The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1873-05-31
THE AMALGAMATED SOCIETY OF
CARPENTERS AND JOINERS.

Clcty mas RECENTLY uoch isSucu, hlu COh-
tains, as usual, large amount Of instruct
i've and valuable information respecting the
progress and experience Of the craft, a
synopsis Of which will, no doubt, prove
interesting to large num0er Of our read
ers. In the opening address of the Secre-
tary, short notice is gwen OF the schism
and partial disruption which took place in
1870. which was settled eventually in the
Court of Queens Bench, and which re-
duced the number of its members and
diminished its accumulated capital. The
storm, however, has fortunately blown
over; the seceders are returning to their
allegiance, and rs the society, even now,
is only IN the fourteenth year Of its exis-
tence, there is little to complain OF in its
progress, After showing in a tAbulated
form the growth of the organization, the
Secretary says
From the foregoing table 1t will be seen
that our increase during the past year is / Az
members, and 3, O2O o. sd making our total
number Of members IL 30. with 226 branch
rs and an available fund Of LIE $40 s. . | Al
This table does not. however, fairly represent
the financial progress or real worth OF the
society During the past year we have ex-
pended large amounts III improving the ma
chInerv Of the society, and now
under the provisions Of the Trades Union
Act. We have power to ACQUIRE landed proper
~ ami to invest our accumulated capital ~
various remuuyratlye Investments from which
We we've formerly declared Consequently
the amount ~ funds in hand is no real c1te-
rion from which to Judge 81 the true value Of
the property possessed by the society, which
40 the emf ut last year amounted to Ia, OCS
3, Al
Regarding the expenditures Of the soci-
ety the report states that
We have expended il relieving our un-
emplHNyl members the sum Of L3,4'o IN
tuul benefit. ISL sick benefit, -, 300, tu-
neral benefit III lOS accident benefit, Loo;
suf-rauuatIuu benefit I2S; benevolent grants
IA grants amt loans to other trades, l.so.
enc ~ our largest items Of expenditure, how
ever has been that n trade privileges, which
ha, asst ar 4. 30.
III referring u the progress of the socl-
ETY. Ia the past year. III general, and IN
America IN particular, We learn further
that
Tie progress 81 tLe society during the
wear : Indicated ia the following passage -
punng the past year We have opened IA
new branches eight III England, one IA Scot
I Ianl. four m the United states, and one "a
Z canada From LoNestuft IN the east to san
U Francisco la the far west, the traveller VIII
/ ulutl.ually lind branches ot tins society ne
/ rapid progress which the society has made IA
/ America is very cheering and the recent
v amendments which have been made m our
I rules. giving to our American branches sys
TEN ~ self government. Viii tend TO firmly
establish the fraternal feeling which already
exists and t. make our society power on
both sides of the Atlantic.
Which Is all very well as far a. Il goes,
upon the principle that a foreign union Is
better than no usion at all, but 1t behoves
those To whose keeping the interests Of our
National associations are, for the time be-
nL. entrusted. to seriously inquire i there
is not something radically defective IN our
system Of organization system which j.
apparently unable To establish American,
and powerless To- prevent the growth and
spread of foreign trades unions in our
midst There is no doubt the beneficial
feature has been powerful agency
in building up this society, and still fur
nlshes a strong incentive TO those who have
iolned il in the old world, to retain their
membership in the new, at least until
equal advantages are guaranteed by ouI
home institutions but II becomes every
day more and more apparent that purely
protective organization cannot successfully
compete with one all things being equal. III
which the protective and beneficial features
are combined and the sooner our repre-
sentative men recognize this fact and act
accordingly the sooner will these foreign
| unions cease to exercise an influence III
count a membership IN our midst, and their
places be supplied with American unions.
combining their advantages and avoiding
their defects, whose influence viii be re-
cognized by all, and whose only objects
will be the pecunlary, social and intellect
ual improvement of the working classes
Referring to the lnvidious distinctions
set up by the Criminal Law Amendment
Act, the Secretary presents the following
parallel cases