Evening star., 1899-06-09

was raised and distributed for the relief of
members in time of sickness, and Sllf,2oi
was spent on trade disputes. The bureau
of labor statistics estimated that II all the
unions had made returns on this matter, a
total expenditure of over $ySTD, instead
of S242. 2.27o would have been reported Or
the 1874 locals of the Knights of Labor
making returns with regard to benehts 62
reported the existence of benefit features
other than strike benefits. OF the 49 rail-
road organizations, mostly branches OF the
national brOtherhOods, 30 reported the ex-
iStenct- Of benefits. OF the 132 other labor
organizations SO, or 10 per cent, had beneht
features, chiefly sick or funeral.
The third biennial report of the Mime
sofa bureau of labor statistics for 1891 ana
1872 presents the results of an investigation
into trade union insurance. Twelve unions
having national benefit features other than
strike benefits together with the raliroad
brotherhOOdS, were fully described, al
though the attempt was not made TO IN
cTude all the national bodies having such
benefits. Eight of these u unions had
141.121 members The horse-collar makers
the granite cutters and the 1ourneytneil
taiIors had only a death or funeral benent
of sT5 to $i25. The others had sick or dis
ability benefits, while the furniture work
ers the cigar makers and the two printers
unions had one or more other benefits.
Expenses of Administrations.
This report showed that during the pre-
yfc,ls ten years for every dollar paid as
benefits by the Cigar Makers International
Union the expenses of administration We're
only "a cents or much less than in private
ccmpa nies The average expenditure OF the
individual cigar maker by reason of his
rnion was about 80 cents week. week
}y payment of that sum 10 private com
panies would insure man. when twenty,
one wears of age. for $3.50 in the event or
death If paid to the Cigar Makers Union
| for the Space of fifteen years, 1t would IN
sure him for the same amount, and would
/ also guarantee sick, death and out-of-work
| benefits giving free use of the employment
| bureau of the union, furnish its monthly
| journal give the use OF loans without m
| terest and aid the member in maintaining
| an eight-hour day with relatively high
| wages.
| During the two fiscal years ending June
| 30 1882, the United brotherhood OF car
pentars and Joners spent S21,S1a.4l Tor the
| expenses of administration for its 3l.3lS
members and for the objects of the order
| the following: For funeral and disabinty
! bereffts, s117,346; for strikes, etc, Sp,o1424
for the journal. etc, $l326l39 Tor the
| American Federation of Labor 81 SS4 81
| and for badges. charms, etc, s5.12s.st
| 'sThe Minnesota report divided the aver
| age expenses of administration INTO three
| eoraI parts-onf for administering the
| strike benefits one for collecting and dis
| bursting the insurance benefits, and third
| for conducting the general affairs of the
| order II thus reached the result that the
| cost of colIect ting and distursing 800 OF in
! s,rance benefits was little less than 81
| after describing the International Typo
| graphical Union. the Minnesota report
| shows how local union No. ~ of Mime
| apoiis with a membership on April 30, 1892
| of 332 had local expenses of management
| of only s2.36 year per member, or less
| than a days wages. The total annual con-
| tribution per member for local purposes
was s702, and for both local and nationa
| ORGANIZATIONS S1l.O4, while the average ex-
| psnse of management for both purposes
| was only 81 ST. or 26 par cent of the contri
| buttons The sums voted as free gifts &c
| assist typographical and other unions II
| need and the sums used for local funera
| benefits and for maintaining lot in the
| cemetery for the burial OF needy printer
| call for annual expenses, included in tht
| above s702, of s32s per member in this
typical Minnesota unian-
! THE German-American Topographic, ia
| nous for it's benefit features, is shown IL
! the Minnesota report to have been expend
ing in the national body for administrative
purposes only 81 81 yearly per member a:
compared with s15.2S annual contributions
The largest local organization of the Graf
at that time. No. Z, in New York city, mum
bered 3J6 members. January l. 1892. Th'
average contributions per member for botl