Morning journal and courier., 1883-08-06
HAVEN CONN., MONDAY MORNING. AI
SINGLE COPIES Tannn GENTS
Monday, August 6, 1888.
A AssOCIATED LABOR.

Terence V. PowderIy, the Grand Master Workman of the Order of Knights of Labor of America, has been talking Interestingly about the order and it's plans. There are now two hundred and seventy-two local or ganizations of Knights with membership running from twenty up to thirteen hundred and fifteen hundred persons. There are five organizers in the field establishing local as- semblies, and this winter more organizations will be set at work. Every trade in the country is represented in the order. The Knights of Labor have nothing to do with Herr Most or Denis Kearney. They believe in organizing first forApropsr wages, then far proper education. The next move, says Mr. Powderly, will be to establish schools. The Knights have already cooperative stores and factories in successful operation. They want the railroad land grants repealed and also the absurd and unjust" franchises to the tele. graph companies. In Pennsylvania there is on the statute book an eight-hour law which can. not be enforced, there being no penalty. They hope to organize this winter and compei by legislation, if necessary. it's observance The vote of the order is divided about equally between the two parties. and 1t is hoped to control both of them before long,
 This talk of Mir. Powderly indicates what is in the minds of the leaders of the Knights of Labor and their followers. A large num- ber of the workingmen of this country have made up their minds to try and better their condition by united and systematic action. Such organizations as the Knights of Labor are the natural result of the tendency of associated capital to control all that it can put it's hands on. Associated capital works in a very systematic way. It calculates how much 1t will allow labor, and labor must take what it will give or, perhaps, go without anything. It is not very generous, and the wages it pays are often too small. But what can the laborer do? Theoretically, as the Brooklyn Union recently said, he has com. modity to sell on which he can place cer- tain price, and in the event of it's being re- fused in one place he can offer it in another. But. practically, the price of this commodity the work of his hands. namely-cannot be fixed by himself at all for if he attempts to hold it till he gets his own price he is very likely to have to carry it into a world where 1t is not needed. In short, the Iaborer must work or starve and if left to his individual agency in dealing with those who buy his labor, his wages will always be likely to approach g point but slightly on the other side of star vation.
 How much the Knights of Labor and oth- CT similar organizations can accomplish re- mains to be seen. They can certainly make a great deal of trouble, both for their em- ploYers and themselves. They have an ad- vantage in this country, which workmsn in some other countries do not have, in their political power. But they have 8 long and not very hopeful fight before them, for it does not seem probable that associated cap- ital will consent to share its profits with them as long as it can avoid doing so which will be long time.