The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1888-01-05

the convention should devote itself to
doing the least it could for the miners.
unless the men in this city should re-
consider their former action not to
strike.
LATER.
AT midnight the convention is still
in session without having taken def
mite action on any subject. The indi-
cations are that strike in the Schuyl-
Kill mining region Will be ordered.
A GENERAL STRIKE ORDERED.
READING, PENN, Dee. 30.-The con-
J Ventlon OF Reading railroad employees
after continuous session of nearly
eight hours, adjourned at $50 O'Clock
this morning, and at the time decided
to issue orders for the general strike
TO take place at IL O'Clock to-day,
Every man in the employ of the Read.
ing Company with the exception of the
passenger train crews, track men and
signal tower men, and crossing watch
men is to go on strike, and fifteen
minutes after the meeting the signal
! was flashed across the wires to Phila-
delphia and Williamsport. The reso-
luton says that the men shall strike
and remain out until the company
shall agree to arbitrate all differences.
This includes shop men in this city
| who took the initiative in refusing to 60
out early this week, thus breaking the
backbone of the strike at that time and
every man who belongs to the
Knights.
A resolution was passed Offering a re-
ward of 81 1000 for the arrest of any
person who in any way destroys or
Injuries any of the company'S property.
The order includes not only the hands
on the main line, but over the whole
system and is to take effect at noon to-
day.
IL Z, 4bo,oht %bo& Tho ,Io,, Lo.a =,
this city Will not obey the order. After
an adjournment of the convention, the
miners held separate session and did
not adjourn until o'clock this morn
ing. They transacted nothing def
mite in reference to the strike, but
agreed to give full financial aud NOR
al support to the strikes on the railroad.
The Schuylkill county delegation con-
siSts of 125 delegates and they almost
to a man predict that the companys
sc, 600 miners would strike if they were
not continued the eight per cent ad-
vance. The miners did not decide to
strike with the railroad men because
they are working by an agreement with
the company which is binding until
January 1st, and because they still have
hopes the company will continue the
eight per cent advance.
Chairman Lee of the executive COM
mittee, before he left Reading this
morning declared that if a strike of mi
nerS did take place it would not only at
feet the Schuylkill miners but those in
the Wyoming fields, as well as the Lee
high miners. He felt sure they would
all remain firm, thus placing on strike
at one time 100000 miners and not a
pound of coal could then be mined.
Last nights convention consisted eX-
actly of $50 delegates, a majority of
whom came from the coal regions of
the Lehigh and the Wyoming miners
being also represented. The conven-
ton was entirely secret. Hardly del
egate arrived before shutdown last even
ing, and every one had disappeared
from the city before daylight. The
officials of the company i'll the city are
not greatly exercised over the new or
der for the railroaders to strike. They
say that trains are all running on time
and that they have all the men they
want and others in reserve, and that
the only danger is of a coal famine if
the miners should strike.
TO LEND HELPING HAND.
The trades unions of Reading COM
posed of such bodies as printers, hat
tiers, moulders, bakers, carpenters, hod
carriers, cigar makers, BARRIERS, etc,
have organized themselves into body
known as the Trade and Labor council,
which it is estimated represents 800
men. They do not affiliate with the
Knights of Labor. At d late hour last
night after a lengthy meeting the
council passed the following resolu-
tions:
Resolved, That we the Trade and
Labor council of Reading do censure
the Philadelphia & Reading Company
for their direct attack on organized
labor, and request all unions to extend
their sympathies and aid to those dir
ectIy injured by the company.
Resolved, That we severely condemn
the Brotherhood of Locomotive En-
gineers for their very ready offer of as
sistance of the company in the pres
ent difficulties on the road merely for
the purpose of seeking revenge.
CORBIN AND THE X. OF L.
READING. Pa, Dec. 3O.-This morn
ing the convention made public the
correspondence of the knights of La
Dor and the Miners and LabOrers'
Amalgamated association in Pottsville,
with President Corbin. In the first
dispatch the men say that they are de-
sirous of arbitrating, as public inter
ests demand satisfactory settlement;
work to continue as usual pending az
bitration. To this President Corbin
replied that he had nothing to arbi-
trate. The men replied that public in
terests should not suffer, and urgently
requested that negotiations open, in
hopes of an amicable adjustment.
President Corbin replied to this that
the company had nothing to discuss or
arbitrate He adds: ANY dictation
by anyone in our employ as to how we
shall do our business, will be followed
by the immediate discharge of the med
der He says that employees must
decide as between the Knights of Labor
and the company. He adds: IF such
allegiance is to the knights of Labor
first, such men won't be tolerated in
our service a minute To this the
men replied that they wanted to avoid
the impending difficulty, but would
contest every inch of ground, inspired
by the motto, No surrender until vic
tory is complete