The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-11-30
TRADE UNION METHODS OF
EUROPE AND AMERICA
Chief Characteristic of the American Federation IN
the Form of Organizing is That There can
be but one General Union of Wage
Farmers for Each Calling
Copyright. 1909, by p. S. Ridsdale,
for Samuel Gompers.)

!SLl FGNtIdllOI ~ AdO a.
has given renewed opportunity for
hose who are studying the world
wild organization Of labor to see the
difference etWee American and Eu-
:opean trade unions and their meth
IDS of procedure. The chlef cnar-
lcteristic of the American Federation
II it's form Of organizing is that there
.an be but one general union of wage
earners for each calling. Besides, it
has no dependence in any way upon
subsidies from States, municipalities or
DhilanthrOpic societies.; has no aftllla-
lion with any political party, and has
no power of administration over the
nternatiOna unions which are united
in it's name, as each Of these is auton-
onous.
The General Confederation Of La
Dor in France (The &C. G. to is the
furthest possible from the
American Federation of LabO in both
organization and methods. The be-
nevolent intentions Of the French gov
eminent, as manifested in recent
years, after a settled attitude of an
tagonism maintained in the law to-
ward labor unions until 1854, have
given organization in many callings a
false start. The DEGREES providing for
the BOurse due Travail permit the es-
Enlistment Of one OF these centres
for labor meetings and the emplOy-
ment Of wage-Workers in any town OF
5000 inhabitants. The government
allows each bourse a subsidy that was
meant especially for the maintenance
Of the labor exchange feature Of the
Institution. From this subsidy meet
ing hall and offices Of the secretaries
are furnished, and telephones, letter
ales and stationery provided. The
Thanking privilege for communications
with government OF municipal officials
Is also permitted. The amour p
propriated for the Paris Bourse du
Travail is at present $4,000 a year.
What benefit do the solid unions Of
this city receive from these privileges?
The reply is that In general they do
not avail themselves of the preferred
help. They have headquarters for
their Offices and halls for their meet
ings irrespective Of the existence Of
the Bourse. Nor do the leading revo-
%iutionary organizations get any share
of the subsidy. On misbehaviour. in
the Eyes of the authorities, they are
excluded from the BOurse building.
The result is that while the conserva-
tive Typographical Union on the one
hand and the radical &C. G.. T." cen
trail committee itself on the other ave
nothing to do with the BOurse, In 1t
are the offices Of a long list Of secre-
taries, whose organizations an Ameri-
can central labor union would have
good reason to investigate carefully
before according to them the right of
representation. The membership of
such an organization may consist
merely of persons who at one time or
another have entered their names in
the books Of employment seekers in
one Of the offices Of the Bourse. Few
of these may have paid dues or assess
ments. The organization may ave
no benefit or other fund. An ex-
member of one of them. an active
unionist, said in the presence Of a
N
casion he had gathered some Of his
felloW-members together and caused
himself to be appointed On a COM
mittee to examine the books of their
union" The secretary refused to
show his accounts or even to recognize
the committee. No regular meetings
of the union were held. Yet through
the secretary 1t would have the right
to send a delegate to the general
meetings of the &c. G. T." and he
would have a vote as same as the
most solid union in the country.
Worse, in the occupation of which it
might represent only one small sub
division it could attempt to call a
general strike.' This has actually
happened in regard to the cooks in
Paris, with sad results to all concern
ID. On the occasion Of such strikes,
the men asked to walks out sometimes
do 50 merely for the sake of senti-
ment. workmen are then subjected
to loss, the community is made I'M
easy, and the employers exploit the
sensation. After the strikers have
satisfied the demands Of their SAN
guine temperament, demonstrated lib
erty, equality and fraternity, and sung
the "Marseillaise,' they renew the
long day, the wage-1evel, and the toll
some existence against which they
rebel1ed. It is from such unions, ac-
cording to the French Minister Of La
Dor Vivian, that much Of the voting
strength hat comes at the Congress Of
&C. G. r."
Very little is heard Of the unions
not in the national body, "The c.. G.
TT" Yet the Minister in a yet I'M
c~ontradicted speech in the Chamber
Of Deputies in October last said that
in it are represented only $4,000
lniNniSfs Of the ON nNA IN I~raroo ana