I became a member of the Knights of Labor about 60 years ago when I was quite a young chap. I thought its programme would revolutionize the world, not only because of its programme which included co-operation and state ownership of all public utilities, “all means of transportation & communication. Lighting and mining etc., etc.” and the purification of politics and of all law and State administration which also included the full belief in the honesty and sincerity of all members of the order.
In short it was a crusade for purity in life generally. Unfortunately that faith did not last out the order. I was a member of an “assembly.” The local organizations were called “assemblies” composed almost entirely of employees of the Grand Trunk Railway shops then located in Hamilton and had a larger membership. They had suffered a reduction in wages sometime before and were trying to have it restored. At a meeting the wages committee were to report the hall would be crowded but as soon as they reported there would be a general stampede for the door and a crush to get out first until only a bakers dozen would be left and it was soon evident that the most of them were only in the order for what they could get out of it.
A man by name of Rowe was proprietor of a labor paper, “weekly” called “The Palladium of Labor” which he issued with varying success for some years. He was editor, printer and reporter and with varying success the whole staff and rarely if ever out of financial trouble. Beginning with my experience with the K of L, and my experience since with men and women in business, in social and fraternal organizations and in politics and in public office I have concluded men and women are much alike whether day laborer or high paid executive whether industrialist or scrub woman with comparatively few exceptions consider only their own interests and willing to turn a sharp corner any time if they can get any advantage for themselves.
The K of L soon got into politics. About 1884 or thereabouts they decided to contest the Dominion Parliament and nominated Edward Williams who was a railway engineer. In ability above the average and with quite a gift as a speaker. There was a good deal of enthusiasm but very few funds. To my great disappointment he was hopelessly defeated.
The second candidate for office was Hamilton Racy an employee of the railway shops a very fine young man. He ran for the Ontario Legislature and was badly defeated. He afterward went as a missionary in the China Inland mission. He died a few years after on the mission field.
The next candidate was Fred Walters a moulder a man of very considerable ability. The liberal party proposed they nominate one candidate and the K of L one. “At that time for the Dominion Parliament the city elected two the constitutency being the whole city.”
This was agreed to and the liberal nominee was Dr. Burns. The Tories were too strong for them they were hopelessly defeated. Mr. Walters afterward became License inspector for this district appointed by the Ontario department.
A daughter of Mr. Walters is now a nurse at the City hospital I think she is Supervisor of nurses. Mrs. Ross Hass “a very fine woman. She might have some of her fathers records or papers that would interest you.
The next labor candidate was for the Ontario Legislature a number of years after the Knights of Labor had disappeared a meeting was called of those interested.
Alan Studholme was selected. He was a stove mounter by trade but was so active in labor unions that he was blacklisted and could not get employment at his trade. He was a very fluent speaker and very straight forward and honest. He was elected for east Hamilton as a labor man and held the seat for a good many years until he died. The only labor member in the legislature.
A daughter of Alan Studholme lives in the City her husband kept a drug store on Dundurn at south a few doors from Aberdeen. I think I saw a notice of his death a short time ago her name is Mrs. E. R. Morrow. She might have some documents of her fathers that would interest you.
The next Labor candidate was Samuel Landers for the Dominion house who was defeated in East Hamilton and afterward was manager of the Hamilton city cemeteries. In the election when the Drury Farmer Government carried the Ontario Legislature two labor men were elected. In West Hamilton Walter Rollo and I cannot remember the name of the one in East Hamilton however Rollo who was a broom maker by trade is now truant officer for the Board of Education and you could call him at his office in the City Hall and find out from him as well probably is other information on labor matters as he is still more or less active in labor matters and once a member of the Drury Government.
Sam Lawrence who is now Mayor was elected to the Legislature for two terms the only labor member during that period a strong unionist and C. C. F. member who has been an Alderman and member of the Board of control for about 25 years except during the terms he was in the Legislature. He is a Stone Cutter by trade but has not worked at it since being elected to the Board of Control bout 20 years ago.
Humphrey Mitchell the present Minister of Labor was elected about 13 or 14 years ago a labor candidate in East Hamilton the liberals did not put a candidate in the field. Mitchell was an engineer employed by the Hamilton Hydro in one of their substations and asked for leave of absence to attend parliament. He was not a member of the C. C. F. but a union man and did not get along very well with the C. C. F. members of Parliament and when the next election occurred the Hamilton C. C. F. put a candidate in the field and they were both defeated. Mitchell has since swung over to the liberals. Of course you remember the election for the Legislature when the C. C. F. almost carried the Province electing all of the Hamilton members but since only one Hamilton C. C. F. was re-elected for part of the city east of Ottawa and part of the Wentworth County. This brings my recollections of the political experiences of the Labor movement up to date.
The attempts of Co-operation have not been very successful. During the career of the Knights of Labor several group attempts were made in fuel and other household necessities. A grocery store was carried on for some years Alan Studholme was manager of it most of the time but while it carried on for several years was not a success and eventually was sold out and proceeds distributed to those who subscribed to the original capital they received a few cents on the dollar.
In later years the co-operative milk business has been carried on successfully. While under the auspices of the C. C. F. it is merely a joint Stock Co-op the bulk of the capital subscribe by one or a few, what dividend they pay I am not informed. I also understand the Milk Producers received a dividend in proportion to the amount of milk they supply, the original idea was to pay a dividend to the consumers but the other companies got busy and the department passed an act or regulation making that illegal. A grocery business is I understand carried on by members of the C.C.F. who have a store in the East end.
There is also a number of these co-operative credit unions in many plants and groups some of them with a large membership who loan mostly small sums of money to be repaid in installments at a reasonable rate of interest. At some of the larger ones they have a man who devotes his whole time to keeping their books. Collecting investigating applications for loans etc. I was talking to one of them recently he said they had over 1,000 members and were doing quite a larger business and paying him a very fair salary to look after it.
The C. C. F. co-operative I understand also deal in coal whether it is successfully carrying on or not I am not informed.
Feb. 7, 1946.
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