Butte semi-weekly miner. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-17
THE KNIGHTS OF LABOR
.spoRTS OF OFFICERS ON THE
CONDITION OF THE ORDER.

Great Decrease in Membership and
Finance-Mrs. Barry's Interesting Re-
oort on the Condition of Women Toiler.
Their DepIorable State Everywhere.
Some Instances-Report of j. w. HAYES.
kpANAPoLIs, November Ia. - The
roiChts OF Labor convention reassembled
bis morning. 1t took up the reports Of
,bs general officers and committees. The
snort OF Treasurer Turner for the
,ssr ending June 80 last, shows receipts.
S,22 900; expenditures the same. A sun.
neuentary report to November l shows
receipts $50, 900 and expenditures $43, 900.
In conclusion Mr.. Turner says: Accord.
mo to the receipts from taxes the men,
bership has decreased about 300, 900 dur.
inr the past fiscal year, and at the present
time the receipts are not sufficient to meet
necessary expenses. He recommends cut
other retrenChmerts to the amount OF $685.
900.
In view Of the great failing OF in member.
ship and the debt hanging over the order,
tbe delegates are feeling rather blue, and
are wondering what the outcome will be.
A. the end OF the year 1887 the order was
several thousand dollars ahead OF it's con-
dton one year later. Turner says: On
lime 80, 1888, our balance was $164,
With bills to the amount of $6,227 due
and unpaid. On October 81, 1888, there
IA a balance of SIG, with $3,7S7 due and
unpaid bills.
Mrs. L. NJ. Barry, general investigator of
woman's work and wages, gave an inter-
ssiDg resume OF her labors, with suggest |
iorS towards ameliorating woman's lot. |
The report OF the general executive board |
sa vOluminous document containing an |
account of all matters acted on by the |
board.
DEPLoRABLE CONDITION OF WOMEN.
Mrs. Barry gives the price paid women |
and girls in various parts of the country |
visited, and describes the disadvantages |
under which they work. She found much |
TO criticize and condemn at Cincinnati. She |
says the organization is in deplorable |
disruption, but Of one or two cases OF
tOiIers she declares, II would like to speak |
in hopes the Knights OF Labor, ere the close |
Of this convention, may overcome, prohibit |
or restrict by legislation or the compulsory |
use Of label on fair-made goods, which, in |
my Judgment is the most practicable.
One OF the most offensive, pernicious |
and damaging system that affects the
United States to-day is the sweating mid.
die men, or stop-shop plan which works /
ruin, sin, shame and death. Operatives
are employed and huddled together
IN CLOSE BACK ROOM
where machine operatives furnish their own
machines and in most cases thread and do |
all the machine work on pants without
basting for 5 cents q pair. They are then
passed over to finisher who puts on but
tons, makes button holes, and puts on
buckles for 5 cents per pair. Six pairs are
an average days work. Supposing five
operators be employed, and there are often |
more, the contractor makes 30 cents, |
which nets him or her $l.5O per day, while |
bis or her victim gets 30 cents per day. |
This is only one of many instances"
After speaking of her trips through Penn
Sylyania, Mrs. Barry says: "Violation OF
every law in regard to the employment OF
women and children is to be met with on
every hand. There are many evils, par
ticularly the employment OF girls, which
LEAD TO MISERY AND DESPAIR.
A custom is rapidly increasing in the
United States " hich means shame, dis
honor and humiliation to many, and now
appeal to every father to be watchful and
wary OF his daughter il she be employed in
any laI ge establishment or small, whether
she is made to understand that the price
Of her position is that she "stand in with
the boss"
Men may ask why l do not give name
and locality. First, because those who
resent such pernicious approaches shrink
from giving publicity to the humiliation,
and those who do submit will not make
their misfortunes public until they can
no longer hide them. In many instances
facts were given that were blood-curdling;
but no affidavit would be made, and
neither | or the order was in position TO
stand a libel suit with the power OF wealth
against U.S."
GENERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD.
The report OF the general executive board
consists of q statement OF the action taken
in cases OF appeals and complaints, mostly
ola local nature. The official action OF
the board in the case OF D. A. 40 OF New
York was to sustain j. E. Quinn in his
actions. II is because OF this conhlct tha1
there have been two contestlng oelegaIiohs
here this week from ID. A. AZ
The action in the Reading strike ID gwen,
it being stated that the general executive
board did rot have charge OF it, but all the
documents are at the disposal OF the gen.
eral assembly.
The session to-day was brief, and de-
voted to the intI oductlon ot resolutions
for reference to the committees. NO more
reports we're made, but the reports OF tne
general master workman and general sec
ratary are looked for tomorrow. Dat
ry's appeal has not yet come before Uhe
assembly.
THE REPORT OF J. w. HAYES,
who succeeded Charles H. Litchman az
general secretary in September, Will DC
presented in the morning. He gives tabu
lated statement OF the membership suo"
ihg 5 $50 local assemblies in good workins
order, with total membership OF zoo,
LOG. July l, 1887, the memperenipi a..
Cording to this report, was 4ol ,lio' 'nU"
ing a loss in one year OF np1 less Un@.
ia 731 the exact number depending OF
not reported membership.
Amendmentst to the constitution nave peei
offered from a number OF different dlsCric
assemblies, and they will Ee acteu upon
due season. Among them are athel'u uion ~
providing that the per capita TAX W Im ",
general a assembly be reduced; tha' 'ne W ol
Cts OF general seer tary and general lreas
urer be combined; that the general eAecU
4 tive board
BE REDUCED IN NUMBER
that legislation looking to the oeo'er 'u.
cation Of members and the pubilc DC ei
acted, and that officers be elected annua',1
that strikes and boycots be supported o
the general assembly only to the extenT ;Hn s,,c
purposes; that the salaries co.ae OF 1enst' sa
Master Workman and OF tue Genera zen ,sas %.
retary and Treasurer be $2'Ooo per p yeS
each, and that tae salaries oil tns memDv n"
Of the General Executive Boaru snan ~
exceed So per day, hotel eXpenSTTS S'r.,I ""I ,
exceed So per day, and rallroa" ''''''
now