The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-07-17
WITH Mr.. POWDERLY
He Enters a General Denial to Certain
RumOrs~ Concerning the K. of L.
The Present Meeting Of the Executive Board
Is q Quarterly One, and Has No Particular
Signiicance-The Next Convention.

Chicago meeting of the executive board OF
the Knights of Labor began to-day at the
Sherman House, with General Master
Workman Powderly and the following
members present.: General Secretary-treas-
urer John w. Hayes, of Philadelphia; j.. >.
Holland, of jacksonville, Fla; A. w.
Wright, of Toronto, and John Devlin. of
Detroit. Mr.. Powderly and his fellow
leaders arrived in the city this morning,
directly from Pittsburg. Before noon the
board went into executive session, which
was continued throughout the day and
evening until a late hour. The first bust
ness of the board was the selection of the
time and place of the next General Assem-
bly,. 1t was decided that it should be held
at Atlanta. Ca, on the second Tuesday of
next November. The next matter taken
up was the hearing of a complaint by j. K.
Sovereign, of Dubuque, on the question of
a local assembly's jurisdiction.
During the afternoon Mr.. Powderly re-
tired from the meeting for ash0rt interval,
during which time he received calls from
several gentlemen, among them Congress
the purpose of the board in coming West.
Mr.. Powderly said: This is q quarterly
meeting of the executive board called in
Chicago for the convenience of Northwest
ern assemblies. to save them the time and
expense of a journey to Philadelphia. All
other statements of the purpose of this
meeting in the West are false and without
foundation. i see it has been claimed by
some newspapers that it was to revive the
waning influence in this portion of the
country, and that the meeting is an excep-
tlonal one. none having been had hitherto
outside of Philadelphia. 1t Is hardly neces-
sary TO deny this, as every one knows we
meet wherever convenience suggests, and
as a matter OF fact met In Chicago W
years ago."
1T is also said that the Knights of Labor
have gone to pieces in the East, and you are
looking to the West for the future"
Il have only to say that the statement is
OF a par with the other one"
Mr.. POwderly was asked: us it true that
You have come West TO placate any dis
gruntled element or tenderthe olive branch
to Barry OF the United BrotherhoOdp
I'VE have no overtures to make to Mr..
Barry, and no olive branches for him.
There has yet been no complaint mad to
Us of anything he has done, and / know of
no intention to meddle with his affairs. He
can organize as he sees tit. No local Chi
board. OF course they may. Wherever 1
go it is my duty to look into Knights of La
Dor affairs.n
How will these matters come upi'
"All appeals for action on complaint must
be made through the district assemblies,
and our action is then subject to the Gen.
eral Assembly"
When the Chicagoans, George Z. Detwiler
and George Schilling, and their relations to
the organization, were referred to. MI. Pow
derly said 1t was not worth while to speak
of them. as both had been expelled, and
had no connection with the X. of l..
IF the matter of the recently-organized
United Brotherhood comes up will it result
IN any expulsions!" Mr.. Powderly was
asked.
He said decidedly: "In spfh cases there
is only one alternative. T6e moment we
learn a member belongs to another organ-
ization inimical to the K. of L. he is i'm
mediately dropped from the rolls. But this
trouble is greatly exaggerated. We do not
hear nearly SO much of the United Brother
hood in the East. The talk aboat it is in
the West"
Concerning the present condition of af-
fairs, he said: I'm the beginning of 1886
we had $1,000 members. Six months later
we bad 100000. At present we a 100000.
When i am asked TO explain the falling of,
i ask, why should so MANY come inf This
present number is really an increase which
/ strongly opposed. Much of it is made UP
of those people who think the strike the
solution of all evils. ] have opposed this
membership from the beginning
An attempt to elicit a categorical state
ment from the master workman on the
eight-hour question was not wholly sue.
cessfuL. Il am decidedly in favor" be
said, "of a reduction in the hours of labor.
As early as 1886 l suggested that steps
should be taken to shorten hours, but / am
opposed TO sudden measures. What / really
believe i will neither print In our paper OF
say for publication. Our order has the
eight-hour question before it for considera.
tiOn, and / want them to send their dele.
gates to the General Assembly with Opin.
ions on the question that are not biased by
my Judgment. 1t is a matter to be settled
by the General Assembly"
lyon are not then in favor of the arbi-
~ ny n N rpOH N ~ nf nrrh orrp M N In-T.
WSrkP 'sH' H0ui' as u'S
Il am not prepared to say positively. But
1 do know eight hours are too much for q
days work. Franklin thought four hours
enough. When the Federation of Labor in
1885 announced May / of that year as the
date on which the eight-hbur plan was to bt
put in operation, i brought the plan before
the organization, and they insisted / should
say what they should do. i wanted then
to settle the matter for themselves. and
now insist that they shall do so. My mani
festo telling the would-be strikers tina
they could expect no help from the order
was not because L was opposed to eight
hours. Possibly il prevented the strike
but il was the matter of the K. of L. mem
bers, and they must decide it at Atlanta"
The board will continue in session severa
days.
Want the Contract Labor Law Enforced.
BELLAIRE. o., July 16.-The fiint-glass
workers had a lively session to-day. and i
is continued tonight, but will not get
through until tomorrow. The shade com
mittee reported, making considerable
changes in their list, which were adopted
The iron mold branch vas also changed
considerably and adopted, but both report
brought out considerable discussion, an,
the shade men did not get all Endorsed the,
desired. The reduction of officers salar,
is to be voted on tonight ana from the gen
eral expression will fail. The convention
without a dissenting vote. adopted a Ion
preaneble setting forth the sentiment of tn
tiint-glass-workers in favor OF the strict en-
forcement OF the government cOntrac
labor law, prohibiting the importation O
contract-labor from foreign countries. an
denouncing in unqualified terms the laxit
of the proper authorities in prosecutin
violators of this law. and
Resolved, That the American fint-glass-wor
r do hereby authorize the aautf I,nor1 +;