Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-04-19
THE HAxALL-CRENsHAw Co.,

HAXALL MILLS,
RICHMOND, VA, April IL, 1885.
To Dealers IN and Consumers Of Flour,
Meal, MI Feed, &c., in Richmond:
A printed paper has been shown us
which purports to have been issued by
the knights of Labor" and we are
reliably informed that copies of it have
been generally distributed amongst
those who deal in the articles we manu-
faCture and amongst consumers of such
articles. No signature is affixed to the
paper, nor is the place whence it was
issued stated.
The ayowed object of this circular is
to injure our business as much as pos
sible.
AS reasons for this hostile action by
the Knights of Labor the circular al
leges that in our purchase of hour-bar-
rels we give preference to those made
by convict labor also, that our " Byrd
Island " flour almost the only flour we
offer for sale here is packed in convict
made barrels; and also, that we ire
fused to make any compromise, at the
present or IN the future, whereby free
and honest labor could hope for an ami
cable adjustment of its grievances.
All these allegations we pronounce
untrue. The facts that are pertinent,
and which we are prepared to prove, are
these:
There has been no time, in the past
twenty years at least, at which We have
not had a cOOper-shop Of our own in
which free labor alone was employed.
This is true. we believe, of no other
milling establishment in or about this
city. At times, as at present, our shop
has been rented ont to barrel con-
tractor. who supplies us with barrels
and pays MS a rental of a fixed amount
per barrel manufactured. Thus the
larger the number of barrels he may
make for us the larger the income we
receive from the shop. 1t is evident,
therefore. that it has been to our inte-
rest to give preference to barrels from
our own shop, even if we had not pre-
ferred, as we do, to patronize free labor.
OF the flour packages, principally
barrels, that we have bought this sea-
son, commencing LIST July last, nearly
G5 per cent. were made by free labor,
and of those bought since LIST January
last over 50 per cent. were made by free
labor. The total deliveries of barrels
from the penitentiary since LIST July
last. as we are informed by Mr.. Fair
banks, have been 70,9j0, of which we
have bought 10000. The balance have
been delivered to other Richmond mills.
The total delivery of barrels from the
penitentiary since January |, 1885, was
ii, 100, of which we have taken 500,
and the balance delivered to other
Richmond mills.
We have to pay as much for peniten-
tiary barrels as for any others.
The barrels in which we pack " Byrd
Island" flour are of different timber
from any others that we use, and thus
easily distinguishable, and we declare
that every one Of these barrels has been
made in our own shop.
As to refusing to compromise, we
know nothing of it. We have had no
communication with the Knights of
Labor, unless at the time. about two
weeks ago, when three strangers called
on us and said they represented that
organization but they proposed no
compromise" nor did they ask for in
formation which would enable them to
make the sweeping charges contained
in the circular. We told them we
had a contract for the purchase of flour
barrels, and that some Of these barrels
are made at the penitentiary, and that
we must fulfil our contract as honora-
bic men. If we had been asked to do
so we would have explained why We
believed it was necessary to get a por-
ton Of our barrels from the peniten-
tiary in order to keep supplied. The
committee on leaving us stated that our
manufactures should be Joycotted.
This committee called at other -four
mills and learned that all the barrels
being received there were made at the
penitentiary, but made no threats Of
boycotting, and we cannot learn that
the Knights of Labor have proceeded
against such mills in any manner.
After this plain statement Of facts we
are at loss to know why our Company
has been selected as a target by the
Knights of Labor. We must conclude
that the circular was issued under a
misapprehension Of facts.
THE HAXALL-CRENsHAw Co.