New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-05-31
A TRADE UNIONS FINANCES.
WHERE THE PRINTERS MONEY WENT TO-
STARTLING EXPOSURE OF PECULIAR MANAGE
MENT.

lnr JONI SMITH. central LGbor Cnion
DEAR SIR Last week vcntured TO address
lew remarks TO you on matters OF business Inc iact
that you have not taken the advice OF certain gentlemen
from foreign countries and have reirained from pun
my audaciy III taking an interest In your Affairs EN-
boldens me 10 speak you again. think IT, after
me- Question il '" Would IS were yon 10 not
believe in trades unlonsr' Certainly. "be
eve IN trades Unions %0 But DeeSe in tho trades
union that Protects the trade-nOt in the trades union
makes honest, faithful and capable workmen. giving
fair work tor fair 10 not believe In the trades
that sends men out strike without good aud suii-
cient cause; that encourages boycotting ami other
community; curse to the men who compose IT,
Let me tell you something about tladss unions. Mr.
OF typographical Union No. B. choose this union for
Illustration because 1t ia the largest and OF the
es US SIT down together aud study those reports
Let US see how the managers of Typographical Union
by It's members. Understand. We are to take only The
figures furnished Us by the officers Of the union.
dealings OF s members with their employers supports
them financially in the strikes II ORDERS and al the
$3.50. There an initia on Zee OF -. and monthly
dues hfty The report Issued in 1855 gives
were respectively, s2i:o27 IS and s26.3l3 G3-to-
two we're s5S $50 pc ms 'F not
good shOwng-Sl96 e. TO the bad. But let
years For funeral benefits and expenses The union
paid 80 l21 g. For the relief OF members on STRIKE
SI1 500 9s-in all S23922 So All the rest OF the money
OF 10. this shows that It cost r2639S % To handle
S23,942 IS. This does very well in business
way.
But let 90 a little further look at some Of the
items among the expenditures For donations. dues and
taxes to other organizations, find S3l9s 70. For
committee service and strike account-thIt is Tor man
agin Strikes FOR supporting strikers-S6,39O 20.
For publishing me Boyc5Ger-i paper which incites
wOrtmen 10 Illegal viOence-Sl .9O2 -.
Bat let Us dive little deeper. Mr. smith. and look at
On september 30. lssl. Sl2J paid for Expenses
OF secret Committee IN Commercial 1GrcrftSer and
The tribune" THIS means that Sl-5 was paid 10 spies
and atators TO STIR up strikers In the Offices or those pa
pers The strikes were made. They cost the union
SJ.ls3 30. There Is no way out OF It. Mr.. smith, TINS -
bad business for any union These men dii not strike
OF their accord; they struck because they were
practically forced TO by the union And, by It's own
showing. the union did not pay the strikers the fun
amount OF their during all the period that they
were out Of employment so must add to their ac-
count the amount that the men themselves lost Are
there any means OF computing tue losses tnat ideness
entails
We cond go much further into these reports, Mr..
smith, but this ought be quite FAR enough to show
that the wOrkingmaus interests not always best
protected By those who make profession Of serving as
MS friends Inc reports are loose inadequate ana oien
conessedy Incorrect Ia the state neut OF the auditing
committee hni the following paragraph:
In fact, the constitutional check system provided ny
the union seems To have Afforded little or 10 cnecK,
the committee finding no evidence that thorough ex-
animation OF the receipts anu expenditures AZ Tue
secretarys Office was made by any officers OF the com
In fact. " Mr.. Smith. the whole business has been
grossly mismanaged We do not that there was any
dishonesty among the Officers OF the union God IOrOu
that We should think that Que worAlhshal eoulu Toy
another. But fifty thousand dollars 50 frlt'
tered away Nine thousand, one hundred and twenty
dollars payments the families or dead me mDers
over fOrtyOne thOus nd Tor getting up ana sustaining
couficts between emp oyer aud employed! AMI AT the
eud OF all this statement comes the announcement mat
does include general Indebtedness OF el,Jyl 81
And what has the member or the union gained Ihe
benefit OF the Insurance. on his life Hardly six DOL
lars year would De pretty heavy pre- mum Tor ei)D
worth OF nsuran healthy mans life Ia the most
extravagant company in he Untei states Any one OF
the mutual benefit associations can give man who Is III
10 be insured better rates than $40 n thousand
But the wOrklnzmanS wages are Increased Dy the
efforts oil the Union theyl How years Is IL
per thousand emsi And in 1855 the officers con-
graduate themselves the fact that 40 and i6 cents are
paid Members OF that Union got % cents thir-
teen years Ia this what the Union has done Tor
them
Certainly, believe I'm trades Unions Mr.. Smith. But
DO believe trades union Ike ths-and THIS is
~ thu best have at present. Tue trouble Is that
almost the unlOns-the Brotherhood OF Locomotive
Engineers Is noble exceptiOn-haye fallen into the
power OF demagogues and professional agltatOrs whose
businessit Is 10 establish ant tgOnlsn between ne
ceeded most thoroughly. To-day. the worSDgman aud
the who for his work look upon each otner AZ
enemies The employer does not dare TO treat MS en-
poyos well he might because II
nccept his justice ana generosity a. a
confession Of weakness and fear. and would demand fur
Their CONCESSIONS OF unreasonable sort And the WORK
ngnan, holding his employer Is MS fOe mas no regard
EMPLOYERS but takes opportunity
to get the advantage OF MIN. And 10 tue nsn that nat
uraily Results the wOrkingman naturally suffers. You
:, the men who to-day at the head Of your trades
unions But, Mr. smith. can you explain way some OF
your fellow-w Orkingmeu let these men charge them
twenty-sx thousand dollars for paying them twenty
three thousand dollars OF their own money! Please tell
me ana believe that though DO not ask you FOR stu
gle cent, am your friend, PUCK