The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1909-09-07

government toward the unions. The
unions proper, usually in a state Of sus-
pension, by official order. has one set
OF books. The benefit societies, which
make the usual payments in case of
sickness, death, or out-of-work, has a
second. A newspaper, which is not
offlclaIy-a part Of the union, has a
third set: and thereby haugs a tale.
Somehow, when the members OF a
union in Hungary quit work in a body,
the weekly payments commonly made
by unions in free countries to strikers
Or locked out workers is made to them
from the newspapers funds! Only
members of the union can subscribe
tor the newspaper and its subscription
price is much the same as the dues Of
a union might be, that is, five to ten
dollars a yea Surely, men have a
right to subscribe to a newspaper
which insures them to a certain
amount in case of being Jointly out of
work. 1t may be that the union funds
as benefit societies and the fund of the
are invested in the fine
trade union halls of Budapest. The
properties are mostly, however. under
heavy mortgages. drawn from the re-
sources Of capitalism.
In few civilized countries are the
trade unions weaker than in Hungary.
There are only about one hundred
thousand members, the entire popula-
ton, with Crotia, beng nearly twenty
millions. For this there are many
causes. but the Immediate one is the
hostility of the government as repre-
scented by q man at the head of the
department which deals with labor or
CARNATIONS. While according to the
statutes Worklngmen are at entire lib
erty to form unions, he has the power
first to look into their purposes and
legal standing, and he usually finds
reasons to forbid their ormation In
the case of established unions he har-
asses them by restrictions and
sions, SO that much of whatever they
nay do d them liable to be dis
solved. No n spoken with found any
defense for the policy Of this man. His
name is Kossuth His father, known
as one of the revolutionists of 1S4S,
was hailed as an apostle of liberty
during his visit to America on his re-
lease from prison after his participa-
ton in the events Of that year. Among
the most active of the present Kos
suth's opponents are the wOrkingmen
of Hungarian birth now in America.
They send heavy subscriptions steadily
to the "Nolksstimme.' the organ Of
the most radical Of the opponents of
h government.
The manner in which the admins
tration deals with the unions. and tries
to help the employing class, was
shown in q recent dispute between a
Transfers union and representatives
of large landed proprietors. At the
same time an illustration wa given OF
how the willy ~unionists manage to turn
the oppressive laws to their own &C
count. Some wheat teamSterS Sus-
pended the union and took possession
of its funds. declaring them to be the
property of the individual members.
The employers of the members not on
strike, for of intimidation,
then locked out their men. Thereupon
the latter, taking their turn at oper-
atm the law for themselves, appealed
for their pro rata share of the unds,
which the department paid them at
the rate Of so much per week as long
as they applied for it. The employers
looked at the TRANSACTION obviously,
as to them it seemed simply the gov
ernment's guaranteeing and admins
tering the strike fund to the unions
members. Nothing could be done to
prevent the transaction, and the m
ployers gave up the fight.
The wheat mill workers trade
agreement with their employers is the
result of the abOrs of an earnest sOci-
OlOgiSt, who is a student of the meth
DDS of American trade unions. 1t is a
very formal contract, which provides
for recognition of the union n
grants its scale of wages. The present
agreement, signed June 10, Is drawn
up for two years. 1t is extra-legal.
Neither the employers association nor
the mill workers union exists, to the
knowledge of the government. Both
sides. however, apart from their legal
existence as something else, have a
separate organization, which might
possibly come together secretly for
trade agreement purposes A patriotic
friend of both sides told me that this
agreement, while in advance Of any
thing the government would recognize,
was also beyond the wishes of the en-
ployers and above the heads Of the
employees in the grist mills. On this
point, n of the items in the agree
ment possesses its significance. 1t
provides that the men, on coming
away from their work, must not be
searched in nuhlic. But they NAV be.