Idaho news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1887-1891, 1888-02-25
THE KNIGHTS ANSWERED.
nae Reading cempaRy's Reply TO a Defaa
r.al. 4. En.a r....ataca-

nae Reading ceapaRy's Reply TO Demand
for Conference
Philadelphia special: The Record Of
tomorrow will say that the request
which the general executive board OF
the Knights of Labor sent to President
Corbin asking for a conference to settle,
if possible, the troubles between the
Reading company and the employees has
met with flat refusal as the letters
printed below will show. Although
Secretary Hays bears date of Feb. Z,
it was not sent until two days later.
The letters are as follows:
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Feb. Mr.. Cor
bin, President, Philadelphia. Dear Sir:
Will you kindly say whether or not you
will meet committee of the general
executive board of the Knights of La
Dor for the purpose of investigating
and, if possible, settling the trouble
existing between the Philadelphia 4
Reading railroad company and the Phil
adelphia & Reading Coal and Iron COM
pany and their employees. | remain sir,
very respectfully, JOHN W. HAYS,
Secretary General Executive Board.
To this the following was returned:
PHILADELPHIA, req. S.--lO JOl1Il w.
Havs.-Dear Sir: Your favor of the
eth inst. was not handed to me until
half past 10 this morning. In reply /
beg leave to say that | know of no trou-
BILE existing between the Philadelphia 4
Reading railroad company and its en-
ployes, and consequently there is moth
ing that can be made the subject of in
vestigation and discussion. You speak
also of the troubles between the Phil
adelphia Il Reading Coal and Iron COM
pany and its employees. In relation to
such matters you should properly adj
dress Mr.. Keim, the president of that
company, but to save you the trouble of
writing another letter, / have handed
him your communication to me with
request that he respond to it. / am
very respectfully yours,
AUSTIN CoRBIS.
The letter sent by President Keim to
Secretary Hays was as follows:
PHILADELPHIA, Pa, Feb 81 John W.
Hays, Philadelphia, Pa. Dear Sir:
The president of the Philadelphia &
Reading Railroad company has handed
me your letter to him of Feb. Z, with
the request that / reply to that portion
of it relating to the troubles existing be-
tween the Philadelphia & Reading Coal
Il Iron company and the miners. | as
sumo that you are familiar with the con-
tract made between this company and
its miners last September In violation
of its terms nearly all of the employees
of the Reading company left its service
on the LIST day of January last, and
large number have not returned. There
are at present working for the company
at the mines about 5000 men, and there
would be much larger number at work
If the men were left to exercise their
own Judgment and were not deterred by
threats of personal violence. We are
willing to discuss the question of wages
with any person representing
the company As we have stated
heretofore, if the men had continued at
work under that contract after the first
day of January, and had any time there
after desired conference in relation to
the matter of wages, the officers of the
company would have met them or their
representatives on the subject. When
the miners return to work, if confer
ence on the question of wages should be
desired on their part, we shall be ready
to confer with them with the under
standing that no basis different from the
one already in existence will be estab-
Hshed or that will require this company
to pay more for labor for the same class
of work than is paid by its competitors.
Yours truly, GEORGE DEB KEIM,
President.
No official notice of the replies will be
taken by the board until it reconvenes
Monday next, when final reply will
probably be drafted that will clearly out
line The board s position.