Huntsville gazette., 1889-11-09
KNIGHTS OF LABOR
POwderly Says the Condition of
the Order is Improving.
What He Expects the Organ
ization to Accomplish.

He Believes the Order Has Come to STAY.
Its Future Brighter Than Ever Before.
Statistics Which He Desires to Have
Taken at the Next Census-The Oppres-
sion of Workingmen.
PHILADELPHIA, Nov 8.-Mr. Pow
derlv says the condition of the Knights
Of Labor is better than it was year
ago.
Those who are coming in will stay,
and the future is brighter than ever be-
fore. The order of the Knights of La
Dor has come to stay. 1t has done ten
times more good than any other labor
society that ever existed.
II intend to recommend that pressure
be brought to bear on congress TO in
struct the superintendent of census to
| take the indebtedness of the people of
the country; to find out how many own
their own homes; how many farmers
operate their own farms; how many
farms are mortgaged and who holds
the mortgages. BY this means it can
be shown, [ believe. that the country is
owned by less than 100, 001 persons. L
shall recommend the amending of Arti-
Gle 2 of the declaration of principles to
read that all lands shall be taxed to
their full rental valIe.
The Eight-Hour Question.
''We have been charged with being
| Indifferent upon the eight-hour ques-
ton. Why, we have the only printing
office in the United States run on the
eight-hour work and we get more and
better work out of the men. But we
want to take practical view of the sub
ject We do not want to injure business
by q sudden change of two or more
hours a day.
Il shall recommend the suggestion
offered by Edwin Norton that we lop
Off half an hour year. If that plan
had been adopted we would have been
working i'll most trades about eight and
half hours this year. If the sugges-
ton is adopted, we can work in har-
mony with manufacturers whose inter-
est is to have as many persons at work
as possible. But back of all and over
all IS the opening up OF natural oppor-
tunities to the workers, when there will
! be no question Of hours of labor.
Cost Several Thousand Members.
''Ihe disastrous strike of New York
!
members But, Notwithstanding this,
our last report in July shows a con-
tributing membership of 207, SSS. an in
crease of nearly 1000 in short time
Since then a number of new charters
have been issued, and the total mem
bership to-day is not far from quarter
of a million. We have local assem- blies
in Belgium, France, Ireland, Scotland,
England and Australia, and local is
about to be organized in New Zealand.
Don't owe Dollar.
1--WE have an application from dis
tricts in England to change the name
of the order by dropping the words of
America and to adopt a preamble and
declaration fitting to conditions there.
The financial state of the order is bet
ter than it was year ago. / found it
nearly $15, 900 in debt, which has been
paid off. The running expenses have
and have something to start with next
and material.
Mrs. Barry's Only Regret.
Mrs. Leonora Barry has only one re-
greet and it is that she cannot arouse
! the women of the country to a realiza-
tion of their condition especially those
in the manufacture of mems and
women's underwear. Her soft gray
eyes fill with tears as she speaks of
! the scenes she has witnessed both at
/ home and abroad and of the apparent
futility of her labors. Then she bright
! ems upon recalling some rays Of sun
/ light which ightened the otherwise
dark perspective. No one ever doubts
Mrs Barrys earnestness and unselfish-
ness in the work she is doing.