Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-07-25
GOT THEIR CHARTER.
The Trouble Between the K. of L. and
Federation More Complicated.
ROW AT NEXT TRADES COUNCIL.
Glassware Agents and Buyers Are Now
Flocking Into the City.
THE LINDEN STEEL COMPANY SIGNS

A few week ago The DIsP ATCH an.
nounced that tronble was brewing between
the knights of Labor and the Federation oil
Labor. The dissatisfaction has been smol.
dering since that time, and between now
and Saturday night, when the Central
Trades Council will meet, it will be famed
into blaze.
The cause of the trouble now is the grant.
ing, by the General Executive Board of the
K. of L., of charter to the slateroofers OF
this city. The charter is dated June II,
and since that time the men have been
holding meetings in the name of the Knights
of Labor. Few people except themselves
knew that the charter had been granted,
thinking that the General Executive Board
would not take the action until the matter
had been investigated. Notwithstanding
the protests that have been made, the board
issued the charter and had a report sent out
from Chicago Tuesday that they had re-
fused to issue it, The latter was supposed
to be true, and those who opposed the
slaters' organization coming into the order
construed it to mean that it was
A DIRECT SLAP
at District Assembly No. g. However, the
officials of the District Assembly got in
their work first, and upon their recon-
mendation the charter was granted. When
the other side heard that the charter had
been granted they declared that things
would be made lively at the Trades Council
Saturday night.
Some time about MAY Is Special Agent
Beck, of the Building Trades League, in
augurated strike in the Irwin and White
shops in this city because some of the men
in the shops refused to join the Slate,
Marble and Tile Cutters Union, which was
attached to the Federation of Labor. The
men claimed that the members of the union
were 'foaters," and would not belong to
the same organization that the others were
in. The non-union men continued at work,
and aiterward made an application to be
organized into the knights of Labor. Or
gsnizer Joseph L. Evans formed them into
a local assembly, which was given the num-
Der of 491.
When the members of the slaters' union
heard that the Knights of Labor was about
to organize the non-union men they natur-
ally objected and filed a protest. When
Delegate X. S. Rees, from L. A. 491, pre-
sented his credentials to the Trades Council,
and asked that he be admitted, the delegates
lIOm u1lOuS III the leUerdtlOn ODlecteu.
They said he represented non-union men,
and pending the seating of the delegate o
committee was
APPOINTED TO INVESTIGATE
the matter. This committee is composed of
Cal Wyatt, representing the skaters union;
Homer L. McGaw, from the Trades Coun-
ell. and Daniel McWilliams, representing
L. A. 491. They will meet in Commoner
Hall Friday evening to settle the trouble.
The fact that charter has been granted the
men who would not go into the federation
has further complicated matters, and it is
further probable that the General Executive
Board will be requested to withdraw it from
the local assembly. The members of 491
will then nave to 60 into the slate roofers'
union if they want recognition from the
federation men. This, the former claim,
they will not do. They say they are all
residents of the city and will not mix with
the "foaters."
The officials of d. A 8, of this city,
justify their action in the matter by saying
that the federation men would not recog-
nize K. of L. card, and on this account a
bitter feeling sprang up between the two
factions. If a slate rooier came here from
another city and showed X. of L. card, he
either had to join the federation or leave
town. Most Of them did the latter.
A regular meeting of L. A. 491 was held
last night. The above was freely discussed.