St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1886-10-13
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR,
Yesterdays DOIngs in the Grea1
Convention at Richmond.

cALAOIh dk IA lie Il n1CnHs
RICHMOND, Oct. 12.-The labor convention
met at O'Clock this morning. and took hold
of the business presented with a determina-
ton to push it through, and at least make an
endeavor to bring the sessions to a close
within the two weeks allotted as the time the
convention should sit. Since the adjourn
ment of the assembly on Saturday, the yari-
GUS committees have been actively engaged
in considering the matters referred to them.
The forenoon session was mainly occupied in
receiving reports from these committees and
taking action on them. There was a meeting
this afternoon of editors Of labor papers and
other newspaper men who are delegates to
the convention. Frank Z. FoStOrm, of
Averill, Mass, was elected chairman, and
Albert Pineo, of Hartford, secretary. The
object of the organization is the formation Of
labor news bureau, through which authentic
information with regard to labor can be
transmitted to the country. This bureau
will Interfere in nosway with the establishing
of the labor journal proposed by AM.Dewey,
which, it is understood, a majority OF the
convention favor. The special committee
appointed to consider the expediency of es-
tablshing such paper has met and expressed
its views. 1t asserts the necessity of such
medium. The miners held meeting and will
submit plan to the convention for the bet
ter organization Of miners throughout the
United States. The steel workers were called
the exact condition of their business
may be communicated to one another.
The shoemakers met to form a national
trades council, which will not, however, in-
terfere with the district associations, which
will preserve their identity. A committee
was appointed to make q collection of the
conspiracy laws of each state, by means OF
which firms and corporations encroach upon
the rights of the workingmen. The members
of the committee are L. B. Noyes, Of Mari
w. A
Mass, and Thomas Armstrong, of Pitts
burg, Pa MIR. Armstrong is the editor Of
the Labor Tribune, of Pittsburg. The gen.
eral executive board held meeting to-day to
hear the cases that have been pre-
sented to it, but took no action on
any Of them. It has more than $4,000
cases awaiting its decision, and these do not
include all that are to be brought before il.
The board will meet again during the first re-
cess taken by the general assembly. Reports
| have been published to the effect that the
convention can take no action upon various
constitutional amendments which have been
| proposed, for the reason that the constitution
| of the order requires that such amendments
| shall be submitted to the local assemblies at
| least sixty days before their presentment to
| the general assembly, and this has not been
done. Mr.. Powderly and members OF the ex-
| ecutive board say that such reports are I'M
| true, that the constitution requires that local
assemblies desiring to offer amendments shall
present them to the general secretary or
treasurer sixty days before the converting Of
the general assembly. The amendments now
in the hands of the committee on laws were
presented to the last convention at
Hamilton, Ont, so that instead Of sixty
days notice, q years notice had been
given. This question was brought up In the
convention to-day, and the chairman
ruled, and was sustained by the general as
sembly that the constitution of the order can
be revised at this session. Mr. Powderly to-
day received the following telegram from
Thomas Barry, member of their executive
committee sent to Chicago to endeavor to set
tie the strike of the employees Of the packing
houses in that city:
The packers say they have no organization,
so must treat with them as individual COM
panies. We called on several firms yesterday
and all expressed desire for settlement. but
insist working ten hours, while the men
are arm for eight. We look for settlement
this week.
Mr.. Powderly has received almost hourly
to-day kilograms commencing the position
he has taken in his letter on the race QueS-
ton.