Workmen's advocate., 1889-11-23
KNIGHTS OF LABOR.
Continued from first puqe).

l ently advocate d reduction of the salary of that officer. When was obliged to again accept the place 1 stated to the General Assembly at Indianapolis that l would accept but $3,000, leaving it to the next session to say whether should receive the other &, GOO, now reCom- mend that the salary of the General Master Workman be reduced one-half- not that consider $2, 2,500, or even $5, GOO, enough for the duties and responsibil- ties of the office, but the order cannot well afford to pay any more.
 Powderly recommended that memor- ial be sent to Congress demanding the passing of law requiring the superin- tendent of the eleventh census to gather statistics in the matter of mortgages and who hold them, so as to show what per centage of the people are in debt and what percentage own their own homes, free and clear.
 THE LAND QUESTION.
 The great difficulty in determining what lands are held for speculative pur- poses will always stand in the way of giving practical effect to the fourth sec. tion in our preamble. l recommend that it be amended to read :-" And all lands be taxed to their full rental value" It has been urged that to place a tax on the rental value of land would entail hardship on the farmer. At the rate at which mortgages are being placed on farms it will soon be very difficult for farmer to rent his land, for no one will care to rent from one who cannot make his land raise mortgage.
 THE EIGHT HOUR QUESTION.
 In regard to the elght hour work day he says :-
 l do not regard a reduction of the hours of toll as the cure for all and the end of our struggle, but merely as a means to an end; but am not hostile 10 the eight hour question. It is because l am deeply concerned in it that l will not sanction any foolhardy or unwise methods of hastening it. Had we acted on the proposition pre- sented ny MT. Edwin Norton at Cleve- land in 1886, this year would see the end of the long hour workday. His recommendation was that nine hours and half constitute the workday for 1887, nine hours for 1888, eight hours and half for 1889, and eight hours for 1890. This was, and is, practical plan. It is feasible, and one that is so gradual as not to disarrange business or in any way work hardship to either side in the controversy.
 In conclusion Powderly says
 With the misunderstanding of the past cleared up and united order ready to put in operation the laws and rec0m mendations we shall make, there is no reason why the most successful days of this order shall not date from the adjournment of this General Assembly.
 POLITICAL ACTION.
 The most important session thus far was held on the 18th inst, when, after much discussion the K of l.. formally declared in favor of taking a hand in politics by adopting the following recon mendation from the report of the Gen. eral Executive Committee
 "That the General Executive Board be given power to take the report | of the committee, examine 1t in detail | and publish to the order from time to tune such information as will be of | benefit to them in voting for the differ | ent candidates for legislative honors | and also to recommend to the order such action as they may deem wise
 It is understood that Powderly and A. w, Wright are to go to St. Louis to confer with the National Farmers AL lance.
 THE CENSUS
 Resolutions were passed urging that the next census show the number of people in the United States owning their own homes and farms what pro- portion of property Is free from debt, and of the homes and farms under mortgage what percentage of the value is mortgaged. These resolutions were adopted with the understanding that district assemblies and local assemblies may follow in the same line.
 THE LAND TAX.
 After lively discussion the following was adopted as the fourth plank of the declaration of principles of the order :- ReSolred that the land, including all the natural sources of wealth, is the heritage of the people and should not be subject to speculative traffic. Occu- pancy and use should be the only title to the possession of land. The taxes Ipon land should be levied upon its full value for use, exclusive of improvement, md should be sufficient to make for he community all the unearned incre- nent."
 EIGHT HOURS A DAY