The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1872-09-14
The Machinists and Blacksmiths


We clip the following, doubtless Of in
terest TO many of our readers from the
MdchiniSts and B'octsmitls' Journal for
September
AS this will be the last issue of the
Journal before the meeting ~ the Conven-
tion. we ask for this article a careful perls-
al by the members II the various Unions.
delegates and correspondents.
The Office ~ the international Union AZ
Cleveland will ~ closed on the 10Th of
September and continue closed during the
session If the Convention. All letters Of
| importance. pertaining to the organization,
should be directed To- the Assembly Cham
ber, Capitol Building. Albany New York,
IN order ~ insure prompt attention We
request that NO letters be mailed ia Cleve-
land until after the 2Jth. and no letters
should be mailed e. Albany after the 22d.
4 kilograms may he sent to Albany up to
the 18th. but not after that date. Each
unlon in the organization is requested to
! furnish its delegates with or send to the
Convention full report Of the number Of
members on its books September LIST,
1 1872 the number initiated since the ad
I joumInent ~ the Cleveland Convention
I the number re-Instated, suspended, ex
I PEELED and withdrawn the number of
| jOurneymen machinists and blacksmiths
and apprentices at work under its jurisdic
\ tion the highest and the lowest wages
| paid the state " oar trades during the
past two years the number Of disputes
| Gf any had with employers during the
same period the cause for the same the
manner of settlement the feeling Of en-
ployers toward our organization the feel
ing Of the people generally toward us {; the
amount Of money in the treasury the
amount received since the Cleveland Con
vention the amount expended for sick
benefits the total amount expended, and
such other statistics as may be Of interest
to the members of the organization. We
shall endeavOr to have a committee on sta
tistics appointed at the Convention whose
report will no doubt be very interesting to
our members, as well as great benefit to
our organization. We particularly request
that no union send, or cause to be sent,
any but accurate, authenticated and relia-
BILE information upon the subjects named.
/ Great care should be taken in compiling
statistics to be presented to the Convention,
as we wish to present the American people
with statistical information concerning our
trades and organization throughout the
| country, the accuracy and reliability of
which cannot be questioned.
We also request that every Union in the
organization not able to send delegate,
will forward full particulars as To the
changes they desire to be made in the
Constitution, as well as a full expression
IF their views upon the selection Of officers
N g.. Al 4 n l..
understood that We consider il Of no great
Importance that every Union should be
represented, as we consider it Of vital i'm
portance that every Union in the Organi-
zation should have a representative at
Albany. The coming Convention will be,
\ by far, the most important ever held By
the machinists and blacksmiths of Ameri-
ca. We. therefore, insist that every
Union-no matter how small in number
should send delegate, even if the dele
gates expenses are betrayed BY private
subscription Or voluntary contributions
from the members. There will be some
radical changes in our Constitution in
fact our whole system Of organization will
receive a general Overhaullng, and as
every Union j. compelled to render
obedience u our laws, il is highly impor-
tant that each Union shall have voice in
making the laws by which II is to be
governed
We hope that our request for every
union to send delegate Is not made in
vain, but that every union will follow the
commendable example Of the plucky little
union, No 4 Of Ohio. with total mem
bershlD Of fourteen, ~ho, notwithstanding
their limited number, have determined q
BE- represented al the Convention Nv 4
delegate
The attention Of every delegate is called
to the fact that every days session Of the
Convention vii entail an expense Of five
hundred dollars $500 upon the subordin-
ate unions We therefore insist that
every delegate come fully prepared to
push vigorously. bat not hurry, the work
of the Convention. In order So show that
orr estimate cf the expenses are not or
roncOus. w. viii make detailed state
ment. The wages ~ the dele.a+es viii
average <, VUV per day There viii be AZ
least one hundred delegates, making the
total wages paid by Subordinate Unions u
delegates - ~ Ter day The board at
the hotel vii W. ~ o. per day per man.
The total will be $40. Total for wages
and board, 500 per day. If all the del
egates come fully prepared TO work, tho
business Sf the Convention can be got
through with in al most hve days Tut Il
delegates are not prepared and neglect
their duty while at the convention. tht
session will be prolonged b. Al
least ten days, thus entailing al
unnecessary expense ~ two thoas
sand and nve hundred dollars upon the
Subordinate Unions. We request that
each Union give its delegate strict in
functions to attend strictly to business, il
order to shorten the session. We alst
J request that Unions Noe and Of New
York get up no kind Of amusement duriRf
kha C0nvantlun We look uppn a1lch AZ