The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1888-01-13
ABOUT READING.
Mining Region Busines. Mems Committee
Confer With Mr.. Corbin-Immova-
BILE in His Determination.

as 10 what happened at yesterdays con-
ference between President Corbin, of
the Reading Company, and the delega-
tion of business men from the mining
region is barren of results, but two New
York papers published this morning, i'm
identical language, the following:
Mr.. CoRBIN's POSITION.
After hearing what the different mem-
bers of the committee had 10 say, Mr..
Corbin replied that he heartily sympa-
thized with the object of the committee,
which was To end strike which lie de-
plored as much as any one, but that the
position and duty Of the company were
perfectly clear. lie said there was
nothing the company could submit to
arbitration. The subject of the railroad
strike was closed. That strike was over
The men who left the service Of the
company were discharged. and would
under no circumstances be taken back.
ARBITRATION IMPOSSIBLE.
The leaders of the striking men. he
understood, would not be satisfied even
if the question of wages should be con
ceded. They would demand that all the
new men on the railroad be discharged
and the discharged men taksn back.
This alone would make arbitration inn
possible, but beyond tins Mr.. Corbin said
the position of the company regarding
miners wages was just and fair and
honest, and its maintenance was de-
manded by every consideration of
sound business policy. IL all the coal
companies, he said, could he brought 10
agree to advance wages Reading would
pay as high rates as any body. but to
talk about submit ttiDg to arbitration "A
matter which might make il impossible
for the Reading Company To compete
with other coal producing and carrying
companies was useless.
THE COMPANY IL RIGHT.
These We're questions which the com
pany never could submit to arbitration.
The company had taken ITS position with
great care and deliberation. Ii was
right and would never recede. He said
the miners had violated their contract
with the company. The proper thing
for them to do was To return To work,
and then If they had any grievances the
company would patiently hear anything
they had To say, would do them full JUS
tice and would in future, as it had in the
past, pay the best wages that any com
pany paid for the same class of work.
Mr.. Corbin said he felt very sorry.
There was a great body of miners who
he felt sure had been misled 10y their
leaders. He was sorry To see them suf-
fer. He hoped that they would return
TO work at once, and suggested to the
vice to themselves, To the miners, 10 the
company and the public by trying To en-
tighten the miners who had been mislsd
into strike which was utterly wrong
and without cause. They should try, lac
said, to induce the miners To return To
their allegiance TO the company. This
was the way and only way TO end the
strike.
COMMITTEE IMPRESSED.
The committee was much impressed
with Mr.. Corbin's statement of the po-
sItion of the company, which many of
them admitted was impregnable. The
committee would not say what they pro-
posed to do, but it is likely that il will
result in an address by the committee To
the miners. After the conference Cor
bin said he had nothing to give TO the
reporters in the way of news. The situa-
tion to-day remains unchanged. Cor
bin went To New York Immediately af-
ter the conference ended yesterday.
THE SUBCOMMITTEE DO NOT CALL.
A b-committee of miners and rail
readers had been appointed in the morn
ing to wait on Corbin, but after hearing
the report of the business meeting com
mittee the subcommittee concluded not
to call. Indeed it is quite certain that
Corbin would refuse to receive any one
as a representative of the railroad strik-
ers, as he considers them no longer in
any way related To the company. The
miners committee returned 10 Pottsyille
without having met any of the officers
Of the company.
AS TO THE MINERS.
The most important question In
whether the miners will, in case the adj
vance they are battling for is granted,
desert the railroad men and return to
work. The Rights of Labor leaders
maintain that the men will stand or
fall together, and that the strike can not
be settled unless both mines and railroad
hands are appeased. The Reading OFF,
ciais gave no information on the subject
and the committee who represent the
miners refuse to define their position and
to say whether there is any possibly of a
division Of the two bodies Of employees.
The only prominent leader in the city
was w. 7. Lewis. Master Workman Of
Miners District Assembly No. 1876. man
ager of the miners strike. He submits
good naturedly to cross-examination by
newspaper men and has under their ef-
forts talked a great deal and said moth
ing at all beyond this: This much you
can say, that when the pr oper time
comes we will be heard from as TO our
position and the public will then he sat
isfied that we are right.
READING, PA, January 12.-The only
new development in the Reading situa-
ton is that several small iron ore mines
whose product was worked up along the
Reading Railroad have shut down owing
TO the decreased consumption by reason
of the short supplies Of fuel.