The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1903-12-19

ESTIMATED STRENGTH OF AMER.
ICAN LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.
Figures Compiled by TtheIbert Stewart
Show remarkable Growth Of Organ
lied Labor. What Factor In Busi-
ness, Politics or Industries If Issues
Were Pooled.

lES0 IdUOCs what actor IN 6uSl.
ness, Politics or Industries if Issues
Were Pooled.
Washington, D. c., Dec. 17.-Ethelbert
Stewart special agent for the United
States department Of labor, in an ar
ticle just published. discusses the sub
ject of the actual strength Of the trades
unions in this country. He makes sew
eral good points in the article, which
follows in part:
1t is very difficult to get exact fig
ures on trades union membership. The
records kept by the national or inter-
national unions at their respective
headquarters have to do only with
paid membership-that is to say, the
national secretaries can only tell you
how many members the various locals
are paying the per capita dues on. The
locals pay dues into the general or ma
tional only OH the members who had
paid their local dues at a certain time,
notwithstanding the delinquents are
"good for it, and are really members
in good standing. It has been asserted
in a, not too confidential voice by some
secretaries that local unions are fire.
quently deliberate tax dodgers and
pay into the general treasury not on
actual membership, but what they be-
lieve to be "about their share" It is
painful to think that any trades union
would dodge it's taxes, as some of the
capitalists and capitalistic corporations
in some cities in Mexico are said to do.
The careful statistician of trades un-
ion membership must therefore take
fully into account this element of tax
dodging. The more serious element,
however, is the rapid changes in MEM
bership. Regardless Of how close to
the facts any set of figures may be,
they will be wrong before they can be
got into the hands of the printer. In
some respects. however, the popular
idea that even the figures of enormous
growth in the last two years are mis-
leading if not erroneous. For instance,
in Chicago the chool teachers were
| organized into a federation, which was
not considered a labor organization in
any sense until it Joined the Chicago
| Federation Of Labor. Here was large
| accession of members without any
change that could in any way affect in
| dustrial conditions. The Letter Car
riers' association has been yagitating the
Iquesti on M Of niting with the sAmericL
Federa tfon
another accession 81 mere numb .fIIt
would of course have social significance,
| but not industrial Importance.
| In a sense this is true of bartenders
and even of BARRIERS unions, all OF
| Nil 3r,o cir xr-fhqf
| to say, not all of the increase in trades
union membership has been in direc'
tions that vitality affect the manufac-
ture and transportation of commodi-
| ties.
The American Federation of Labor
reported in September, 1903, 2,000,o0(
| taxpaying members. To get at the pro-
portion Of taxpaying members to actual
membership in the unions let the rec
ords of two or three organizations suf'
flee. The Garment Workers records
show 24,300 paying the per capita and
81, 900 in good standing in 1902 and $4,000
in good standing in 1908 The paying
membership of the Iron Mouuders' un'
ion was 25,900 in 1902, whereas in jan
i uary, 1902, there re 54,251 in good
| standing and in JLle; 1902, 74,416, ano
| these figures are exclusive of 4,306 ir
arrears for dues to their own locals.
The United Mine Workers pay q pei
capita on 1876, 400 members, whereas the
actual membership in 1902 was $4,000
and in 1903 264,430.
It would seem from this that any lis,
secured from the American Federation
of Labor will be largely under the facts
as to membership. A conservative es.
innate would add 20 per cent-that is
raise the number to 100000. 1t must
be remembered that none of the rail
road organizations are affiliated witt
the American Federation of Labor
These have a combined membership Of
about 2s5000.
The bricklayers are not affiliated with
! the American Federation of Labor
Then there is the American Labor un-
ion, a strong central organization which
is beginning to be tot the east what the
American Federation Of Labor is tt
the country at large. Affiliated with
the American Labor union is the West
ern Miners Federation, the richest la.
Dor organization, measured by actua
cash in it's treasury, in the world. There
are also large number of lesser bodies
affiliated with the American Labor un,
ion. It's combined membership is abou
100000. These large outside bodies, to.
gether with the bricklayer, knights ot
Labor and other smaller organizations
that have no ntional connection, make
it difficult to put the number of unio1
men in the United States at less thar
5000, 900. This would include Of course
a considerable number of Canadian
members Conformation al unions.
MANY WINDOW GLASS