Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1886-05-28
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
An Outline Of Powderly's Plan for the
Future Government OF the
treat Organization.
The Sentiment In Favor OF the PROPOSE
tion 20 Increase the National
Executive Board


Der OF propositions. The first proposition
was to the effect that the execu I've board
should be increased from five TO eleven
members, aud the morning was spent 10
discussion of the proposition. There was
a general sentiment Ia favor OF increasing
the membership in the board, but the
question as TO whether IL would be proper
tor q special convention to take action In
the matter met with some difference OF
opinion. After three hours discussion
/ the report WAS referred back TO the com
mlttee on laws without instructions. A
committee on legislation was then APP
point d At O'Clock recess was taken
until tomorrow morning.
WHAT WAS DONE YESTERDAY.
] CLEVELAND, ONO, May 2T.--In view Of
the fact that large number of local
| Changers and 10 some states the body Of
the farmers have gone into the Knights Of
\ Labor as district assemblies, and as
/ farmers have sympathized with and as
sisted the knights in numerous late
strikes, to show an appreciation Of their
J brstherly aid, the General assembly to-
day appointed a committee prepare sn
address 10 the grange to be presented at
! its national convention. A committee
upons legislation was also appointed,
which will have charge of all matters that
the members would like to bring before
congress. A lawyer named Lawrence
Harlant OF Peoria, H., presented an elab-
crate plan to the general assembly this
morning looking toward the settlement OF
all labor troubles by special branch Of
the United States court. Tonight 1t is
said that Mr.. Powderly's plan for the
fftN, x,,s %.
establishment Of state assembly There
will then be four assemblies. The local
assemblies will be subordinate to the dis
trict, the district to the state, and the
state to the national. The plan is re-
ported to be very popular among those of
the delegates who have heard OF it.
Powderly's plan will do away with
many unnecessary strikes. II provides
among other things that no assembly but
state or national shall have the power to |
order either strike or a boycott. If a !
local Assem- bly, wants TO order q strike 1t |
must arst get the consent of the district |
and then state assembly.
Several months ago the carpet weayers |
In the vicinity OF Yonkers, N. Y, organ
lzed local assemblies and became at
tached to District assembly No "a. This |
district, already very large, made vigor-
Gus protest against additional local
assemblies, as the work OF the
district was very great, hence
the weavers organized district
assembly themselves. While organizing
the district weavers were preparing for a
strike and at the present time are strik.
ing, Their delegates were elected and
sent to the Cleveland convention, the |
head Of the delegation being Mr.. Morri-
son of Yonkers There is an old rule
Of the order that does not admit new
list to representation at special conyen- |
tons OF the general ASSEMBLY, and know !
ing this, delegates from No. sc prepared |
a printed appeal for distribution among
the members OF the general assembly, |
asking that they be admitted to the con
ventlon. Morrison and his deleg- |
alton were denied admis- |
sion as they expected, and then
made an appeal to the executive board |
All Wednesday afternoon the delegates !
from l26 We're 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 adjourn
ment of the special convention the ,
board would 10 to Yonkers and |
investigating the troubles existing be-
sweeD the weavers and their employers,
and try to fix 1t by arbitration.
One OF the most important subjects |
under consideration by the assembly is
the breach between the Knights and the |
trades uuions A joint committee of
the trades unions conferred with the |
executive board of the knights !
OF Labor before the assembly CON
vened, and 1t was stated by the trades
unions themselves that very little dis. |
agreement existed. The subject was
men Toned in the call for the assembly, |
and early In the session was referred to |
a standing committee on the state of the |
order. To-day the members OF the
trades unions committee, prominent |
among whom were 2. j. Nc |
CURE, secretary OF the Broth |
erhood of Carpenters and Joiners; |
ID. III. Boyer, chief organizer OF the Inter |
national Typographical association, and |
A. Strasser, president OF the International |
Cigar-makers union, were before this
committee and made statements. !
The session of the committee was for the |
purpose of hearing the views and
suggestions of the trades unions repre-.
sentatlves, and the details of cases where |
trouble has arisen between the Knights of |
Labor and members OF the unions Mr..
Boyer had but little TO offer, the tupo-
graphical union having few grievances,
That organization also contains fewer
knights of Labor in proportion TO the size
Of It's membership than any her union.
Boyer reported the greatest harmony be-
tween his order and the Knights, and |
most Of the grievances OF the other
unions were OF personal nature
The chief trouble between the cigar
makers and the Knights arose through
among the members of the
latter order In New York and unionisls
concerning minor points Of re-
lationship and precedents and the
recent lockout of the manufacturers.
The carpenters had grievances to pre- sent,
owing to the indiscretion OF individuals j
on both sides In the different localities.
The hearing OF the facts and
the suggestions ended with TO.
days COMMITTEES meeting and no
legislative action was taken. The COM
mittee Will probably again convene to-
morrow morning with the members OF
the trades unions COMMITTEES to try 10
reach an agreement concerning jurisdic-
ton.
Nvt,kaN.t Qnts.k,