The National tribune., 1888-11-22
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
The Annual Gathering at IndianapO-
lis Shows the Organization to be
Heavily in Debt.

The 18th General Assembly of the Knights
of Labor was held at Indianapolis Ind, Nov
13 TO 20 inclusive, General Master Workman
T. V. Powderly presiding. 7. b. Barry, of
Michigan, who was expelled from the General
Executive Board for incompetency and viola
ton Of his obligation as a general officer and
member of the Order, was refused admission to
the hail. Barry issued an appeal to his fellow
Knights in which be said that politics and
the Church of Rome dictate Powderly's policy,
and the Protestant clement of organized labor
is in revolt" He claimed that the General
Assembly was not a fair representative gather
ing of the industrial classes of the knights OF
Labor. He charged POwderly and other offi-
GERS with corrupt actions and declared that
the malcontents would form new order. His
appeal was referred to the Committee on Com
plants and Grievances. Mr.. Powderly defend
ed his actions and the Order in a mastery
speech. The Committee sustained the Grand
Master Workman and its report was adopted
by the Convention.
The report of the Treasurer showed that the
once powerful organization was bankrupt. Dur
ing the past year the membership had been
considerably reduced and the Order became
heavily in debt
The substance of the report is that there was
a balance on hand on July l, 1887, of $4,000.
There were received during the year from the
per capita tax 100000, from special appeals
S37 900, and from other sources enough TO make
a total OF 1922, 800 The disbursements in that
time were about the same, and the balance in
the treasury on July /, 1888, was little over
$3.50, with unpaid bills of over $4,000. The
Treasurer also submitted supplementary re-
port for the four months since the end of the
fiscal year. which showed that the receipts in
that third of the present year have been but
$4,000, while the expenditures have been
about the same, and there was on Nov. bal
ance in the treasury of just SAG, with unpaid
bills OF $4,000. To his report the Treasurer
adds a statement, in which he says: The
itemized account of the expenditures for the
fiscal year shows that $4,000 went for salaries,
S32, 600 for printing and paper, $500 for post
age, $4,000 for railroad expenses, and $4,000 for
hotel bills. Mileage amounted to $4,000, and
nearly SO, 600 was donated to various District
Assemblies"
The report of General Secretary Hayes
showed that the total membership of the Order
now is only 259,516, embraced in $685. Local
Assemblies. District Association 40, that re-
ported 81, 826 on July /, 1887, claims but Is, 42I
now. No "a had 2,57I, and now claims but
500. No. So has decreased from ia to 626. No.
81 from ,575 to SIS. No. 1S9 has gone ont of
existence. No. 1913 had 5, 1853, and now has 229.
Nos. 226, $50 and 23l, the other New York Dis
trict Assemblies, have been created within a
few months, and haven't had time to lose any
A1ACiI BGiS Cb
The financial crisis was passed by the action
of District Assembly No. 800, including the
glass workers, which announced that it had
100000 in cash in the treasury, and that this
amount was at the disposal of the General As
sembly. Five thousand dollars was handed in as
a starter The other District Assemblies We're
then called upon, and $4,000 was placed at
the command of the General Assembly. Mr.
Powderly made long Speech in which he at
tributed the decline in the Order to an i'm
proper understanding Of the purposes of the
Order, to false reports of extravaganza in its
management, to strikes and to the bad infu
enees of the campaign The financial affairs
of the Order are intrusted to too many hands
The General Master Workman should have
nothing to do with them. He upheld the
much-crticized one-man power as essential to
the organization. He declared that the days
of the strike are past, and that other more eff
fectiye and less wasteful methods must come
into universal use when intelligence controls.
He advised the knights of Labor to concern
trate their efforts and to abandon the shotgun
policy of endeavoring to control all things Mr.
Powderly also declared that economy should
be exercised in regard to salaries and other ex-
penditures. He advocated the reduction of
the salary of the Grand Master Workman from
$1,000 year to $4,000
Mr.. Powderly was reelected Grand Master
Workman.