Savannah morning news., 1886-04-21
AUGUSTA KNIGHTS ASTIR.
SEVERAL CONCESSIONS ASKED
OF THE MILL PRESIDENTS.

Tho Presidents Decline to Treat with
Their Employees Through the Execu-
tive Board of Their OrgnnizatiOn-The
Latter Stick to Their CoIOrs--The Tie
up LoOsed on All the New Lines Ex~
cePt That ON Third Avenue.
AUGUSTA, April 20.-Two weeks ago
the Executive Board of the Knights OF
Labor petitloned the presidents OF the
cotton factories TO abolish the cline or
pass system;" that no Knight be forced to
take the place of discharged Knight
until an investigation by the Executive
Board of the Knights; that all macbinists
receive SO for twelve hours work; that 30
yards shall constitute one cut; that
where one mill pays 81 so daily
tor card grinding and another pays 81 10
the average price be 81 j215, anu the aV-
erage price thus obtained be raised 10
per cent, this advance to begin May 1.
The Executive Board asserts that the op-
eratiyes have quietly submitted to from
30 to - per cent. reduction during the
last two years. They ask au advance
now because the mills can afford it. They
desire conference with the superintepd-
ents and Overseers on any vacancies or dis
charges, that they may I'LL The vacancies.
"a
May !, when they will discuss the labor
| question and kindred topics, and invite
the presidents OF the mills to attend and
appoint two speakers to address them.
! There are eight cotton mills at Augusta,
employing about 5000 hands. 1t is
thought most of them have joined the
kaights of Labor.
MEETING OF THE PRESIDENTS.
The presidents Of the mills held meet
ing to-day and issued the following circu-
| lar letter to their employees in the mills,
not noticing the Executive Board OF the
| Knights of Labor: "Your attention Is
requested to calm and careful cOnsidera-
tiOn Of this paper. We have received
communication purpOrting to come from
an order known as the Knights OF Labor,
and signed by the Master Workman
and Executive Committee Of that order.
! This communication pretends to set forth
| certain grievances under which you are
suffering and demands their redress. This
order claims to be acting at your instance
| and IN your behalf. II this be true, we
| decline most positively to recognize any
outside Interference between our employees
and ourselves. We are always prepared
to confer with you as employees, but in
no other capacity, upon all subjects to
the common interests.
THE WAGE QUESTION.
1--WE recognize thab ln9 rate OF wages lB
fair subject of agreement between en-
ployer and employees, and that the right
to work or quit working for another be-
longs absolutely to every person who is
not convict or slave, and the right to
employ or not TO employ another IS abso-
lutte and incontestible. These rights can
only be limited by the parties themselves.
We shall, therefore, be glad to receive
and fairly consider any communication
from our employees as such, but we will
not allow any outside parties to manage
our affairs.
s'In conclusion, we would call your at
tentiOn to the fact that at present the
mills are earning very little more than
their expenses, and that up to recent
period they have for several years been
run at a heavy loss, their stockholders re-
ceiVing no dividends while during the
! same period the employees have at least
received a living"
MEETING OF THE KNIGHTS.
The Knights held a meeting tonight
which was largely attended, and the fol-
! lowing preamble and resolutions were
| adopted:
! WHEREAS, Our Executive Board has been
| positively ignored by the mill Presidents and
as 1t is positively contrary to our constitution
1 for us TO adjust any grievances other than
| through our Executive Board; therefore, be II
| Rssoi0ed. First. we. the operatives and EN-
piOyes Of the mills, do absolutely and POSI-
/ lively decline to confer with the presldenss or
| any other persons except through our EX-
/ ecutive Board Second. that we indOrse fully
i the action Of our board. THIRD, that we for
| ward 10 each of the presidents whose names
| appear on the circular distributed through
| the mills to-day a copy Of these resolutions.