Fort Worth weekly gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-02-24
FIGURES WILL NOT LIE.
A Statistical is Questioned by The
Congressional Committee Inyss-
tigating the Reading Strike,
He Proves ths Rosd Has nsds Rle
Profit with the Capital Invested.
Unfair to Employees.
Fhe Strikers Have B'on Ordered Back to
Work on the Road, Pending ArbI.
trstion-Soms s1iU ers R.ta,s
MINERS IN A STARVING coND,r,o,

MINERS IN A STARVING CONDITION
SHENANDOAH, Pa, Feb. IS-TAo
restitution among the families NJ tno
miners that is being developed here 81
terrible sad such hist it cannot lonosr
be hidden. One family named FogeI s.a
found TO have actually been without ico3
two days and the children were so wesS
from fasting that when relief came It hsd
to be sparingly given 10 avoid kilIipg
them. There were nine n the fsmiEv
Another family Of six named Burns was
10 the same stste and one named johnson
WAS almost as bad. These are but in
stances that have many parallels. It has
been established that most of the con.
lributions intended for the miners have
been absorbed By the raiiroaders who
hsve been living in clover while their
allies starve.
ORDERED TO WORK.
PoTTsYILLE, Pa, Feb. lS.-Msster
Workman Lewis arrived here from Phil
sdelphis last evening bringing copies of
correspondence between himself and
PRESIDENT Corbin looking to resumption
| OF ell the companies mines. Lewis i'm
mediately went into consultation with
members OF the Joint committee with the
ANSOAA tAiRS AlIS IIlIpu WAS IdfluGu AQQ An
address was at once issued directing the
employees OF the Philadelphia and Reading
Coal and Iron Company to resume work
next Monday morning upon agreement Of
the company to arbitrGte the difference
after the men have resumed.
RRPUDIATED THE ORDER.
MOUNT CARMEL, Pa, Feb. ls.-The
Reading miners Of this district, In msss
moatiDp tp.hap
Masterworkmsn Lewis and resolved not
to return TO work until notified TO % so
by Joint demand of the committee,
A sTATIsTICIAN CALLED.
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Feb. IS "A. the
investigation of the Reading strike, now
under way before the Congre ssionsI com
mittee appointed for that purpose, John
Norris, one Of the editors II the Phila-
delphis Record, who had been ssstisticisn
OF the Pacific Railroad investigating com
mittee was called. The witness quoted
figures to show coal could be bought
st Port Richmond for 95 cents less ton
II wanted for shipment to Boston OF New
York than WAS demanded if the very same
coal WAS intended for Plilsdelphia trade.
Morris said last year the Reading Rail-
road Company had earned 10 per cent. On
the cost Of the road and was one Of the
most profitable rosds in the country. Its
losses came from the necessity of paving
interest on its enormous debt
which wss the result Of policy
Of combining the business of
carrier with that Of miner. The wit
ness went into long statement OF fscts
to show that the Reading Railroad COmpa-
ny failed and refused to do its duty under
the law as common Carrier. II had
paid out drawbacks. Y had Dean inVes-
tigated by Inc legislature and constiru-
tional amendment adopted to stop it's
discrimination and the abuses Of its
charter. He said is hsd
combined with the Pennsylvania
railroad and was now giving that COM
pany's line 20 the coal region 600, 600 tons
year under an agreement to prevent
competition. He believed from what he
had heard that the R aiding hsd agreed TO
Increase tlis sliotment 20 ]. 900, 900 tons
during the present year Although the
PenpuylvsniG line wSs built with the
promise AID expectation that competi-
ton would decrease
THE PRICE OF COAL,
prices had been kept up as usual and no
good to the people hsd resulted. Norris
Ht-Ted into very close detail and quoted
volumiaous f5ures to show that the Read
iEg R.ilrosd and Rssdlng Coal and Iron
Company Tss taxing the people to make
1 small part of the great cGal field owned
5y it psy interest On money extrsv-
SGaLtiy paid fer II, and all
lis losses IN addition. Witness said
ne hs1 thoroughly Investigated the state
ms6t made by MIR. COroiu that the Read
ing Coal and IroE Company had mined
81 900 900 tors Of coal from 1876 to 1883,
at loss Of over $4,000, 600, having paid
S57 coo, 0G0 to miners, ard received St4,-
$40, 600 Tor their output. The Witness
quo Ell figures by years from 1876 20 1883,
aud said inst the proceeds for that period
had bsen IS shewn by the compBny's own
books $50, 624 600 and this company had
really recetv S29, 000. 600 more than it
mad paid out.
Il T. Bennett, one of the lesding
Knights Of Lab T, testified to fscts in
connection with the strike. In reply TO
questions as to the right Of labor TO die
tate terms to capital, witness said that,
providence IN creating prop
erty, labor has
RIGHT TO ooNTRo'.
and manEge it. Witness charged the
with bad faith and With neglect
ing to send kilograms Of the committee TO
leaders throughout the mining regions
sitter decision had been agreed to, order
ing the men bEck to work, and said that
on account Of this SCI Of bad faith the
Miners were not Informed Of the order
and did not return TO work. For
this reason the strike Was ordered
on again. Witness then proceeded
to give his version of the interview be-
tween Lee and Sweigsrd He was not
present himself, but when he came out
Lee told him that 1eigsrd hsd attempted
TO bride him and failing 70 do this had
him. At the conclusion Of
this witness testimony tire committee
adjourned to meet in Pottsville Monday.