The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1909-08-15
UN|ONISM IN ENGL AND
Labor Organizations Advancing
In Great Britain.
THE TENDENCY IS UPWARD,

Gus Thought TO Labor lsadsrs-Ths
Superannuatien Problem.
The trades unions Of Great Britain
COW form . huge compact aggresa-
ton able to fight the question OF
wages and hours OF labor with in
dividual or associated employers On
the one side ard able to express them
selves as q political entity Of un-
doubted power on the other
A few facts may not be out Of place.
first OF all to show the present extent
OF trades unionist organization. The
latest figures show that the number
Of separate unions In this country 10
close on 400. This figure need not
be regarded unduly high. but 1t Of
course means there are far too many
Independent and unconnected unions
catering for the same trade. The ag-
gregate membership Of these separate
unions is a far more vital factor. 1t
amounts to 2.4O6.746 This is an in
crease in three years Of over soc. 600.
The relative advance Of retrogression
in the unionixation OF certain trades Is
interesting. and we ind that In the
latest three years covered by Stats
tics the coal mining union membership
increased just over 40 per cent and
the textile unions did even better by
per cent.
unionists are women and girls. IS per
NJ 0Nn&v t.
tile trades. the cotton industry alone
accounting for IS per cent. Female
trades unions show an increase for the
last three years Of 81 per cent.
Along with this general increase In
membership there has also been an in
crease in financial strength-very patu-
rnl IN view OF the fact that serious
strike troubles have. on the whole.
been fairly absent.
Taking a survey OF a decade. We fnd
that the membership of these unions
increased in the ten years from 1.O8O.-
600 to 1.451 600. Their income increas-
ed in the same period from $4,000. 900
to nearly So. 100000. their expenditure
from $7.400. 900 to $40. &c. 600 and their
reserve funds from an aggregate Of
$13.25OOOO to considerably over $2S..
100000. these funds representing ten
years ago $12 per member and now
nearly $50.
1t is. of course. In the growing cost
Of unemployed payments aud the
equally growing burden OF accident
and pension benefit that the big nnan-
cial problems OF the unions are to be
faced. A survey Of the past ten years
covers all kinds Of periods. whether
Of good or bad trade or industrial wnr
or peace. The average expenditure on
dispute benefit has been 10 Ter cent
Of the total expenditure per annum.
the figure having been As high as =
per cent in 1893 and rs low as per
cent in 1904, the figure for the last re-
corded year Q8OS) being we'll below
the average.
With regard to the payments on un-
employed account, the average Of the
ten years has been Just upon o per
cent. The actual payments Of the
earlier years Of the decade never ex-
ceeded 20 per cent and were frequent.
" q long way below that percentage.
As matter Of fact, ignoring years OF
absolute record. bad trade. the present
ratio OF expenditure on out Of work
pay tends to become normally what II
once was abnormally.
The decline In strikes and disputes
Is Of course a result Of the increasing
use OF methods OF Cancellation and ar
bitration In settling dispute questions.
but II IS still uncertain as to how far
these Cancellation methods would stand
the strain Of any deep seated trouble.
approximation n . problem by It.
self which does not appear to have
been touched by the granting OF gov
eminent pensions to aged people. and
the increasing sickness and the in
crease Of accidents among the indus
trial workers are facts which become
more prominent every year. There y
no space here to go into these matters
deeply, but they will no doubt be
touched upon In subsequent articles as
they become particularly pressing IN
current affairs.
Federations Of trades unions exist all
over the country. and very frequently
the evil Of the multiplicity Of unions
In one trade is partly overcome by the
overlapping unions having q common
working agreement in the form Of
more or less loose federation. The
leading federation Of all is Of course
the General Federation Of Trndes
Unions. whose membership II over
600, 900. built up OF forty-one engineer
ing. shipbuilding and metal trade
unions. twenty-eisht textile and cloth
ing trades unions. eight dock and gen.
eral labor unions, ten building trades
and quarrying unions and twenty-nine
unions covering the printing. wood |
working. glass. pottery and miscel-
trades. Miners are Of course |
In their own big fedora |
ton. the Miners Federation Of Great |
Britain.
The General Federation Of Trades |
Unions Is the most promising Of all the |
declarations. as II IS based on the cor /
rect federation idca-that idea which |
looks forward to all trades standing |
shoulder to shoulder throughout the |
under one leader and With one
YOlfcy that nolicY hefnc the dnFoosn