The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1888-11-15
KNIGHTS IN DEBT
Powderly's Order Has Lost
100000 Members.
A RATHER DISMAL OUTLOOK.
Only = Few Dollars In the Treasury
The Woes Of Women Work
era-RstrsEchment
A EArHEE DISMAL OUTLOOK.

lSDIAsAfoIIs, Nov 4-The knights OF
Labor convention reassemb.ed this morn
ing and took mp the reports Of the general
officers and eormitteex
The report OF Treasurer Turner fer the
year ending Jsrs -. last, shows receipts
ef s2s2 zoo. and expenditures the same. A
supplementary report To November. shows
receipts $Sz.0<c, expenditures $500 In
conclusion Mr.. Teraer says. According TO
the receipts from tax, the membership de-
creased about no 600 during the past hscsi
year. and nt the present time the receipts
are not sufficient % meet the necessary ex-
pcnscs- He recommends . cetti1g down
Of the stat OF the general officers ard other
reirenehEents 10 amount 70 sl5.0eo
In view Of the great faliiag OF in Hem-
bership assa the dess. banging over the
order the delegates are feeiiss rather bluc.
wondsring = hat the outcome via BE- Al
the END Of June, xS7. the order Eaz sew
eral ihessau6 dollars ahead. OF its con
dition one year later, Turner says: June
80. lsss. our balance was $l6f. with bills TO
the amount OF ssz2T due ard unpaid. Oct
81. lass. there Is q bsi8nce Of 81, with y3ss7
due. and unpaid BILLS
Mrs. L. NJ. Barry, general Investigator OF
w0mans work and wages, gave tn inter.
esti1g resume of her iabors. with sugges-
tions toward the aInelioralion Of Hosnsn's q
| lot
&ft- D&afg SAsCt p1tt- pau I'll
and girls in various parts os the co1nfry
visited and describes the disadssn-
'ages under which they work. She
found much 10 critieise and condemn. She
says the organization is in deplorable dis
ruption- But OF one or two Of the hard
ships OF the t0ilers ] would Ike to speak,
in the hope that the knights OF LABOR, be-
fore the close OF this convention, may
! overcome, prohibit or restrict BY lcgisie-
tioa or condemn. The use Of labels an
union-mAde goods, in my judgment Is the
most practicable one. Nest oppressive,
good fs..ihe system fhst affects us 10 day Is
the sweating, middleman or siap shop.
which works ruin, sin and shame
and death, or failure 20 legii-
innate industry with which il Com
pefes. Operatives are employed and
where machine operatives furnish their
own machines aud in most eases thread,
and do all the machine work on pants.
without bssting, for 5 cents pair. They
are thea passed over to the hrisher. The
worker on bHttons makes button holes and
pats on bnckles for cents per pair six
pairs Is an average day work. SGrposing
ave operators 10 be employed, and there
are often more, the contractor makes %
cents, which net him or her 81 50 per day,
while his or her victim gets 90 cents per
dsy. This Is only one OF many instances" I"
Pennsylvania, Mrs. Barry says The yfo-
lation OF every law in regard 10 the EN-
pioyneut of women and children Il to be
met with on every hand. There are many
evils, particularly the employment OF
girls, which lead to misery and despair.
A eastom is rapidly increasing In the
United States which means shame, dis
honor and humiliation TO manhood, and
now appeal to the father TO be watch
full and wary OF his daughter IL she be
employed in any large establishment or
small, where she Is made to under
stand that the price OF her posi-
ton is tina. she stand in with the
boss. Many may ssk why do not give
names and localities The first caHse is
that those who resent such pcr1icions sp-
prosches shrink from giving publicity 10
their humiliation, and those who do sub
nit viii not make their misfortunes public
until they can no longer hide them. In
many instances facts were given that were
blood cnrdlins, bat no affidavit would be
made, aud neither myself nor the order
was in position TO stand q libel snit with
the power OF wealth against US
The report OF the general executive board
consisted OF statement OF the action ta-
ken in cases of appeals aud complaint,
mostly of local nature The official &C
ton of the board in the case OF District
Assembly ~. of New York, was to sustain
J. E. Quinn in his actions. Il is because
confesfing delegations here this week
from District Assembly ~. The action in
the Reading strike 10 over, it being stated
that the executive board did not have
charge of 1t, but all the documents are at
the disposal Of the general assembly.
The session to-day was brief and devoted
to the introductior:of resolutions for refer
ence to committees. No more reports
were made, but the report of the general
master workman and general secretary are
booked for tomorrow. Barry's appeal has
not yet ccmc before the assembly.
The report Of J. W. Hayes, who succeeded
Charles II. Litchman as general secretary
In September, win be presented in the
morAins lie gives q statement of member
ship showing af6s local assemblies in good
working order. with total membership Of
21g 1c6, snd S7@0 not reported July !. 1887.
Ttc membership according to this report
was z5i .l7g, showing loss in one year Of
not less than I57.S72, the exact number de-
pending on mot reported" membership
Amendments TO the constitution have
been offered from number Of district
assemblies. Among those are amendments
providing that the per capita tax TO the
general assembly be reduced: that the
Offices OF general secretary and general
treasurer be combined; that the general
executive board be reduced IN number:
that legislation looking 10 the better edH-
cation Of members and the public be en-
acted. and that the officers be elected an
nually; that strikes and boyeotis be sup
porfed by the general assembly only to
The extent of money specially secured by
appeal for such purposes; that the salaries
of general master workman aud general
secretary aud treasurer be '-ooo per year,
and the salaries of shc general executive
board not 10 exceed 81 per day, hotel ex-
pensss not TO exceed = per day, and rail
road fares as now.