The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-09-09
|DINGLEY BILL BENEFIT
TABLE KNIFE GRINDERS' NA-
 TION4L UNION'S CONVENTION.

-Dinsley Bill Helps American Work
 men-The Doings and Reports-oflcer
 Elected.
 Meriden, Sept. S.-The twelfth annual convention of the Table Knife Grind CTS National union, which was called to order in room 19, Wilcox block, this city, yesterday, was closed this after noon.
 The following grand lodge officers oc- cupied their respective places during the sessions: Grand president-John J. Egan, Northampton, Mass.
 Grand vice presidential. c. Mills. Unionville.
 Grand secretary-James Goodwin. Northampton, Mass. Grand treasurer-Richard N. Calvert, Shelburne Falls, Mass.
 Executive board-J. J. Egan, H. c. Mills, James Goodwin.
 The delegates present were: Shelton-William Clark and Edward Mills.
 w IOy lcj Jl.J ctlI Thomas Sheehy. South Meriden-George Grinold and Charles Schilder. Unionville-Richard Odlum and Fred Spencer. Bay State, Mass.-Arthur Egan, Will | liam Ruddyforth. John Martin, Patrick Dooling, Anthony Shulda and Edward Egan.
 Shelburne Falls-W. H. Walker and Samuel Spencer, jr. Meriden-Harry Mills and Edward l Anderson.
 | The convention went into executive session a good part of yesterday and passed upon various reports. President Egan called the unionists ' to order this morning at 10 o'clock for the last days session. A radical move l ment was taken when the delegates voted that hereafter the time and place | for holding a convention will be de- | termined by popular vote of all the members in the various locals. Here l tofore the grand lodge has met annu- ally. ..
 All laws and amendments passed at this convention will have to be sub- mitted to a referendum vote of the sub ordinate lodges and passed by said | lodges before they can become laws. 1 Hereafter the grand lodge officers will have to be elected by popular vote among all the grinders. This vote will be taken ere the grand lodge con- venes
 The reports show that the member ship of the grand lodge has increased the past three years, and that its finan- cial standing has been improved, de- spite the hard times.
 The Grand lodge is affiliated with the Federation of Labor l SECRETARY GOODWIN TALKS.
 James Goodwin, who is secretary of the National union, and whose postof- flee address is at Bay State, Mass, says l that the Wilson bill damaged the | grinders condition very much. The grinding of table knives and forks is | done principally in Massachusetts and | Connecticut. There is one factory in | New Jersey and small shop in Chica- go. When the Wilson bill was two months old the factory where Goodwin works in Northampton began to reduce it's grinding force. There were eight l grinders at work on carvers when the bill went into effect, and the grinders were let go until there was not enough work even for two men.
 In Sheffield England, this spring, be- fore the Dingley bill went into effect, the tabe-knife manufacturers could not get sufficient grinders in order to dump their goods on the American market. MT. Goodwin says that the new bill | will help the grinders on account of it's protective features. The grinders have had hard time of it the past four years owing to keen competition from England The grinders do not fear | German goods, but they do the Eng fish make on account of the good goods the Englishmen turn out. Considering the quality of work done and the unhealthiness of the grinders vocation, he is not paid adequately The stone on which he works is liable to burst and maim or kill him.
 OFFICERS ELECTED.
 The following officers were elected at this afternoons session and the Grand lodge then adjourned: Grand president, Arthur Egan of Bay State, Mass.
 First vice president William Clark of shelton.
 Second vice president, Fred Spencer of Unionville.
 Grand secretary, John Martin of Bay State, Mass.