Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1882-04-22

Martin, Columbus, o., John w. Fully, In
dianapolis, =, Cumberland, Md, and.
As each committee contained the same
number, il was agreed
To Choose President BY Lot,
amember Of either society. from the resi-
dent members of Indianapolis The lot
fell upon Jos. Hasley, of the 1. & S. r. II.
u, and he presided over the declarations
of the Joint Committee. VIM. Martin was
elected Secretary. The committee was in
session four or five days and the discussion
throughout was animated. Their purpose
was to bring together. in one solid amalga-
nation, the iron and steel workers of this
country. They at last came to mutual
understanding and a constitution was
drawn up, the original copy of which is
now in the possession of Mr.. Martin.
In the meantime the United Sons of VUl-
cans, much the largest of the three asSocia-
tIODS, had met in convention in the city of
Philadelphia, in August, 1875, at which
meeting the subject OF the proposed ANAL
gamStiOn was again brought up, their for
mer action was reconsidered and they de-
cided to unite with the Heaters and Rollers
a letter from Mr. Bishop, dated August q,
1875, informing him OF the action of the
Nulcans, reached Mr.. Plant, at Columbus,
the day after the maR usCript for the consti-
been given to the printer. Mr. Martin inn
mediatcly withdrew the manuscript and
action was suspended until arrangements
could be made to take the SulcanS into the
AnalgsmatiOn.
Committees were then appointed from
each of the three organizations to hold
joint meeting and agree upon plan OF
union. These committees were composed
OF the following gentlemen:
On the part OF
The United Sons OF vulcan,
Joseph Bishop, President, of Pittsburg: +.
Ii. McAniCh, Deputy lSt District, Pitts
burg; David SeeSe, Deputy ID District,
Wheeling, W. Va, and John Jarrett, Dep
uty 9th District, Sharon, Pa. From the
Associated brotherhood of Iron and Steel
Heaters, Rollers and Roughers, Richard
Sullivan, V. G. s.. Springfield, Illinois; b.
F. Spangler, e. Sec, Springfield, H.. Jas.
Penny, Pittsburg, and James T. ClaiteS,
Wheeling. From the Iron and Steel Roll
Hands Union, David A. Plant, President,
Columbus, Ohio; VIM. Martin, Secretary,
Columbus, o.; John W. Fultz, Treasurer,
indianapolis, Ind. These committees met
in Joint session in the city of Pittsburg
December :. 1875. when n constitution aud
set of bylaws for the government OF the
proposed union were agreed upon. These
were printed and copies sent 10 all lodges
and fOrgeS OF the three organizations,
throughout the United States Tor their in
SpCCtiUn.
BY previous arrangement the conventions
of the three societies met in the city OF
Pittsburgh on August l, lS16. After dis
posing Of their own business, the subject of
the proposed amalgamation was brought
up. The three orders met in joint cOnven-
ton, in Emerald Hall, this city, for the con-
Sideration of this subject, August ) 1876.
James Grundy, Of Coyington, Kentucky,
of the L. ). of V, was elected permanent
chairman OF the joint convention, and
Wm. Martin, OF Columbus, Ohio, was
chosen secretary. Provision being made in
the new constitution for RailerS, repre-
sentative of that organization, in the per
son of Edward Joyce, of Sharon, Pennsyl-
yauia, was admitted.
The Convention Remained in Session
until August ), when, having completed the
object for which il assembled 1t adjOurned.
At this meeting the respective societies
abandoned their individual organizations,
settled up their business and all were
merged into the long talked OF Amalga-
mated Association OF Iron and Steel Work.
ers of the United States, which Organiza-
tiOn at that time became fixed fact.
The United Sons of Vulcan, the largest OF
these organizations, and whose government
the Amalgamated Association has Substan-
tally adopted, was organized in 1898, Hon.
Miles Humphreys, now chief Of the Penn
~ylvania Bureau oil Statistics being the first
President.
4 high tribute was paid to the ability of
the COMMITTEES which drafted the. CODstitu-
ton. by the convention adopting it aS q
whole as submitted. Joseph Bishop, OF
Pittsburgh, late President of the United
Sons OF Vulcan, was-ehosen President and
Secretary of the new organization, and
served in that capacity, BY successive eicc-
tiOns, until the convention of 1873 which
met in your city of Wheeling. ut that
convention the Secretaryship was made a
separate office, and VIM. Martin was ap-
pointed 10 the place. At the next conven-
ton. which met in Youngstown, Ohio, the
SecretaryShip was made an elective otlCe,
and Mr. Martin was elected. as he has been
at every convention since. Mr.. Bishop
was again elected President ut the conyen-
ton, but during the year, for reasons not
made public he resigned his office To the
Trustees of the National Lodge at Pitts
burgh, when Mr.. John Jarrett, OF Sharon,
Pa. was elected in his place. Mr.. Jarrett
has been elected to the Presidency by each
succeeding convention, and is the present
executive head of the association.
The Government OF the Association
is vested in the general convention, OF the
National Lodge. which is composed oil the
Presidents OF the districts, the President
and Secretary and the President and EXecu-
tive Committees of the districts. The gem
eral convention, which meets annually. Is.
Oi course the supreme power IN the organ
izatian. the only body 10 which appeals can
be taken. The National Lodge, located IN
this city is composed Df the general officers
and the Vice Presidents OF the Association.
This body has general control over the So.
ciety aud is a sort OF advisory board 10 the
President. The President is the chief fCxecu-
tive and regulator of affairs and has very
iull powers in adjusting strikes, etc. The
duties of the Secretary are similar 10 those
of all secretaries Of organizations OF TINS
kind. The business OF the Association ls
immense. and the Secretary Is very hard
worked man. one with less than Mr.. Mar
tins remarkable ability would soon be
hopeleS~ly confused. The highest testimo-
nial TO othisgcntleman's 5 character and ability
is found in the fact that he served in the
CAPACITY of Secretary for long time in the
Il :. X. III. L. and has held his present
position since the office was created am
indebted TO him for much Of the infOrma-
ton contained in this article.
The Country IL Divided Into Districts,
over each of which one of the vice-preSi-
dents of the association acts as executive.
Each district also has an executive COM
mittee, which body has, with its executive,
| general control over the district with pow
| or to regulate strikes, etc. In ease they are
unable to adjust matters the case is taken
To the higher authorities.
The objects of the association are set
forth in the second section of the fourth ar
ticlc of the constitution as follows:
The objects of this Association shall be
10 obtain by Cancellation, or by other
means that are fair and legal, fair remun-
Grafton to the members for their labor ;and
to afford mutual protection to members
against broken contracts, obnoxious rules
unlawful discharges, or other systems Of in
Justice or oppression.
Ii will be observed that the word CON
ciliation" is used. The association has de-
clared itself as opposed to arbitration as q
method of settling disputes between EN-
ploycr and employee, and in favor OF con-
Citation. The word conciliation conveys a
somewhat different idea than arbitration;
it is not so rigid and has not 50 much OF
the element Of rule about il as the latter.
IL conveys the impression of an amica6le
settlement of affairs. There is no umpire
=