The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-08-26
FIRST PRIZE ESSAY
II II AID ES MO =,
For which ffty pounds Uhe gift q Mr. Macdonald. a.
Wcre awarded At the LNrrpocl TrAdes Union
Congress, January, ls.a.
Continued yiom last ,cect.D

TRADES UNIONS THEIR EFEICAUY.
The Unions, formed in the manner des-
cribed in the last chapter, spread rapidly
They did not long conine themselves to
the villages or towns in which they began,
but the "Unions" in various places ''amal-
gamated, and thus influenced large areas.
They extended their ranifcations still
wider, and they embraced the whole king
dom, and even obtained a footing in Amer
ica and Australia.
The constitution of a Union, then, will
be easily imagined but it nay not be
amiss, nevertheless, If few words are
devoted to q description Of one as mod
el. Let that one be the Amalgamated
Society Of Engineers. According to the
twenty y-second annual report Of that soci-
ETY., it appears that in 1872 the [ mon con
sisted Of 35l branches, chiefly in towns in
the British Isles, but with a fair sprink-
ling IN Canada, the United States, Aus
trala and other parts Of the globe. The
number If members Was 4l ,O75. A branch
must CONSIST of no less than seven mem
bers, nor more than 500 The constitu-
tion is eminently democratic Each
branch IA itself a completely organized
body II selects and elects its own officers:
II collects, holds. and spends its own funds:
anc II manages the whole of the business
which affects itself alone The officers Of
the branch are elected at general meetings,
at which every member must be present,
under the penalty Of hne. Members
who refuse TO be nominated for office, or
who refuse 10 serve if elected, arc also sub
jected to lines; and officers who neglect
their business, either by coming late to
meetings or absenting themselves alto
gether, are similarly punished. A meeting
of the members Of each branch is held ev-
cry fortnight for the transaction Of ordin-
airy business, such as receiving subscrip-
tions and deciding upon propositions for
new members. These meetings begin Al
half past seven in the evening and close at
half past nine or ten O'Clock, but these
hours are altered when il is found more
convenient to do 50. The duties Of the
secretary are oherous, and his responsible
ity is great. No one, therefore, is eligible
who has not been in the society two years
successlvely, and ''nO member shall be
elected as secretary who keeps public OF
beer house" He has to keep the accounts
Of his branch and conduct its correspond
ence. He has to see to the payment OF
members who are entitled to travelling re-
lief, donation, sick, superannuation, or
funeral benefits. He has to summon meet
ings, keep minutes, report to the general
secretary as to the state Of the trade Of the
district, the number Of men out Of work
and the branch of their trade or, on the
other hand, he has to state If men are
wanted, and If 50, IN what departments
and he has also to transact any other
business that belongs to bis office" There
are precautions also surrounding this and
the other officers. The president, vice
president and assistant secretary Of q
branch are elected quarterly and If a man
lie los. in arrears with his contri buttons
ne cannot take office. Members are also
exempt if they be upwards Of fifty years
Of age, or if they reside more than three
miles from the clubhouse. Any com
plant as to the way in which the officers
do their work must be sent to referee,
who, like the secretary, is elected annual
ly The referee must place the matter
before a branch meeting, and II he himself
neglects any Of his duties he is fined half
a crown. There are also check book keep
ers, money-stewards, door-keepers, treas
urers, and auditors, the nature Of whose
work is evident from their titles. There
are also sick ck-stewards, whose duties are to
visit the sick twice a week" to report
their visits to the meetings Of the branch,
and to carry the invalid his ''sick benefit. "
None of the offices are honorary. In
branches numbering less than 90 members
every officer is allowed 4d :, and in branches
numbering 90 and upwards, Cd. for his at
tendance on branch meeting nights The
secretary is paid annually, and according
to the size of the branch. The lowest
amount is L l 5s., for a branch of 10
members 1.-THE highest LILO As, for a
branch of 800. The auditors are paid at
lower rate, which varies fIOm Cd. to As
3d., while the treasurer is paid 10 per cent.
on the sum set apart tor use.
Each branch has also q committee,
which has power to determine anything
wherein the societys rules are silent. The
books of the branch are open TO their in
spection, they can summon meetings, and
they have various other duties. Each
member of this committee receives Cd. for
each meeting he attends, and is fined Cd.
for each meeting from which he is absent.
In any district where there are more
branches than one, local district commit-
tee must be formed. consisting of seven
members, each branch, - nearly as prac-
ticsble, selecting an equal number. Where
there are seven branches each one sends a
representative. The duties Of this COM
lnittee are to "watch over tie interests OF
the trade, and transact such business "a
affects the district generally" 1t must
not, however, interfere with the business
appertaining TO any particular branch OF
the society. Ii would be superduous to
more minutely discuss the constitution of
this committee. Its election, payment,
inning, etc., Of officers are identical in
principle, though different in detail, to the
same things in the branches.
Here, then, we have first the individual;
second, the branch, with its committee,
formed Of an association Of individuals
third, district .ommattee, formed indi-
rectly of an association of branches and,
when it in thought desirable, this princi.
pie 10 extended, IN the shape Of central
district committee. The fsuntain-hsad,