardee was worth
az 900 600 Thirtu-hra Years apn be Was