United labor bulletin., 1912-10-03
CARPENTERS HOLD
BIG CONVENTION
Secretary Duffy Makes Exhaus'
tive Report Wage Increases
Amount to Millions.

! Secretary Frank Duffy, of the United
Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners
of America, submitted to the biennial
convention of that organization now be-
| ing held in Washington, d. c., one of the
most comprehensive reports ever pre-
sented to the international organization
1t shows that during the two-year period
closing June 80. 1912, S25 local unions
were organized, with sol local unions
either lapsed or consolidated, making a
total gain in the number of unions of "a,
with a total at the end of the fiscal year
| of 1,S49 local unions. The state which
contains the greatest numerical strength
in the Brotherhood is Illinois, with 163
local unions and membership of 29,62S-
New York is a close second, with 209
local unions and a membership of 29,0SS.
California registers as third, with sc To-
cal unions and 16,339 members Massa-
chusetts comes fourth, with las local
unions and a membership of 1895
Pennsylvania is fifth, with 142 local
unions, with membership of 13,S1S-
The remainder of the membership is
scattered in various states of the Union,
the Hawaiian Islands. Canada, and
Alaska A table is also given showing
the annual growth of the organization
lin each year since 1881. Perhaps the
most comprehensive and enlightening in
formation is contained under a report
giving the list of local unions in the
Brotherhood. the meeting place. time of
meeting, hours of labor. wage scale. Sat
urday half-holiday. and local unions that
have local agreements in effect. These
statistics show that the United Brother
hood of Carpenters have established the
eight-hour work day in over 80 per cent.
of the cities and towns where local
unions are chartered. with very large
.e .,-s.I
the Saturday half-holiday. There is also
given in detail the statement of stock on
hand at headquarters, together with
general inventory of the furnishings and
fixtures of the Carpenters Building in
indianapolis Another statistical table
was presented showing the result of
trade movements sanctioned by the gen.
eral executive board. in the great ma
ljority of which success is reported. Two
hundred and thirty-five trade movements
were sanctioned by the general execu-
tive board, of which Isl were successful,
fifteen partially successful. and thirty
nine pending or postponed. Benefits
paid out during the biennial period, COM
Iprising members beneficial claims. men,
bers' disability claims. members semi
beneficial claims, and wives funeral do
nations. consisting of 1850 claims, ag-
gregated the sum of S112, 02-S7. The
cost to each member of the Brotherhood
lin liquidating these claims only
lamounted to 24.1 cents for the two years.
The total receipts of the organization
during the period under consideration
amounted to s1.3i1. .532.46. while the dis
lbursements during the same period
reached 81 ,402, ,S33.S5. The United Broth
erhood contributed through its local
unions to the Mcnamara defense fund
S1S.007.26. At the close of the fiscal
year on June so. 1912. the United Broth
erhood had in cash s264.242.77; real es-
tate at indianapolis. Ind, 74.40T.57. and
also real estate at Nederland. Tex, and
Sulphur. Okla. valued at 1856, making
the assets of the Brotherhood aggregate
sS3e ,000.34. There was received as in
terest upon deposits during the two-year
period slS.eT9.52. For organizing work
s26S.474.25 was paid. which emphasizes
the fact that the results achieved by the
United Brotherhood were in large part
due to its expenditure for organizing
work. thus resulting in the establishment
of a large number of local unions, as
we'll as making successful a large num-
Der OF trade movements reported for the
two-year period.
Unions Pay Dividends
BY reducing the report to definite ac-
complishments. it is a revelation. While
| II Is impossible to reach an absolutely
accurate result, yet the report is not diff
fcult of approximation. Nearly all of
the local unions have reported an in
crease in wages and shortening OF hours
wherever this result has been attained.
Trade movements of the carpenters have
been general. and in amplifying the re-
port ii is found that in a large number
of cities there has been an average in
crease in the daily wage. taking into con-
sideration the shortening of hours with
out reduction in pay. of sS.4 cents On
an Appropriated membership of 100000
this Yields an advance in wages of $76.-
500 per day. Computed on S09 working
days in the year. this increase. yields
S22 .6Si 200 as record for one year.
When II is taken into consideration that
the total sum expended by the Brother
hood in the year under consideration
was only s701 ,l66.67, II is revealed that
the United Brotherhood OF Carpenters Is
paving n dividend to its members unpar-
alleled by any corporate body engaged
| in the mercantile or any other business
in the entire world. II Is an argument
in favor OF the organization OF the work
i mon that capuof ha eoufrovar