The Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1885-1886, 1886-04-24
TURNER'S TESTIMONY.
THE KNIGHTS SEcRETAR, SAYS
THE STRIKE is NOT OVER.
Powdery FlatIy contradicts One OF
CouId's Statements-Th Stock
broking Charges.

Boycotting n Charitable Institution
Eight Hours for Furniture Men.
WASHINGTON CITY, April 14.-The first
witness to testify in the labor investigation
Friday was Ere erick Turner of Philadel-
phia, general secretary of the Knights of
Labor He related what he knew of the
conference between Messrs. Gou'd and Pow
derby in regard to arbitration. 1t contained
nothing new. Then he made some state
nents in reference to the Knights of Labor
as an organization The average
membership of local assemblies
was about 100 he said An
assembly could not lie organized with
less than ten members while some of them
had membership of 5000 As body the
knights did not move in politics.
Mr.. Parker, OK the committee, produced
petition, officially signed by large number
OF assemblies, asking congress to legislate
for the free coinage of silver. The witness
said the petition was not promulgated by
the national organization; that he had never
seen it before, and that there was not move.
ment in favor or against any special
legislation by the general organization.
I he witness was present at conference
with Vice III, sident Hoxie Of the Missouri
Pacific, i'll St Louis in reference to arbitra-
ton. He LIT for st Louis on March 81 to
see that the supposed agreement for arbitra
ton was properly executed.
MIR. Hoxe treated us discourteously, and
stated hat he would treat us only as Amer
lean citizens, said Mr., Turner, ''and not as
officers of the Knights of Labor"
In reply TO question by Mr.. Grain, the
witness stated that the general executive
bonrd or officers had nothing to do with Or
| dering strikes; that they had no authority
to order strikes; they could approve or dis
approve strikes and aid or refuse assistance
TO strikers Tbs general officers negotiate
the settlement OF strikes
MIR. Hoxie in refusing to negotiate with
the officers of the Knights of Labor, said he
only wanted - per cent of the men who
had been in the employ of the Missouri Pa
| cilic: that he had been compelled a year be
| fore to sign an agreement reducing the
hours of lahor and increasing the number
of mon, now that the contract was broken
no would avail himself of the opportunity
of decreasing the number of men and in
| creasing the hours of labor Mr. Hoxie
refused N take back in the employ of the
company any striker who was "A knight of
| Labor, although he took back strikers who
were not knights All knights were re-
| fused work, whether they had been
| strikers or not One of the causes
/ of the strike WIS that the men
were worked more hours than they were
| paid for Martin Irons secretary of dis
| trict ldl, Knights of Labor, ordered the
| strike. If MIR Hoxie hal agreed TO take
| back all the employees who Were members of
| the Knights OF Labor who were not guilty
of destroying property, the strike would
| have ended at the time witness visited St
/ Louis I'VE wanted peace said the wit
ness, 'and not Il strike But the strike
| should have been made in January last, at
| the time the first i'll Of complaints was
| laid before Mr.. lIoxie. The aggrieved
1 knights allowed the matter to run on, how
| ever, until the public could see nothing to
| justify the strike
| Have 80 per cent OF the men been taken
back, inquired Mr. Grain
| MIR Gould says - per cent of the men
Who went on the strike are at work"
| Mr. HoNie, said MIR. Grain claimed to
! lie willing to take back knights of Labor
| Is it true that h. was willing"
NO. replied the witness, "for while Mr..
| HoAie was claiming to take back striking
| Knights of Labor his superintendent were
| refusing to do so When man applied for
work he was asked if he was a Knight of
Labor, and upon answering a'lirmatively he
was told he was not wanted
! Mr. Turner said there were number of
assemblies OF Knights of Labor composed of
colored men. in Pennsylvania, Virginia, Ar
| kansas, Texas, eta., and two Or three hun.
: ,Irad asSnnhties rnuupnSa1 af la5ias
I'VE are trained said be, mot to believe
in strikes, and strikes occur, generally, on
account of parties refusing to meet each
other
''Is the strike overt' inquired Mr. Crnin
81 don't think So replied the witness
sour people are not Mt work"
| The witness, referring to thu arbitration
! bill before congress, said that he agreed
with President Cleveland that there should
| be a permanent tribunal for arbitration;
that it would he better than temporary
! arbitrator selected under excitement, often,
as they would be under the bill before con
! grcss He would Ike tc see arbitration
made compulsory.
81 think the proposition OF congress better
than that OF the president, said Mr. Grain,
''for the arbitrator in our bill would be
c''hens III 'ne fi,irity Vi sue ianoi ',ouoies'
anu 'ney "o'iii iee' an ineei est III i'i Jn''iis
''ie ~ ~ ny anu p
,rly.,. ,.t',t,.-.iar, - HI, =. ~,
| ply with an arbitration order that would
put You to work at 81 a day
Al woul ," replied the witness 81 believe
oo",tu'ao'5 ~ Wv. ~ 70 I''9 '"'y MINI VI
aro ON, a''on ''''i' "'il
"''''1 ~" '' ''0 "''' o'''' W
81 t. l,o,,, ho,,. ,,., oo,,,, ,o,..o,
- -1'. - ~,
ISL .pnf'{ ~ az ''' ,'' ne a. o,'i"
''o,i IA 't',, "o ,, 49, "p.n sues
NJ ''''e', tii.l' III III,
apheid by puphc OPINION lie ana not IN
aorse the Position on tle SUBJECT expressed
oy the president ihnrsday'
Mr. fowoeriy stated To the committee
Ihat MI, could was mistaken IN some parts
Of 1s.1I aNa..N aHN. N.NH