Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-03-01
BOYCOTT|NG A GRIP,
Knights of Labor Against the
Traction Company.
THEY ABANDON ALL HOPE.
A Committee Will Visit All Trades
Union Organizations.
HEY ABANDON ALL HOPE.
ANOTHER SCANDAL In DISTRICT 3

The Executive Board of District Assembly
No. 5, X. of L., met last night and decided
to boycott the Pittsburg Traction Company.
The boycott will mean more than the ordi-
nary Interpretation placed upon that word.
The Knights will not only place the boycott
on the line among the knights of Labor, but
will go into the trades unions and urge upon
their members the necessity of helping the
knights of Labor in the fight. The cause of
the boycott is on account of the failure of the
company to give the knights any satisfac-
tion in regard to settlement of the strike.
After the meeting District Master Workman
Ross said:
"We decided to boycott the company, and
will use all honorable means to prevent or
ganized labor from patronizing the line. A
committee consisting of the members of the
Executive Board was appointed to visit all
the different local assemblies, and impress
upon them the necessity of withholding
their patronage from the road until it settles
the strike.
INTO TRADES UNIONS. TOO.
1--WE will ask the cooperation of all
trades unions to carry on the fight. The
prospects of having a hearing before the
Board of Directors are growing less each
day, and we have given the company too
much time as it is. If the work is done
thoroughly and Systematically we will get
some recognition from the company"
Ever since the strike there has been a
tacit, unofficial boycott waged against the
company. A great many members of labor
organizations have refused to patronize the
company and prefer to walk rather than
ride on the "non-union" cars. Among
them is William Martin, Secretary of the
Amalgamated Association, and William
Dillon, Secretary of the Flint Glass Work
ers' U MON, who live near Pride street, Calvin
Wyatt, of the Trades Council, who lives on
the American Flints, and many others of
lesser note. Many of those who formerly
patronized the line now walk out of their
way to take the Penn avenue or Pennsylva-
mia Railroad cars. One of the strikers
stated yesterday that just before election
day Mr.. Elkins, President of the company,
promised them hearing, which has not
been granted yet.
ANOTHER SCANDAL TAPPED.
There is another scandal brewing about
the headquarters OF the Knights of Labor,
and it is stated that boomerang will be
sprung at the next meeting of L. A. 2126.
District Master Workman Ross is charged
with misapplying the proceeds of the late
ball for the benefit of the striking gripmen
II hn h,-@
Pittsburg Traction Company. Mr.. Ross in
dign3ntly denies the charge and fully e1-
plains the circumstances surrounding the
disposition made of the money. 1t is also
stated that a scene something almost like
that which occurred at the window glass
workers meeting, last night a week ago was
enacted in Mr.. Ross Office between the Dis
trict Master Workman and John f. Barry,
one of the strikers Some very harsh words
passed between the two men in regard to the
settlement of the strike. Mr.. Ross saws
that any striker returning to work until the
district declares the strike of will be de-
clared a non-union man.
ALL ABOUT A BALL.
The scandal is over the ball given about
three weeks ago in Imperial Hall for the
relief of the strikers. 1t is freely talked of
among labor people, who are making all
kinds of accusations against those who were
in charge of the ball. No specific or de-
tailed charge is made against Mr.. Ross but
that of mismanagement and misapplication
OF the receipts. When a DISPATCH re-
porter asked Mr.. Ross yesterday what he
had to say about the matter, the latter re-
piled:
Il will make it warm for some of the
people who are doing all the talking about
getting away with money. They dare not
make any charges against me, for the reason
that / will show them up in very bad
light. Twenty-six of the forty strikers are
respectable, honest men. Fourteen of them
are scalawags, and 1 will prove it at the
meeting next Wednesday night. The IA
men sold tickets for which they made no re-
turn of money.
Il gave out 3,216 tickets, which were
worth 80 cents each. The strikers returned
1,SO0 of them. They sold $50 and have over
900 out yet. 1 received for the sale of tick
cts and other donations, S543. Out of this
paid SS5 for the rent oil nall and the music.
This leaves S45S. Through an error in
figuring it up paid them S46S, or $40 too
much. Instead of my owing them any
money, they owe me $40.
WHAT MIGHT HAVE BEEN.
If all the strikers had turned in the money
they received for the sale of their tickets 1
would have something like over $500 to dis
tribute. Instead of that some of them made
no return whatever, and had but S45S to
which they were really entitled. This gave
me but $3.50 to distribute to each man as
his pro rata share of the receipts. One man
has LOG tickeIs still out.
"The kick was caused by fellows who
thought they did not get what they were en-
titled to. For instance, if a man had 20
tickets still out 1 refused to pay him his full
pro rata share, but only gave him enough
to protect the others against any trickery
on his part. reserved the difference be-
tween what he should get and the price OF
the tickets he had out. 1 will be at the meet
ing next Wednesday night week with nv re-
port and will fully explain everything. The |
money distributed through relief COM
mittee, and L was only acting as their
agent.
1.-THE men who are going to work in their
old positions are non-union men and will be
treated as such by organized labor. The |
strike has not been declared off by D. A.
No. 3, and until it is, no union man can
work for that company.