United labor bulletin., 1910-09-08

Some twenty years ago in q western
camp in which resided about 1900 min
ers, there was instituted a local union
with 13 members. When this union was
formed it was the hope and expectation
that in a short time all the men en-
ployed in the mines would make appli-
cation for membership therein, but to
the surprise and disappointment of the
1S charter members weeks rolled by and
no applications were received. In order
to create interest and enthusiasm mass
meetings were decided upon, picnics
were given, and various methods usually
followed in such cases were adopted to
build up the organization. Speakers were
brought to the camp-at no little expense
to the handful of members-and while
by these means some men were induced
to join they maintained their member
ship for only short time and then
dropped out This situation continued
for several years, the union building up
occasionally and then falling back to its
original status. Finally, one night, after
the whole situation had been canvassed,
member arose in the meeting making
the statement that as there seemed no
hope of establishing permanently
|
should be surrendered and the work of
organization abandoned A feeling of
gloom and despair pervaded the atmos-
phere, when another member arose and
expressed himself as not being in SYM
pathy with the proposition to surrender
the charter, stating that before such
course were resorted to he wished to Of
fer motion that each one Of the 13
members be instructed and notified that
if any one of them failed to bring to the
next meeting a candidate for member
ship he should be expelled from the
union. The motion was adopted by
unanimous vote. At the next melting,
one week later, each of the old members
was present and, to the delight of all,
each one of them had brought with him
a candidate for membership. The union
now had &c members Encouraged by
the success of this experiment, resolu-
tion was adopted to the effect that any
one of the 26 failing to bring with him
to the next meeting a candidate for men,
bership should be expelled from the
union. When the next meeting convened,
each of the &c presented candidate for
initiation. This process was continued
with more or less regularity
not always with the same degree of sue
cess that had attended its introduction
until practically all the men in the camp
were members of the union.
1t goes without saying that this sys-
tenn might not work SO well in other In
dustries or in another community. and.
of course, there are few organizations
that would permit the expulsion of a
member for refusing or failing to bring
in a new member; but without reference
to the penalty for failure, the applica-
ton of this principle Of individual effort
would prove most effective wherever 1t
were tried. Indeed, 1t was largely due
to this means that over 10000 miners
were organized in the anthracite fields
during the summer Of 1905. At any rate.
the plan is worth trying and the prize is
worth striving for.
Let each man feel that he is an i'm
portant part of the labor movement, thai
he is personally responsible for its sue
cess or failure. Let us. individually and
collectively, resolve that the years Of
1910 and 1911 shall mark an epoch in the
growth AID progress of the labor move
ment of our country.