Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1904-06-24
STRIKE BENEFITS.
SMALL ITEM OF EXPENSE IN LABOR
ORGANIZATIONS
What the Annual -s.port OF the IL
garnakers' Union shows - HIGH
pu.s Needed 10 Make u Successful
Trnues Society.

The annual report of the Cigarmak- |
ers' International Union of America,
which has Just been issued by Presl-
dent George w. Perkins, is probably
tie best argument ever produced that
! trades unions are not strike societies.
In these days, when it is popular to
condemn everything in connection with
labor unions and to say they are go
ing too far" we seldom hear anything
OF their fratcrnal and beneficial side.
The report of tie ci&Hr1naHcrs tells
tie other side Of the story II manner
that cannot be refuted. During 'ne
year 1903 tlc CigaramkeFs' lntcrla-
tional union expended S2e,S7S.l3 for
strike benefits. THIS is less tiaaa %
eeHt5= PER capita, With the aHna"i
saent IN providing reiteI. for the Sick
and distressed amounts to the sum Of
e1f77. .8.5 5tii. Comment IS hardly neces-
s:fl.F. Is'le ligures stand cut and speak
foi. themselves.
That. however, is only one Of tie
s.eas which show the great work be-
itg done b.. this organization. The
ga15zeT.t Of death benefits l. assist t,!e
WIDOWS aad orphans Of deceased ineu!-
bers Ia tie last year WaS responsible
1aY aa Expenditure Of s;1.5,S ,6'22-1:.91, III.
most seze4 times as mitch rs WAS paid
1al. striEz' benefits Those Who believe
that te..de unions are strike soct-
- -i.-E
ence-nameIy, to f5ment trouble Wouil
90 veil t9 study the figures. They ar
Interesting.
The oat of work benefits fer the year
amounted to Sl5.55S. which is tie
sl4allest amount eyer paid for this
benefit since it Was ilIau-urated in
1850 THIS is 4 good Indication that
tie state Of trade with the ci4.jrn.&A-
al.s III 1913 was better than ever be-
to,e H. t.ia history Of the organization,
jeestfise the membership is larger at
Gle present time than it ever was,
During the years following the panic
il, -, tie amount the union had to
la} out IN out Of Work benefits in
creased until in 1896 it reached the sum
I'll Sl15,IGI. Since that time it has
steadiIy decreased until last year it
reached Tie lowest point ever recorded.
The total amount of benefits paid by
the Ci4armakers' union in 1903 amount
Ell to So ,9'iS.03 while the total re-
ceipts from dues. assessments and ini-
iiati6n fees reached the SHiA of SOL
9422 Since the union adopted the
beneficial system 1Wenty.four years
ago it has paid ont in benefits the cnor
NOUS sum OF $3.50, ,0o1.5S
i. The foregoing synopsis OF the annual
report points valuable. lesson to the
trade unonists themselves. Besides re-
futin. the claims OF the opponents Of
labor unions, the figures amply bear
out what thinking Hen i'll tie labor
movement have been preaching for
years namely, the necessity for high
dues and extended benefits to make a
successful labor union.
The British labor unions realized
this fact years ago and pointed out the
Way, but the American labor unions
have been slow to learn the lesson. Ia
fact. only d few of them have learned
it yet as most Of them still believe in
|
good hard dollars.
Wages are higher in America than
in any other country in the world, and
the dues paid into the unions are low
CT. The average American workman
Will object to paying 4 five cent assess
ment to his union. but he will leave the
hall and think nothing of spending So
to entertain his friends. 1t is on that
point that the American labor unions
! are weak when compared with the
British organizations Here we think
we can win strikes by bluster and
sometimes by violence, while in Great
britain the unions put their money
against the money OF their employers
and fight it out on financial lines
No doubt some enc will say that the
unions here accomplish more than they
Ito in Great Britain, where. they all
have the beneficial system, but even
If we admit that sllci Is the case it is
no argument in IaTor of our cheap
financial system. he British unions
rely ON keeping their membership in
tact during l;!l times and when
strikes are in progress paying the
members something With which to buy
bread. That is the only way you can
keep them, too and IS more sensible
and more civilized than trying to keep
them through fear ANA intimidation
When the Cigarnlakers' union adopt
g. the British PLAZA az finance it was
onH atter years Of persistent agta-
ton on the part Of some of the farsee-
ing leaders The rank and file were
opposed = t. o., rather tAey were op-
posed to paying the high dues which
would mai.H it possible. All the union
men in this country believe in receiv-
Inc benefits if they can receive them
without having to pay high dues. Now