The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-01-13
No Change in the Reading Strike.


PHILADELPHIA, Jan. 12.-Plans for contnu-
ing the strike have already been devised. If the
question of arbitration be advanced, the leaders
will devote all their energies to settling the
strike, but if they fail, they will then prepare
for long and stubborn fight The railroad
company is not EN- EMBARRASSED by the strike of the
railroad employees in this city. Several hun
dred men are at work at Port Richmond to-day
and the coal was handled without interruption.
Most of the strikers and their representatives
have left the city. The only prominent leader
still in the city is w. T. Lewis. the manager
of the miners strike He was at the Windsor
Hotel all day, and had huge pile of letters and
dispatches before him. which he was trying to an
swer. He interrupted repeatedly, but he
bore it all with great good nature. He said that
he had been misrepresented in some of the
published statements relating to the strike.
He did not say that the miners and the railroad
ers would stand or fall together. nor did he say
that they would not. The statement that the
miners would fight their own battle and that
they would have nothing to do with the rail-
readers. did not emanate from him. You
can say this" continued Mr.. Lewis, 1.-The
ice has been broken, but do not know whether
it will freeze up again. Do not say that the mi
ners have weakened. for they have not A great
as a sign of cowardice. It may be just the re-
verse. The ice has been broken, as l told you,
but what the result will be time alone can tell"
When asked whether he expected to hear from
the Reading officials, he said: Il cannot say. I
am here; that is all. But you say that l
don't expect to remain in Philadelphia forever"
Have the miners and the ral1roaderS pooled
their issuesW
.',That can not say. I have been authorized
to represent only the former, and have no right
to speak for the latter"
Mr. Lewis was very guarded and studiously
refrained from saying anything that could be
construed into an acknowledgment of a disturb
and raroaders. His language indicated
that the issues which the two bodies OF men
were battling for were the same, but
that each would attend to It's own interests
without doing anything more than consulting
with the other. II don't know what the resu 1t
will be-" Mr. Lewis went on to say: 'the strike
still continues, and l am here to see what can
be done to settle it. | am not prepared to say
whether we will make any concessions, or; if We
will, what they are: but | am here for bust
ness. This much you can say; that when the
proper time comes we will define our position,
and the public will then be satisfied that we are
in the right"
The report circulated recently that the miners
of the Wyoming region would go on strike
when called upon is stoutly denied by nearly all
representative miners at Wiikesbarre. They
say that the men are all satisfied with their
work and pay. The men are working night and
day, and not for many years has such activity
been known in the Wyoming and Lackawanna
regions, and it is the general belief that any
order for strike from the labor leaders would
fall fat so far that section is concerned.
The Reading Board of Trade held a meeting
to- night and appointed committee to confer
with President Corbin and the leaders of the
strike, with view Of effecting settlement.
This is an important move. and is indicative as
to the alarm felt in the valley.
Master Workman Lewis, of Miners National
District Assembly No. l35, yesterday. in a let
ter to Presidents Corbin and Keim. of the Read
inc Railroad Company, and the Reading Coal
and Iron Company requested a conference on be-
half of the striking miners, whose claims he de-
sires to be considered entirely separate and
apart from those of the striking railroaders.
President Corbln has made no reply, and Lewis
treat with the miners. Lewis declares that he
has reliable information to the effect that
league between The Reading Company and the
fail for the purpose of breaking the power of
the miners organizations.