Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1888-01-12
A CONFERENCE WITH coRBIN.
Interested Merchants Take n Hand-Th,
Strike and the X. of l.. Board.

Interested Merchants Take Hand-Tho
Strike and the X. of L. Board.
PHILADELPHIA, Jan. IA committee OF
merchants of towns in the strike region
called upon President Corbn Wednesday to
confer with him in regard TO settlement OF
the difficulty. They were closeted about an
hour and when the committee left none of
them would say whit was DONE except that
Mr.. Corbin had treated them with courtesy
and seemed willing to meet the men half
way. 1t was learned later from delegate
that the proposition of Mr.. Corbin, whatever
it is, will be presented to a meeting of the
business mon of Pottsville to be called at
once 1t was CLEANED that the merchants are
to undertake to treat in some manner with
the strike leaders with view to coming to
an understanding
LATER. Tho following is what Mr.. Cor
bin said to the committee, after hearing
what they had to say:
He heartily sympathized with the object Of
the committee, which was to end the strike
which he deplored as much as any one, but
the position and duty of the company was
perfectly clear There was nothing that the
company could submit to arbitration. The
subject of the railroad strike was closed I;
that strike was over; the men who left the
service of the company were discharged, and
would under no circumstances be taken back.
The leaders of the striking miners, he under
stood, would not be satisfied if even
IN the question of wages the COM
pany should concede ali that they should
ask, but they would demand that all
new men on therailroad should be discharged
and all discharged men taken back This
alone would make arbitration impossible.
But beyond this the position of the company
- h.
fair and honest, aud its maintenance was de-
manded by every principle Of sound business
policy. If all coal companies could be
brought together to agree to an advance of
wages the Reading would pay as high rates
as anybody, but to talk Of submitting
to arbitration matter which might
make it impossible for the Reading
company to compete with the other coal
producing and carrying concerns was useless.
These were questions the company could
never submit to arbitration. The company
had taken its position with great care and
elaboration. 1t was right and would never
recede. The miners had violated their con-
tract with the company. The proper thing
for them was to return to work, and then IL
they had any grievances the company would
patiently hear anything they had to say,
would do them full justice, and would in the
future, as it had in the past, pay the best
wages that any company would for the same
class of work.
Mr.. .Corbin said he felt very sorry for the
great body of the miners, whom he felt sure
had been misled by their leaders. He was
sorry to see them suffer, hoped that they
would return to work at once and suggested
to the committee that they might do excel
lent service to themselves, to the miners, to
the company, and to tho public by trying to
enlighten the miners, who had been mised
into a strike which was utterly wrong and
without cause. They should try, he said, to
induce the miners to return to their allegiance
to the company. This was the way, and the
only way, to end the strike.
The committee were much impressed with
Mr.. Corbin's candid statement Of the position
of the company, which many Of them adj
mtted was impregnable. The committee
would not say what they proposed to do, but
it is likely that 1t will result in an address
by the committee to the miners.
Master Workman Lewis said Wednesday
night that the miners were very anxious to
have conference with President Corbin at
the earliest possible moment, and that he
had expressed his willingness to meet them
again as soon as he could arrange certain
matters connected with the question.
Three members of the K. of L. general ex-
ecutive board-Hayes, Barry, and Aylesworth
met here Wednesday and listened infor-
mally to the statesments Of representatives
of the strikers. They could take no official
action, as there was not a quorum, but they
of tho strike as individual members
Of the board, and made public statement to
that effect