Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1903-09-05

100000, and its increase during the
next ten years was uneven, some years
showing scarcely any increase at all,
and the advances that We're made often
showing a deplorabe lack of stability.
In 1886 the knights Of Labor had a
membership of close to million, and
as its Jurisdiction covered the same
field as the federation there was a
fierce rivalry between the two organ
izatiOnS, with the advantage on the
side of the knights, not only because OF
It's larger membership, but because its
form of organization was then exceed
ingly popular. not alone with the Ia
bOrcrs, but with those who believed
the labor movement should attempt
more than the regulation of wages and
the hours of labor. But the knights
began to decline in the winter OF 1856
81, and through the mistakes of the
leaders Of the order, on the very qucs-
ton of trades unionism, before the be-
ginning of the year 1888 the knights
of Labor had lost so heavily In men,
bership and influence that it became
only n question of time until its short
lived supremacy in the American labor
movement would be at an end. l do
not mean by this that the knights of
Labor ceased to be an organization OF
influence, but that Its membership was
disastrously depleted and that because
of its blunders the opportunity came to
the American Federation of Labor to
make of itself the great American Ia
Dor organization.
The rapid and substantial growth of
the American Federation of Labor dur
ing the past six years has been the
marvel of the industrial world. Some
of the statistics Of those six years, as
CLEANED from the official reports and
from interviews with Secretary Frank
Morrison, are interesting and instruc-
tive. The membership of the fedora
ton consists of International trades
unions. central labor unions and trades
assemblies, state branches and local
trade and federal labor unions. The
following figures will show the in
crease in the various departments Of
the federation during the past six
years:
International unions-1S97, 30; 1903,
40. Central bodies-1S97, 81 1908, 573.
State branches-lS07, 10; 1903, 2S. Lo-
cal trade and federal labor unions
1897. Al; 1903, 2,214. Totals-1S97.
$50; 1903. 1925.
The following figures show the aver
age total paid membership for the past
seven years: In 1897, 2G5,6OO; 1898,
279,OOO; 1890, $50. 400; 1900, 55O,3OO;
1901. $4,000; 1902, 1,025,30O; 1903.
1,457.593
In 1897 the income of the federation
for the entire year was $1S,6OO. Dur
Ing the first nine months of the present
fiscal year the income amounted to
S173,70O.11.
Secretary Morrison says: "There are
in the field at the present time thirty
six paid organizers, who are devoting
all of their time to the work of settling
grievances and organizing the unor-
ganized workers. Besides these we
have over !, 100 district organizers. The
outlook is satisfactory. The interna-
tional unions are making rapid head
way. The employers are awakening to
the fact that organized labor Is truly
power, and, fearful of what Is sure to
fOllOw-that is, more pronounced de-
sire for shorter hours and increased
scales of wages-they are organizing
for the purpose of resisting the efforts
of the trades unions. The employers
efforts will be futile. The constant
vigilance of the officers and members
of all the unions affiliated with the
American Federation Of Labor will
more than offset the employers hos
iility, and the great labor movement
will steadily march forward"
In the field of strikes organized labor
meets with many more successes than
defeats Indeed a complete defeat has
become one of the rnrest events chron-
icled in the labor world. am remind