Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-03-04


believed. 1t proved 10 be untrue. however.
\ few men were discharged yesterday. but
there was no general discharge of the
Knights Of Labor from the works.
\ GL"RE RErUHIIC reporter
went tu the office of the
Champion Machine Company early
this morning to learn from President Am"s
Whiteley the exact situation in these shops.
Mr. Amos Whiteley is the president of the
Champion MaIleable Iron Company,
Champion Machine Company. and Cham
pion Bar and Knife Company. Mr. White
ley talked very freely concerning the Situa-
tinn. and defined his position on the subject
of EMPLOYING Knights "f Labor very
clearly His views concerning the organi-
zatiOn of the Knights OF Labor do not ma
terially differ from those Of Mr.. William
Y. Whiteley. In regard to the attitude of
the Champion Malleahle Iron Company
towards the men discharged last week. Mr..
Whiteley gave a statement. from which h"
says there will be pnSitiyel! no appeal. Mr..
Whiteley said:
As to the organization known A. the
| knights of Labor. We regard II aS diametrl-
caIly opposed 10 our interests. and To the
| interests Of this city. a. well a. 10 the in
! tereSts Of mechanics and lahOrerS; for the
reason that it destroys the identity of the
men and their Independence a. Individuals,
and plarss them under the control of an or
ganization which is very liable to he man
aged and directed by the most unreliable
element. who have little or nothing 10 lose,
| instead of leaving every individual an indie
pendent citizen. free 10 negotiate in his
own interest and act in accordance with his
own Judgment We recognize the fact
| that the interests of the manufacturers and
their employees must necessarily be to a
great extent mutual. or the Arrangement
will not prove satisfactory, ami
We are opposed to any organization
which does not admit both employers and
| employees Ia its membership.
Was there list Of such employees Of
the Champion Machine company and the
/ Champion Bar and Knife company aS be
longed to the knights of Labor prepared
Yesterday. and for what purpose. Mr..
| Whiteley?" ."
"All of the employees of both of those
companies Were nterrogated yesterday to
ascertain who were and who were not mem
bers of the order. and their answers were
recorded As given by them. This action
was taken by the company for the purpose
Of aScertainin. just how many good, loyal
men they had i'm their employ, who were
( working for their mutual interest. The an
swer of each man was properly recorded
Were the men who admitted member
| ship in the order discharged -
No: there may have been few men dis
charged
during the day: in fact. employing and dis
charging is going on almost every day: and
| if any men were discharged yesterday
BY either company, they may or may not
! have been members of the order There
was no other action taken"
What We're the questions asked the
men,"
The first question was: Do you belong
to the order of the Knights OF Labor" If
| the answer was Yes the question was
asked: How long have you been a MEM
! ber?' If man answered No Ia the first
question he was then asked if he had made
application for admission Ia membership
and if he said Yes the fact was So noted.
| and if No no further questions Were
asked"
There having been much public talk of
adjustment in the case of the men dis
charged from the Maieable Iron Company,
should like 10 ask statement of the att-
tude of the Champion Malleabe Company
towards it, late employees"
The situation is simply this: All of the
men who expressed their dissatisfaction by
! Joining in the communication demanding
an advance were paid of in full last Satur-
day night, and their engagement with the
company was then terminated. Any rtni"r
there may be us t" nH adjustment of thc
matter is all bOsh. There i nothing Ia adj
Just the men are not now employees of the
company They have no claims upon
the company. and the company has no
claims upon them:-the matter is settled.
and | presume satisfactorily to all parties
concerned"
The above gives a truthful view of the
situation from the firms standpoint Mr.,
Whiteley said he could say nothing in re-
gard 10 his future cOurge in regard TO the
Knights of Labor organization. He said
that the firms action in learning which of
its employees belong to the Knights of Labor
was simply for the purpose of learning how
many loyal. faithful men they have. When
asked whether the Knights of Labor in the
Bar and Knife and New Champion will he
discharged today. Mr.. Whiteley said he
preferred to say nothing. The action of
the company will be determined entirely by
its best interests and circumstances.
The new Champion and Knife and Bar
shops were open a. usual today. with their
full supply of hands at work. The future
action of the company i'll regard I" dis
charging such of th"ir number a. are
Knight, of Labor S naturally awaited with
fevprish interest by the employees. Whose
bread and butter depends upon the de
ci>i0n.
1t was yesterday reported that an iron I,
clad paper had been prepared at the East
street works which new men given work
would be required to sign. the paper deny .
ing all connection with the Knights of
! .abOr, and binding the SignerS not to join
the order while in the employ of the East
street works. 1t was rum0red that any of
the discharged men who We're willing to
sign this paper and renOrnce their member
ship in the knights of Labor would be- re-
.eiyed back into their old positions The
men seem To he remarkably firm, however.
n their allegiance to the order
The number of Knights of labor dis
.harged at East street has been stated by