The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1888-01-27
THE GREAT STRIKE.
THE RAILROAD COMPANY
WILL NOT ARBITRATE.
President Corbin Makes a Statement
tothe Public Concerning the Strike.
The Miners Are Paid LiberalIy,
He Thinks-No Change in
the Situation.


the Situation.
A furry of excitement was occasioned ID
Pottsville, Pa, by a report presented at
meeting of a local assembly to the effect that
the CO mpany had issued an order to the dis
charged men at Palo Alto to return to work.
The report was accepted as true, but thesup-
posed action Of the company was viewed
with suspicion and an order was promptly
issued to the men not to obey the summons
on the ground that some trick was concealed
under it.
The report was in all probability but a Sc
quence of the rumor sent out by telegraph
from Reading to the effect that the company
would issue some such order. No notice to
this or any ether effect has been posted in
the company's Office either at Pottsville or
Palo Alto, and the most diligent inquiry has
failed to discover any shadow of foundation
for the report. The company's officials deny
it emphatically, and add that so far as they
are informed no change in the companyS
policy is pending.
President Corbin has made public state
I1ent concerning the sJrike. He rehearses the
events that led to the strike and the discharge
of the five crews for refusing to transfer
freight at Port Richmond, and says:
eve have never made any objections to
labor organizations. In employing labor we
have never asked the question whether an
employe was member of one or not. So long
as mon perform the duties they owe to this
company properly we shall stand by them,
whether they be union or non-union men.
No man shall be ostraciZed on this road be-
cause he belongs to alabor organization, and
no man will be ostracized because he does not
L -
faithful service, and take orders from the
management in relation to its business
promptly, and without question. As long
as they can do this they will retain its con-
fidence and friendship; but any action here
after, such as has been tsken heretofore by
employees, will merit and receive the same
treatment The trouble on the railroad is
ended, land will never be opened up again.
AS to the miners strike, President Corbin
quotes the agreement with the men and says:
Notwithstanding the terms of the agree
ment and of the notice, given to them in the
letter of the 22d of December, the miners re-
fused to continue at work in the mines after
the LIST day of January, as they had promised
to do am informed that they did this
for two reasons. First, because we
would MOI reinstate the men who were dis
charged on the railroad, and second, because
we would not continue the 8 per cent adj
vance which we had under this agreement
Dald Tor Gn0 TOUR nouns m0nGlOH0us anu we
are informed they would on no basis of
wages have been willing to return to work
unless we had first reinstated the railroad
men or arbitrated that question As have
stated, that question is ended, and no matter
in connection with that strike will ever be
submitted to arbitration. As to the question
Of wages to be paid to miners, we have
always paid and have always been willing
to pay as high wages for mining coal as. any
Of the large companies which are selling coal
in the market in competition with this one
He says the 50 so basis for the miner is
liberal one, and concludes by telling the
public that it is not the time now, in his
Judgment to undertake to pay more money
for the same class of labor than is paid by
other competitive companies
While coal shipments from the SchuykilI
regions have ceased train from the Wy
oming region consisting of ninety cars ar
rived at Reading via Allentown, over the
Lehigh Valley and East Pennsylvania roads.
1t was mostly furnace coal, and was at once
transferred to the furnaces which are in
the most urgent need of it, This is the first
consignment from the Wyoming regions to
said place The local situation is unchanged.
OF the 1900 men at one time employed in
hauling Sckuykill coal to Underwater very few
have employment now. Nearly all have
been laid off because the coal traffic is at
standstill, SO far the fires in seven fur
naces have been banked in the Schuykill
valley.