Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-02-11

BEADING sTRIKR INVESTIGATION.
The Special Houss Coumissss ss wsrs.
The House committee TO investigate the Reading
Railroad and coal mining troubles Organized yes
terdsy, with Mr.. Ttllman as chairman. Mr..
brumm, VINO represents the mining district in the
House, was requested by the committee to make q
general statement OF the situation. He said that
before the war coal was mined exclusively by In
dlviduai OPERATORS but since then the Reading cor
poration had abs rbed nearly all the mines In the
district he thought that the absorption OF the
lands In what Is called the upper or wyoming re.
gion had compelled the Reading Carrying COM
pany, rs matter OF business, 10 also absorb coal
lands, In order that 1t might secure the transport
tation OF coal in It's territory The three coal sys-
tems-the Lackawanpa the Lehigh and the Read
lng-had taken up nearly all OF the coal lands In
their respective regions. These corp rations ana
than the market demands at ruling prices, inaug-
urated system OF allotments by which they Ill
a,r 70 NJ aa,n certain percentage OF the out
Reading COS Percentage, he thought, was about
~ per cent; That OF the Lackawanna somewhat
Larger, aud the Lehigh took tine rest. The Read
Ing Co.. after Obtaining control OF the whole region
oy extensive purchases, allotted TO individual
operaatofs the share Of the output which they
would DC permitted to mime, such ailotmentS
being oaSed upon the proportion which the mining
capacity Oh the individuals bore 70 that OF the
Co. was not party TO the allotment, that road
oellevlhg that by reason or It's immense power 1t
could sell the Comparatively small quantity OF this
coal " men IL mlued In excess OF It's own cOnsump
tlOn; de was Q. the opinion not only that this
whole striking business or lockout us IL should he
s @ t WAS i1stered by the Reading Co. but that
mug as the heading was In the mire. II The coal
mining business were not connected with the
carr ing system, the effect would be to put a
high price ON coal at the mines and a lower price
On Helgnt In that way, while the miners could
De paid higher wages, the lowering OF the tolls
would aiiOw coal " be sold cheaper and by the
inciuent Increased demand, The coal output could
De Increased, and more work afforded the men.
Testimony To-day
WITNESS WHO SAYS IT Is A LoCKour-Nor
STRIKE.
The committee got together little after IL
O'Clock this morning. The first witness examined
was John L. Lee Of Philadelphia, one of the locked
out employees and chairman OF the p. r. executive
colnmitte OF the Knights OF Labor. He said he had
first entered the employ Of the road IN $780, He
ooJected TO terming the trouble strike, and
INSISTED THAT IT WAS A LOCKOUT,
as the railroad refused to permit the men to go to
that they should. He gave history Of the begin
ming OF the strike. He said that between six and
seven men vent out. The lockout Started with
two occurrences on the same day, the 2:3d OF De-
cemDef, ne thought One Was The refusal OF the
men at Elizabeth Port TO load barges; and the
OF her Was the discharge OF five crews at Richmond
fOTJ III september before That there hdQ 0een q
niue Trouble The men mad side-tracked cars
loaded with Lehigh coal, and refused to handle
tne coal because OF the Lenign striAe.
THE COAL WOULD HAVE TO BE MOVED.
When he (wttness) called on MIR. Corbin, the
president OF the Rea,Iing road, TO make settle
ment, Mr. Corbin said that this co Il would have to
be moved, as the company was a common carrier
ana the law required them TO carry 1t. The strik-
ers, he said were violating the law. Beng con-
vinced OF the correctness OF this statement, the
moved Witness n an lnf,.
view between himself and superintendent wigard,
of the Reading co.
THE ROAD WANTED THE STRIKE TO co ON.
Witness went to Mr.. SwigarJ'S Office to go back
TO work. He SAID Swigard told him that he
wanted him to stay out; 10 do just what he was
doing.
THE STRIKE BENEFIT TG THE ROAD.
"You are doing more, witness quoted Swigard as
saying, Ethan twenty five machinistS This strike
is benefit TO the road" He said they were max
Ing money out Of 1t. They did not want the pup
lie To know this.
and President Corbin and Mr.. Mcleod when wit
ness had asked their assistance TO settle The
trouble between the Length operators and the men.
Mr. COroln had replied. he said, that he thought
The Lehis h operators ought to make the advance
or pei cent; that he was paying IL, and they
could AFFORD IL. All he wanted was
TO MAKE MONEY OUT OF THE PUBLIC.
Mr.. Mcleod, witness said, proposed an advance
ought TO make hay while the sun was shining.
The money all came out OF the public, and the
men and the Reading company, 1t was suggested
might make money out Of the Lehigh strike by
explained to the committed that the miners would
have got per cent OF the advance Of the price OF
coal.
WOULD NOT ENTER INTO THE COMBINATION.
Witness said he refused, on the part OF the en-
ployes, TO enter into such a combination with the
Vya oafd hat Tho
the pay they were getting at pres mt rates. They
did not want to take advantage OF the situation
TO get a temporary advance In wages by raising
the price OF coal
THE COMPANY BREAK FAITH.
witness further described how the officers OF the
Reading Company had agreed that the men should
all he put TO work II they would come back on the
9th OF December. Upon this assurance he (wit-
ness had declared the strike off. lie announced
in the papers that IL Was Off. But the next day,
when the men started to work, the company re-
fused 10 keep this agreement. Mr.. Swgard de-
clared that he did not give d for the agree
ment; they would take such men they wanted.
Witness arterward described how Mr.. COrbin had
tried TO induce MIN 10 desert the employers, hint
than that OF mere macninist.
ANOTHER WITNESS.
At the close OF Mr.. Lees testimony recess was
taken. They met again at eco, and Hugh McGar-
vey was PVT upon the stand He represented the
miners OF the Leigh region. He was taken into
sR ea ass01 ' h his t Mpn =, when
In the mines at nine years, and worked until he
was eighteen years Old. Since then had been coal
miner, local reporter and -aoorer the road
besid sdoing something at printing In "a he went
into the mines OF COX & Co. After this, he was
ele, ted township supervisor, which office he
held for two terms. After that he Was
driving mules, &C. The mines had adapted
as rule not to employ single men.
He described the general operation OF the mines,
and said that this trouble In the Lehigh region be-
gan directly september 10, but that 1t had, In FACT
an origin I number OF years carrier. The miners
wanted a adv. n e Of about 10 per cent.
The District In Congress.
BILLS WHICH MAY COME Up MONDAY
Monday will be District day in the House. There