The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1876-08-26

utive council, consisting Of thirty seven
members, of which eleven represent me-
tropolitan branches. the others being from
the provinces, including Scotland and Ire
land. To sit on this council Is high hon
OF, and candidates for the position must
have been members of the society for lve
years. As the country councillors cannot
conveniently attend frequent meetings IN
London, the ordinary management IS en-
trusted to the eleven London members,
(who are called the Local c1unciD. and the
council Is also further broken up into varl-
ous committees for managing the details of
the society. This council hears appeals
from branches, advises, forblds, initiates,
AMI terminates strikes. The general sec
retary receives salary Of L.3 los.
-s-L, aAa Evss rent free. He alsU receives
Is Cd. each time he attends a council
meeting. His assistant receives L. 5s.
week. Both have to give the whole of
their time to the association. They have
to compile and issue a monthly report, as
well as quarterly and yearly reports. The
last named is quite a formidable volume,
consisting of upwards OF. 300 pages of
large post octave, and those Of other soci-
eties are. like unto it. His hours of bust
ness are fixed at from nine a. IN. to seven
p. III. He has power to authorize mem
bers that are on donation to be removed
from one branch to another, where there
is probablity,of employment, and he has
"a keep a register OF all the members Of
the society. stating when and where admit
ted or re admitted, age, married or not,
and whether a member has receiS ed any
part of the financial money. Mr.. Mac
donald, III his. evidence before the Trades
Union Commission, summed up his duties
AS a Trades Union secretary by observing
that iii seven years he had attended 1000
meetings, travelled go, 600 miles, and writ
ten Il 600 letters. 1t remains to be add
cd that above the council there is a Court
Of Appeal to meeting of delegates from
all the branches, and in some instances
there can be direct appeal to the menu
bers Of tho suviety who, indeed, frequent
ly elect the secretary.
No Trades Union is subsidized. The
funds arise from the contributions Of mem
bers. In the Amalgamated Society Of
Engineers the contribution generally is
one shilling a week, and If man be in
arrears he Is suspended from the benefits
Of the society, unless, indeed, he is out Of
work or III distressed circumstances. Ac-
cording to the report read at the last de-
cennial conference-for conferences are
held to discuss the state Of affairs-of our
model association, the number Of members
had increased in 1874 to A., 3Sl, and they
had balance in hand Of L 30, 0OO or up
wards of L5 man.
Such is a rough outline Of the nature Of
a Trades Union. Others are like unto it,
though it must be observed that the fed
eral principle is not universal. Some I'm
ions possess a more centralized system, the
chief officers having entire control Of the
funds and everything else The National
Agricultural LaboTers Union is a case in
point, in contradistinction to the Federal
Union of Agricultural Laborers and feel
ing on the difference of constitution was
carried 30 far that the agents Of the for
mer refused to cooperate with those of
the latter in order to bring the dispute to
an end. The federal principle, however,
is the one most in favor, and, indeed,
seems 10 be the one most Just and nat
ural.
No sketch Of a Trades Union can give
any idea of the scrupiUus care that is taken
to do that which is lawful and right. The
code If rules Of a Trades Union bristles
with judicious safeguards. The ideas
that strike depends upon the ipSt DIRT
Of a paid agitator, and that if the men
were to vote by ballot on the question
they would never consent to a strike, are
only conceived by those who do not know
what Trades Union is. In most cases a
strike is the result Of action taken by the
men themselves in each district, the exec
utlve having more power to prevent
strike than To initiate one. 1t must lately
have surprised some people to read that
the members Of the Hand Mule Spinners
Association not only vote by ballot, but
that there must be a majority of two
thirds in favor Of a strike before one can
be declared, and yet when the present
dispute September, 1874, at Bolton, was
decided upon, the members were-For a
strike, 1924 against, -. Nor must it
be thought that when polled the men vote
rashly. They do not vote in favor of a
strike unless they think not only that they
have right on their side, but that they will
be able to establish that right. From the
last quarterly report Of the Amalgamated
Boot and Shoe Makers Association, We
learn that the result Of poll was as fol-
lows:
That the advance movement does not
proceed this summer, 9l7.
That the advance movement does not
proceed until We have sufficient
funds to meet the expenses, 23l5.
And again
That the contributions be raised one half
penny per wetk.
Against 472
The rules of Unions, too, are so framed
that bo U.-orl off tho "a 6 he In
is not interfered with by the duties Of their
office. Thus no member must call on an
officer when he is at his ordinary work,
under penalty Of one shilling, and there
are many wise and prudent regulations,
the most important of which will be point
ed out in the course of this essay.
A remarkable feature in Trades Union
ism is its thorough unselfshness. The va
rious societies are not opposed to each 9TH
er. Indeed, they help one another. Ev-
cry assistance is given to those who are
prepared to sacrifice whatever benefits are
to be derived from living i'll this country
by emigrating to another. Workingmen
realize the fact that by some going al are
benefited. Not only do they cheerfully
submit to the ordinary contributions Of an
entrance fee and weekly subscription, but
they are ever ready to pay an extra levy,
sometimes for their own trade purposes,
but very often for Interior objects, such as
assisting MIR. Plimsoll in his agitation.
The noble way in which almost every Union
helped the agricultural laborers, and in
which some Of them subscribed to the re-
lief fund for the famine in India, will not
easily be forgotten. This sacrifice by the
individual for the benefit Of the community
contrasts favorably with the thoroughly
selfish programme Of the National FederA-
ton Of Associated Employers Of Labor.
and probably accounts for the general ten
deney to victory on the side Of the men
whenever disputes arise. The masters do
not try to help each other. They are in
oDnonition IN each other Their motto in