Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1905-04-21
NEWS OF THE LABOR WORLD.
Items of Interest Gathered from Many
Sources.

Copies have been received OF the
first international report of the trade
union movement, giving facts and
figures to the close of the year 1903.
The report furnishes much informa-
ton valuable to the student OF econ
omics and sociology. 1t gives details
of work accomplished. efforts which
proved futile, the cost OF conducting
organizations, strikes, lockout ana
benefit systems, and the work labor
unions of the world have laid out 1or
themselves. Complete reports on
these are given for the following
countries: Great Britain, the Neither
lands, Denmark. Norway, Germany,
Hungary, Bulgaria. Italy. Australia
France, Belgium, Sweden, Finland,
Austria. Servia, Switzerland, Spain,
Argentina. Japan.
The compiler of the work, Carl Le-
gion, general secretary of the general
committee of the trade unions OF Ger
many, is also international secretary
of the national trade union central
organization. The individual reports
from each of the countries. condensed,
are given herewith, following Secre-
tary Legions summary. He says:
This is the first time trial has
been made of giving an account OF the
trade union movement of all coun'
tries. a report for which the material
has been given by the trade union or
carnations themselves. other re-
ports will succeed this one, for the
trade union central organization az
filiated to the international secretariat
have bound themselves at the inter-
national conferences. by their secre-
taries, to give reports every year,
which shall be put together by the
international secretaries and shall be
published in the English. French and
German languages. Uniform report
schedules were published by the inter-
national secretary after the secre-
taries of the national central organi-
cations had been informed in 1902
in the above named three languages
of the matters employed in the trade
union statistics Of Germany. BY this
It was intended to incite those coun-
tries which it had not been done to
collect statistics similar to those
which have been compiled for years
in German, Austria and Denmark.
Next to the accounts of the mem.
bership and the expenditures and re-
ceipts of the trade unions, the secre-
taries of the central organizations
were to give report of the general
and of the laws which have
been made in the course of the year,
as far as they concern the workers.
Reports which answer these de-
mands have been sent in for 1903 by
England, Denmark, Sweden, Norway,
Germany, Austria and Servia. Gen.
eral reports have been sent in by Hol-
land, Hungary, Spain and Australia.
The central organizations affiliated to
the international secretariat which
have not reported are Belgium, Swift
zerland and Italy. From these central
as we'll as from those
which sent only part Of the report
excuses have been sent in for the non
appearance of the report or for their
Reports from countries affiliated are
in brief as follows
Enqland.-The General Federation
is the only trade union central organ
ization of the country which has to
perform trade union work only Only
80 per cent of the trade union socie-
ties of the country belong to it. The
affiliated organizations have to pay
one and two-shillings subscription an
nually. From the funds thus collected
the trade unions are given support in
strikes, namely, two and a half and
five shillings per striking or locked
out member weekly during the whole
strike or lockout. 1t is thought that
the contributions are too high for the
trade unions not affiliated. The re-
serve funds Of the federation has
reached 100000 shillings.
For the political representations of
the workers there is combination in
the Trade Union Congress-" with
which 20 per cent of the trade unions
are affiliated. Then there Is the ia
Dor representation committee" to
forward the election of labor repre-
sentatives into parliament. Fifty per
cent of the trade unions belong to
this committee. These societies for
political purposes are not oppositional
but supplementary organizations of
the trade union central organization.
They are composed of trade unions
in three combinations.
Denmark.-Aside from the Sam