The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1870-01-22

IudL bilS uIlAUu VIII ouIuOIihC WV
surer to pay the amount over to the
delegates Of No. l, Maryland.
EMBLEM OF THE CRAFT.
At the last Convention there was a
committee appointed to draft form OF
an emblem to be worn by the members
of the organization, the committee made
their report and the design drafted by
them was adopted by the Convention
and left in the hands Of Mr.. Napoleon
Purifier, of No. !, of Ohio, who had
volunteered to send photograph de-
sign of the same to each union which
he has failed to do up to this time. AS
there has been a number of inquiries
about the design adopted at the last
Convention, hope that this Conven-
ton will adopt the same or some other
so that it can be had by each delegate
before the Convention adjourns.
OFFICERS.
said In the first part of my report
that would, with your leave, offer
few suggestions, which, I think, would
be of a benefit to the organization.
The first one is that of paying the
president sufficient salary, and for him
to do all the corresponding during the
year. 1t would be far better for the or
ganization to pay the president suffi-
cient salary, as he is the executive Off
Ger, and let him do all the work, than
it is now to pay him for his lost time,
and also pay the secretary a salary.
The presidents bill Of lost time and
the amount that the secretary receives
each year, is not one half what man
can earn by working at his trade, and
the organization has become so large
that it will take any one mans time
from morning till night to do the work
of the organization as it should be done;
and am sure, from my experience dur
ing the past five years as your secreta-
~, that it is impossible to carry on the
organization under the present system.
The amount that is now paid to the
president and to the secretary, with the
amount that would be saved in postage
and stationery, would make salary suf-
ficiently large for the Office Of one man.
IF we would alter Article III, section
l, in regard to the number of officers,
and also Article Xxx, Section 8, about
paying the expenses OF officers in at
tending conventions, we would save a
considerable amount each year.
The Ways and Means Committee OF
the last convention estimated, in their
last report, cfpaying the expenses ofthe
vice president, secretary, vice-secretary,
and delegates-at-large, at 800 each.
There is not one of the offices but can
be done away with during the recess Of
the convention, or, in other words, the
work of the Offices. We can always
find secretary at each convention,
aud, with the assistance of the presi-
dent, can get out the proceedings after
the convention adjourns, sooner than
they are now. There may be some OF
the delegates present who think / am
advocating this change because l am
about retiring from Office, but such is
not the case, for there are delegates
present who know that l have advo-
Gated for years, the consolidation Of the
Offices Of president and secretary into
one Office during the recess Of the con-
vention, and | hope that this conven-
ton will give the above subject their
serious consideration.
SESSIONS.
l would also call your attention to
the very important subject of extending
the time between our sessions. 1t will
cost us very near as much to hold this
convention as it would to pay the ne.
cessary expenses of the union for one
year. Thus it would be great saving in
money; and, besides this, we have too
much legislation when we meet every
year and it is an old saying, and a
E very true one, that 1.-THE world is gov
erned too much" and the same may be
said Of our organization. Let us abate
it by one half, and if we do not succeed
we can go back to our annual session
The amount that we would save is Ger.
tainly worth the experiment
RELATION WITH THE DIFFERENT OFF
GERS
During the past year the most mutu
al and friendly feelings have existed
between the president and myself, and
feel that | would be doing him an act
Of injustice, did | not bear testimony
to his worth as an executiv7 officer and
a gentleman. There has been no pre-
sident that has had to contend with as
much as he has, and met with the same
success and there is not one that has
worked harder to build up the organi-
zation than our president, and none,
am sure, that deserves the thanks OF
this union more. There also has exist
ed the same feelings between the other
officers and myrelf, and / thank them
! for the many acts ofkindness that they
! have shown to me during the past
year.
CORRESPONDING SECRETARIES.
The relation existing between. the
corresponding secretaries ald myself
have been of the most pleasing charac,
ter. Some of them have correspond
) ed with during the past four years, and
shall ever hold myself in debt to them
for the many acts ofkindness that they
have extended to me during the past,
and, as I am now about to sever my
connection with them as an officer Of
the national union, I hope that they
will continue to address me as a bro.
ther member Of the ORG anization.
CLOSING REMARKS.
In closing this, my fifth annual re-
port, must ask You to forgive me for
taking up your time in explaining some
seeming neglect Of duty during the past
year. You are all aware that the saIa-
~ that I have received is not sufficient
for me or any other man to live on. and
having TO work at my business for a
living, to maintain my family. And be-
ing so fortunate, during the past year,
as to make several large contracts, l
was unable. for a few weeks in tho