Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-11-15
COUNCIL CHAMBERS.
Proceedings of the X. of L,
Assembly.
THE ORDER LOSING MEMBERSHIP
National Board of Trade and Other
Bodies in Annual
Session.

Bodies in Annual
Session.
Associated Press Dispatches to the HERALD
INDIANAPOLIS, November 14.-The Coz
vention of the Knights Of Labor rea
sembled this morning and took up th
reports of the general officers and con
mittees.
The report of Treasurer Turner for th
year ending June 30th, last, was read.
shows that the receipts were 1929, ,O0O
expenditures the same. A supplemental
report to November 1st, shows the re
ceipts to be $4,000; expenditure
$4,000.
In conclusion Mr.. Turner said: Th
membership had decreased about 800, 90
during the past fiscal year, and at tn
present time the receipts are not suffi
cient to meet necessary expenses.
He recommended cutting down tn
staff of the general officers and other re
trenchments to the amount of $25 900, il
view OF the great falling off in m sm ber
ship and the debt hanging over the
order. The delegates are feeling rather
blue and wondering what the outcome
will be.
At the end of June, 1887, the order
was several thousand dollars ahead. Or
it's condition one year later Turner says
June 80, 1888, our balance was $164
with bills to the amount of $9,225 due
and unpaid. October 81, 1888, there was
a balance of SAG, with $3,6S7 due and
unpaid bills.
WoMEN's WORK AND WAGES.
Mrs. L. M. Barry, General Investigator
of Women's Work and Wages, gave an
interesting resume of her labors, with
suggestions towards the amelioration of
woman's lot.
Mrs. Barry gives the price paid women
and girls in various parts of the country
visited, and described the disadvantages
under which they work. She found
much to criticise and condemn. At Gin
cinnati, she says, the organization was
in deplorable disruption, and after ex-
pressing her inability in the time to de-
tail the wo:nen-employingin industries, she
says: But of one or two cases of toilers
! would like to speak in hopes that the
Knights of Labor, ere this convention
closes, may devise some way to over
come, prohibit or restrict by legislation
(or the compulsory use of label on fair
made goods, which, in my judgment, is
the most practically, one of the most op-
pressive, pernicious and damaging to the
public good, system that afflicts our
country to-day. l speak of the contract
ing, sweating, middlemen or top-shop
plan which works ruin, misery, sin and
shame to the toilers, and death and fail
ure to the legitimate and regularly estab-
lished industry with which it completes.
For instance, mems pants, that retail at
the price of from one dollar to seven dol.
lars per pair, are taken by contract at
fifteen cents per pair. Operatives are
employed and huddled together in a
close, sitting back room where machine
operatives furnish their own machines
and in most cases their own thread and
do all the machine work on pants,
without basting, for five cents a
pair. They are then passed over to
the finisher, who puts on the buttons,
makes the button holes and puts on
buckles for five cents per pair. Six pairs
is an average days work. Supposing five
operatives to be employed, and there are
often more than this, the contractor
makes thirty cents head, which nets
him or her $3.50 per day, while his, or
her victim gets thirty cents day. This
is only one of many instances.
HUMILIATION OF WOMEN AND GIRLS.
After speaking OF her trips through
Pennsylvania, Mrs. Barry says: The
x,;o1,k;Du ~ 1ov -, raOorA 10 bo
employment of women and children in
hand. There are many evils attendant
larly girls, which lead to misery, ignor-
rapidly increasing in this country, which
to manhood, and I here and now appeal
voice to be watchful and wary of his
large establishment or small one either,
the price of her position is that she
islands in with the boss" Many may
ask why l do not give the name and
resent such pernicious approaches
buTlnk HOm giving puOAACAoy W ohoiA
humiliation, and those who do submit,
will not make their misfortunes pnblic
until perhaps they can no longer hide
their shame. In very many instances
facts were given that we're blood curdling,
but no affidavit would be made, and
neither myself or the Order was in a
position to stand libel suit with all the
power wealth against US wherewith te
influence decision against homer anc
truth.
REPORT OF EXECUTIVE BOARD.
The report of the General Executive
Board consists of q statement of tn,
action taken in various cases. of appeali
and complaints, mostly of local nature
The official action of the Board in tn,
case of Local Assembly 40, of New York
was to sustain James E. Quinn in hi
actions. It is because of this conflict tina
there have been two contesting delega
tions here this week from Local Assem-
bly, SO. The action on the Reading strik
was not given, it being stated that tn
General Executive Board did not hav
charge of it, but all the documents are a
the disposal of the General Assembly.
The afternoon session to-day was brie
and devoted to the introduction of reso
lutions and other matters for reference t.
committees. No more reports were mad
but the report of the General Maste
Workman and the General Secretary ar
n =