Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-11-22


election. Miss Smoot was instrumental in
| forming the union and has held the office of
president since 1894.
=! Mr.. John A Hobson. an English socioIo-
g1st now touring this country says that
IN the near future serious troubles Will
arise between organized labor and capital in
England He is quoted having said:
| Organized labor is going on in England
very rapidly, especially where machinery
Is greatly used and skilled men are required.
In England the employers are able to
! keep down the labor unions and to break
| down the principles of cole ctive bargaining.
| The house of lords has ruled that trades
| unions cannot be sued, but a lower court
| has forbidden the right to picket even
peaceably. Frederick Harrison holds that
this is the death knell Of trades unions in
| England.
When open to litigation the unions will
! be worsted by the superior resources of the
| employers, and when English trade declines
! there will be series of strikes.
It was confidently expected that the newly
| elected general officers of the Knights of
| Labor would be present at the meeting of
District Assembly, No. &C, last Thursday
night. The anxiety Of the local knights to
hear the particulars Of the reconciliation
and consolidation of the factions and the
retirement of the general secretary-treasu-
| rer brought out very large attendance
| The general officers failed to put in an ap-
pearance, but those assembled were per
| fectly satisfied when it was explained that
| 1t was through no want of fraternal re-
spect, but was more particularly to allow
a free and full expression of views regard
| Ing the changes made which had kept the
| officers away
| The meeting was called to order by the
| worthy foreman, Mr.. l.. p. Wild, who pre-
| sided over the deliberations in the absence
| of the District master workman. The
| cordfng secretary, who is still out on his
J lecturing tour, was also absent, and a sub
| stitute recorded the proceedings.
frA,o tirc tha lar "a
| business, the report of the delegates from
! thezjoint general assembly called for.
| The delegates stated that having been busy
| since their return from Niagara, getting
! possession Of headquarters and examining
| the affairs of the order at large they could
| only give an outline of what their report
| would be, which would be ready by the
| next meeting. The report which very
| brief was to the effect that the two bodies
| had met the 31th instant, one at Buffalo and
! the other at Niagara. After a session of
about two days the delegates at Buffalo
| had received word that a possible recon-
| Citation might be effected if a joint con-
| ference could be arranged. The delegates
| at Buffalo, always in favor of preserving
the order and knowing full well that the
| first requisite to accomplish this would be
| to abolish factionalism, readily accepted the
| proposition and Immediately left for Niaga-
! ra with strong hopes of an equitable ad-
! justment of differences. The conference
| had been held, and as a result, after ex-
| plantations had been made, the Ratchet
| had been buried.
AS to the local end of 1t, the affairs Of
District Assembly No. &C had been thor
| oughly investigated, and old go had come
| out with flying colors and unanimously re-
! ceived the legitimate central body of
| the Knights Of Labor Of the District of
| Columbia, and the charter of the other as
sembly, GO, which had only existed on
paper, had been revoked. 1t was stated
| however, that before any of the delegates
from the so-called Parsons faction were ad-
mitted into. the general assembly at Mag
ara, the election of the present general Of
| icers had been held; therefore the Buffalo
delegates had taken no part inside the con-
| vention previous to defeat the former sec
| rotary treasurer. The first two principal
| offices had been filled by Mr. Simon Burns
| of Pittsburg and Mr.. Henry A. Hicks of
| New York, the most ardent opponents
| of Mr.. Parsons during the late legal
controversy. To the surprise, however, of
| the delegates, just as they were leaving for
| Washington, it had been announced that
| Mr.. Hayes had proclaimed himself general
| master workman, with Mr.. Chamberlain
| as his general secretary-treasurer, but by
| what authority the delegates could not ex-
| plain, as It was thought that, having eff
| fected a compromise on basis that seemed
| satisfactory to all, there could not be any
! further dissenSions.
| After arriving in Washington, the dele
| gates further stated, they had met with
| slight opposition from the former secre-
tary-treasurer, who had refused to sur
render the property in his possession to his
| successor, which he had obligated himself
| to do on assuming his Office
A long discussion followed the report, but
| no action was taken, as the report was only
| informal, and the official one, 1t was stated,
| would be made at the next meeting. The
| general opinion was, however, that the
| order would now take on new lease of
| prosperity, thousands Of former members
| having pledged themselves to again affil
| late when the change which has been made
| was assured.
The newly elected secretary treasurer
| has been heartily Endorsed throughout the
country as a conscientious, honest, efficient
| officer, and thoroughly posted on all promi-
nent labor matters, and the innovation was
| gladly welcomed.
AS to regaining possession Of the property
| of the order, 1t was predicted that a few
| days would be sufficient for the courts to
| settle the matter, even If not surrendered
| before. What was described as 1.-THE per-
| sistent characteristic Of not to give in of
| the outgoing secretary treasurer was SYM
| pathetically and amusingly referred to by
| former delegate, who thought that the de-
| feated officer labored under the impression
| that having reigned so long as dictator the
| property belonged to him by right of the
| statute of limitations.
An effort Is being made to organize local
! label league to be composed of what is
| termed the label trades and other trades
not of the building trades. The purpose OF
the league Is stated to be to encourage the
| sale Of union-made goods, particularly the
product bearing the union label, and to
procure employment for the members of the
allied unions. 1t will also be the object of
| the league to patronize, so far as possible,
| firms employing union labor and to general
| ly promote the interests of what is termed
| the miscellaneous trades.
1t is said by those interested that the
proposed league will be organized upon
| lines similar to the section of building
| trades, and, like that section, will be com
posed exclusively of those organizations al
| lied with the Central Labor Union. 1t is
| stated that several meetings have been
| held for the purpose of forming league,
| az which twenty organizations were rep
resented
| At the last meeting of the Central Labor
| Union special committee was appointed TO
confer with the Master Painters Associa-
| ton relative to the construction Of a term
| of the agreement between the employing
| painters and the local Painters and Decora-
tors Union. The question involves the aftl-
liation of the painters with other organiza-
| tons in the Allied Council of Building
| Trades. 1t is stated that the painters have
declined to accept the card Of the council
and cooperate with the allied trades,
| claiming that to do SO would violate their
agreement with the employers, which, they
state, will not permit them to quit work on
nv to fha auds in,