Waterbury evening Democrat., 1888-04-24
Knights g Need Money.
The Empty Treasury Must be Re-
 plenished.
TO SELL THEIR COAL MINE.
Expenses Said to Largely Exceed Receipts. Anxious to Start the Printing Office. Oficers Alleged to be Afraid of Losing Part of Their Salaries.

Part of Their Salaries.
 NEW YORK, April 24-A dispatch from Philadelphia to The Sun says: ''The appro- priation of S10,0OO by the general executive board of the Knights of Labor at the recent session to start a printing office at headquar- ters was farcical act The money was ap- propriated from depleted treasury. The need of ready money above current expenses, which are now paid with difficulty, has caused much concern. Schemes for raising the wind have been ahoat for some time, Aside from the brown stone headquarters, worth $60 ,O0O, the only available property is the Connelburg coal mine in Ohio. The gen. eral board have authorized the sale of this property, and they expect to realize enough to enable the trustees of the printing office to get the office well under way.
 'The trustees want to start the office badly, as they thus hope to lessen the enormous printing bill of the order, which was $49, 900 last year. The sale of the mine will only. provide little ready money for exigencies, such as the printing office, and will do little to improve the frightfully bad condition of the finances. A member of the board admits that there is barely enough money in the treasury to pay the current expenses and keep the machinery going until the payment of the July per capita tax.
 "The quarterly returns are farsfrom satis- factory. MT. Powderly has issued special call for the purpose of keeping the attention of the order on the glittering generalities of his to draw a little money into the empty coffers. Unless money is received between this date and July, the force at the general office will have to be further reduced The question strikes higher than the clerks, how ever, and there is strong probability, which is held by some of the board, that before that time the general officers will not be able to get their salaries in full. The expenses of the order are now very heavy. During the year 1885 S6 the order gained nearly 60O,0 900 mem bers, and the total expenses were $105.795. Under the present administration for 1So6- -87, the order lost 2l7 ,0O0 members, and the total expenses were $49l ,6S3.
 ''At the close of the Minneapolis session of the general assembly in October, 1887, the ment of the expenses of the general assembly about exhausted the paltry balance of S5, 9T. The order had, according to Secretary Litch- man, 45S,OOO members This membership had paid into the treasury the sum of $495, ,656 while the yearly expenses were $491 ,693. The expenses and receipts so nearly balanced that 8 small falling of ill the membership or other causes affecting the income would force the receipts to fall below the expenditures. In lSSO-Sl oaCn m6mOer or tue OrOor paid aDOuG seventy-five cents for the support of the order, every cent of which was used; and as the membership has decreased another 20O,- 900 the income will be decreased one-half. According to the report of Treasurer Turner the average monthly expenses of last year was $39 QUO. At the same time the average monthly income from all the sources of reve- nue was about $22,OOO.
 'To get money needed to meet expenses a special assessment of twenty-five cents was levied in November, 1886, which brought in $105, ,173, and a general appeal brought in $15, ,409, and the order was saved from finan- cal ruin. There have been no assessments this year, and, as the regular sources of reve- nues would not pay expenses with a large membership, they cannot pay with deci- mated membership of about 2O,O The ex- penses remain about the same, and, if any thing, are higher this year.
 "There is little or no economy. The board cost the order $21, ,4l6 last year, and several members say, at the rate of S7 day and ex- penses, it will cost the order $25,O0O this year. There is chance of getting money by mortgaging the headquarters, which can be done, contrary to the general opinion, but the board prefer to sell the mine. This cost $2O,OOO originally, and has yielded up to date $3,000 profit. A member of the board said recently: I am afraid, with our de creased membership, that we won't be able to get our full salaries after July.'"