The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1910-11-10
MARX or MANHOOD
Importance to Labor ofithe Trade
Union Label.


Adoption of Distinctive Sign In
Many Trades--Ar 3uments Against
the Use of General Sign.
There are three forms in which the
trade union label, using the term In its
widest sense, is usedH-first, a mark at
tached to a product, second, a shop
card to distinguish atplace of business,
and, third, a button to distinguish a
| workman. The majority OF trade I'M
ions use the libel only as mark
placed on an article, and ordinarily
the term union. label" indicates this
form of label,
In 1908 the membership of the trade
unions using the labels attached to the
product was 55S,600, or approximately
2T.9 per cent Of the entire membership
of the American Federation of Labor.
Those unions which use cards and
buttons embraced approximately $780,
GOO, or 1873 per cent of the number of
workmcn affiliated with the American
Federation OF Labor. There are still
other trade unions which use the label
Of the American Federation of Labor
either because of the weakness of
their organization or because their
products are subsidiary" to COM
plete product.
Some trade unions are precluded
from the adoption of label because
of the nature of the craft. The gran
ite cutters and stone masons, for ex-
ample. cannot use a label upon the
stone because 1t could be readily re-
moved and the employers refuse to
allow any design TO be cut in the
stone. The glass bottle blowers have
the same difficulty
Three factors en- ter into the determl-
nation of the efficacy of any form Of
trade union label-publicity Of the
label the nature Of the material OF
which the label is made AND the de-
sires of the purchaser.
The label must be sufficiently prom
inent to be readily observed, yet the
character Of the product to which the
label is attached Influences the meth
cd Of attachment to be adopted Cigars
might have the label on the box or
even on the individual cigars, if the
cost were not too great. But hats and
clothing must have an attachment of
the label which preserves reasonable
publicity without giving offense to a
sense Of propriety.
The form of label adopted by the
hatters illustrates the influence of these
factors very Wen 1t is attached to the
inside Of tile hat under the bow of the
ribbon on the outside band and is
stitched In such a way that the thread
must pass through the bow. The label
is concealed. and at the same time 1t
may be readily found by any one de-
sirous of having the label on the prod
uct.
The clothing trades are governed by
the same considerations in their choice
of mode Of attaching the label.
Many suggestions have appeared for
n general label of the American Fed
tihtAbi bI lJaLiJ1l " DC hHtu NY dll
affiliated trade unions The hatters
united garment workers, shirt waist
and laundry workers, meat cutters and
butcher workmen. IRON moIders, uphol.
sterers. retail clerks, BARRIERS and tai
Tors have taken the lead in advocating
the adoption of one form of label for
al crafts The cigaTmakers and the
boot and shoe workers have opposed
any such proposal Their arguments
IRE a. that the distinctiveness of the
label Of each trade would be lost and,
since the needs Of each craft are diff
ferent, the principles upon which any
demand for the label in a particular
trade might be created would thus be |
destroyed and (2) that the American
Federation Of Laborunder such Il sys-
tom would Of necessity control the |
abel and the propaganda for 1t. The
policy Of the American Federation of |
Labor would thus be abandoned and |
he industrial form Of organization |
would Of necessity replace the existing
'orm Of trade afTiliafion.--M oders' |
Journal.