The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1886-03-27

Results in Depriving 1900 Men of
Employment.
The Situation In and Around ST.
Louis More Serious.
Switchmen Strike and Make the
Freight Embargo Complete.
Answer of the Knights of Labor to
Jay Could.
Interesting Opinions Expressed by
Master Workman PowderIy and
Chief Engineer Arthur.
EMPLOYEES of the Grand Trunk Rail-
way Want Their Old Wages
Restored.
Notes and Comments on Labor
Troubles in Various Sections.
LONDON, Ont, March 26.--At a meeting
OF the Grand Trunk engineers and fremen,
held here last night, a delegation was ap-
pointed to wait ON the officers of the road
and request that their wages be restored to
the old rate, in accordance with the promise
made at the time of the reduction. 1t is
rumored that refusal will probably result
| in general strike and an absolute suspension
| of business over the whole Grand Trunk
| system.
Boycotting Lynn Shoe Firm.
BosToN, March 26.-At noon today the
| large engine at Keene Bros factory on Will
| liam street, Lynn, which supplies power to a
dozen large concerns in that city, was shut
| down by order of the local assembly of
knights of Labor. The shops affected en-
ploy between 1900 and 1000 hands. The
| engineer closed down the engine when the
| notice was given him and securely locked
| the engine room. This is considered the
| decisive step in the boycott against the
| Keene Bros. The Knights say they DO not
| wish to war upon firms which are not lnJur-
| ing them, but the thing had to be brought to
| a head, and the quickest way was to either
| break the KeeneS' contracts for steam power
| or cause damage to the firm by compelling
them to stand suits for breach of contract.
The boycott is directed against the Keene
| that they have blacklisted Knights of Labor
| at their other factories in Skowhegan and
| Norway, Me. The Keenes have made pro
| position to their employees to again conf
| mence work in Lynn on Monday-to run
| their factares as union shops, give employ
ment to all their old hands, pay union prices
| and recognize the Knigts of Labor, but as
| the Keenes would not discharge all nom
| union men at Skowhegan the knights OF
Labor would not agree to their proposition
The Shoe and Leather Association held
| special meeting this evening and discussed
| the situation with closed doors. The Keene
| Bros. are not connected with the association
| but there are manufacturers who have an
| agreement with the Knights of Labor, who
are seriously affected, They believe this in
| reference with their business is trans
gression of the rules agreed to by
the association OF the the knights An OF Iao9F 7
| Spinney & Co.'s bOycotted factory would al
| so be ordered shut down this afternoon, but
| such was not the case The engineer is not
| member of the K. of L., hence he was not
| Dor say Spfnney & Co.'s case will soon be
| thoroughly attended to. Spinney d Co.'S
| engine furnishes power to several large fac
tories. Engineer Roberts, at the Keene's
| factory, returned this afternoon, after con-
sultation with the Knights. and commenced
| heating the premises of the Is large and
small concerns affected, but no steam for
power will be furnished by him unless there
are orders to that effect from the Knights
Raising Cloak Makers Wages.
NEW YORK, March 26-The cloak makers
strike is still progressing. The Eagle Cloak
Manufacturing Co. has signed an agreement
and agreed to advance the wages Of their
help 40 to so per cent. all around.
Cannot Pay the Schedule Price.
Boston, March 26.-Forty more men were
discharged from the tannerv Of Robert Dun
;,, TNobnrp fnpiOhf rnoEinp 30 within
| two days. The firm feel that they can bet
| ter afford to close their business rather than
pay the schedule recently adopted by the
| board of arbitration and James Skinner d
| Co.
Street Railroads in Trouble.
NEW YORK, March 26-The employees of
the Broadway Street Railroad of Brooklyn
| are on a strike.
PITTsBURG, Pa, March 26-The confer
| ence between the street car offlclals and the
| knights of Labor adjourned this evening
| without reaching settlement and strike
| three.
| ST, LOUIS, March ga reporter saw
Martin Irons, chairman of the District
Assembly of the Knights of Labor, at East
st. Louis last night, just after the switch
to the question whether, the strike would
extend any farther, Mr.. Irons replied:
"Yes; the strike will probably extend
throughout the United States"
will it be confined to railroad employees" ?"
mo, sir; the move today is but the be-
| ginning of the end. Not only railroad em,
| ployes will be called out, but the order will
| 60 out to all Knights of Labor in this coun-
| try, regardless of their occupations.
''Then it will be a general strike"
Eyes; the order of Knights of Labor has
| got to be recognized"
when viii this general order be given
81 can not say as to time, but it will be
| very soon; within few days
The Railroads.
CHICAGO, March 26.-Chief Engineer Ar
| thur of the Brotherhood of Locomotives En-
ference with Vice President Potter OF the
| Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad,
says:
think our matters will be settled within "a
hos The settlement cannot be considered an
advance in wages although it is. But that was
:. . .... purpose of the demand, rather the result
of it, After l am through here, shall 60 to Cor
I not &c S s Ioa We have Nothing to do
with the strike and dscountenance it. Powderly
should have ordered the Knights OF Labor back to
work on the Missouri Pacific, or have revoked
their charters when they acknowledged that they
had no grievance.
Judge Dillon to the effect that all members of the
Knights of Labor who have any property are liza
BILE for depredations by any one OF their members.
Upon this supposed decision he is about to bring
suit against every Knight of Labor along the Mis-
souri, Pacific who owns property. Iregard this as
'bluff. The Knights Of Labor are not incorpor-
ated and can neither sue nor be sued. They are
not liable except individually as any citizen is.
AS to the stability of the Knights Of Labor as
an organization, LET me predict that they will go
| lust as the Coopers Union, Miners and Machin-
| lists Union, and the others have gone. They
strike and strike means assessment; assess
ment means death.
Regarding their system Of boycotting will say
that our organization will have nothing to do with
| it. We do net believe in boycotts
| Neither do we believe in putting $3-a-day man
| in an organization with $1.50-a-day men, and to
| our success. We have not had strike in eight
years.
AS to the eight hour agitation, my opinion is
| cases two hours more of loafing about corners
and two hours more for drinking.