The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-05-28
Three Hours Spent in Discussing a Proposition
to Increase the Number of the Executive
Board, and No Conclusion Reached.
Mr. Powderly's Plan for Government Of
the Order FayOrably Received.
He Proposes to Centralize the Power to Order
Strikes and Boycotts-No Serious Differ
ences Between Knights and Unions.
THE KIGHTs OF LABOR.

mr.. P0Wder1yS New Plan OF Government
The knights and the Unions.
CLEVELAND, May 27--The General Assembly
of the Knights of Labor began its session at $50
o'clock this morning. The committee on laws
presented a partial report emhodying number
of propositions, only one of which was taken up.
The first proposition was, in effect, that the exc
cut!ye board should be increased from Ave to
eleven members. The great growth of the order
since the original executive committee was de-
cided on demands that the work be distributed
among more committeeman. The morning
was spent IL discussing the proposition.
There was general sentiment in favor of in
creasing the membership In the board, but
the question as to whether it would be proper
for special convention to take action In the
matter met with some difference Of opinion. A
number Of delegates wanted the board consti-
tuted of one delegate from each State and Ter
ritory, while others favored large board made
up in different ways. Nothing was said about
rcsnunerating the members of the board, and it
is thought they will be paid at present only for
time actually spent in the work of the commit
tec. After a three hours discussion, the report
was referred back to the committee on laws and
without instruction. At 9 o'clock recess was
taken until to omorrow morning at s, at which
time the committee on the state of the order is
expected to report.
A large number of local oranges, and, In some
States the body of farmers, have gone into the
Knights of Labor as district assemblies. The
farmers orders largely assisted the Knights in
the late strikes in the Southwest and to show
a., oyrrac;a at;ov ~ hrofharlv ai1 tho GanAra1 a.
sembly appointed committee to prepare an ad-
dress to the oranges, to be presented at the ma
tioual convention.
A committee upon legislation also ap-
pointed, which will have charge of all matters
that members would like to bring before Con-
gress. Tonight it is said that Mr.. Powdsrly's
plan for the future government of the order is
the establishment of State assemblies. There
will then be four assemblies. Local assemblies
will be subordinate to districts, districts
20 State, and State to national. The plan Is
reported to be very popular among those of
TIE delegates who have heard of Powderlys
lplan as II is called, which will de nseay ruifh
many unnecessary strikes 1t provides, among
other things, that no assembly but the State and
national shall have power to order either a
strike or boycott If local assembly wants
to order a strike it must first get the consent of
the district and then of the State assemblies.
Several months ago the carpet-weavers in the
vicinity of Yonkers. N Y, organized local as
semblies of the Knights of Labor and became at
tached to District Assembly No. "a This dis
trict, already very large. made a vigorous pro-
test against the additional local assemblies, as
the work of the district was very great
hence the carpet weavers organized District As
sembly No. 126. While organizing the district
the weavers were preparing for STRIKE and at
the present time are striking Three delegates
were elected and sent to the Cleveland conven-
ton, the head of the delegation being Mr. Morri-
son, of Yonkers. There is an old rule Of the or
der that does not admit new districts to repre-
sentation in special convention of the General AS
sembly, and, knowing this, the delegates from
No. 126 prepared a printed appeal for distribn-
ton among the members OF the General AS
sembly. asking that they be admitted
to the convention. Morrison and his
delegation were denied admission, as
they expected, and then made an appeal to the
executive board. All Wednesday afternoon the
delegates from No. 126 were closeted with the
board, and at the conference truce was agreed
upon. The executive board promised the dele
gates that their district should be represented at
the Richmond convention, in October. and that
upon adjournment of the special convention the
board would go to Yonkers and investigate the
troubles existing between the weavers and their
employers, and try to fix up the difficulty by ar
bitration.
nxn nf %ha c,,hso sonAu ndop
consideration by the assembly is the breach bs-
tween the Knights and the trades unions. The
joint committee of the trades unions, as mas
been Published. conferred with the executive
board of the Knights of Labor before the
assembly convened and it was stated by the
trades unions themselves that very little dsa-
greement existed. The subject was mentioned
in the call for the assembly, and early in the
session was referred to the proper standing COM
mittee-that on the state of the order To-day
members of the tradesunion committee met.
prominent among whom were 2. j, Mcclure.
secretary of the Brotherhood of Carpen-
ters and Joiners; D. P. Boyer,
chief of the International Typographical
Association, and A. Strasser president of the
International Cigar-makers Union. Mr.. Boyer
had but little to offer, the typographical union
having but few grievances This organization
also contains fewer Knights of Labor in proper
tion to the size of membership, than any other
union. Mr.. Boyer reported the greatest har-
mony between his order and the Knights.
Most of the grievances of other unions were
of personal nature. The chief troable between
the cigar-makers. and the Knights arose through
disagreement among members of the latter
order in New York and the union in considering
minor points Of relationship and the recent lock-
of the manufacturers The had
grievances to present owing to the indscretions
of individuals both sides in different localities
The hearing of facts and suggestions ended
with to.days committee meeting, and no egis-
lative action was taken. The committee will
probably again convene tomorrow morning with