New Britain herald., 1922-07-15
MACH|NSTS' ORDER
 HAS 250,0O0 MEN
Of This Number 100000 Work in
 the Railroad Shops

Washington, July 17.-The interna- ltional association of machinists. one | of the most important of the organi- cations participating in the railroad lshopmens strike, numbers on it's rolls Approximately 25o,oao men officials declare, Of which almost 100000 are employed in railroad shops CT in shops doing railroad work The rest are |scattered through various other indus ltries.
 The organization is among the old est of the country, it is claimed, all though its present title does not date farther back than 1889. In 1858 groups of skilled blacksmiths and ma chinists banded together to form their first organization. The union thrived for some years, and Jecame a part of the famous Knights of Labor when that body was organizeu about fifty years.
 So important a part did the rail- road rlachinists cake. lp that body that they became the doirinan, faction. In the eighties, leaders recalled, when the Knights of Labor went under the har, the members, especially in the west, had to change thelr names and seek jobs elsewhere hiciay their union Co avoi3 o@lss c4tior
 The Knlshts >y.,ce finally disrupted and the machinis.s got along as best they could until. in 1893, tle railroad machinists in the shops at A&lantic Georgia, met and reorsanizeG. .
 At the first yearly convention ma chinists representatives from various sections of the country attended. and the name was liked as The National Association of Machinists The next year delegates from Canada. practical ly the entire country, and elsewhere, attended. the organized was extended Into an international body and the name changed to the present title.
 The membership, composed for the most par. Of the highest type of skilled mechanics. has always taken leading part in the railsoading, both n 5his country ana Canada, though to i-tla extent in Mexico. While the er!ous local sections of the union have been ernbroiled in constant trouble of ore sort or another with the railroad executives union officials declared, the present wal out is only the second general strike of the en- tire body.
 First Strike.
 The first occurred in 1901, when the men rebelled against the ten-hour day and struck from May to December Tho association counted that one moral victory, for the men generally never returned to the ten-hour day, he maximum remaining at nine hours which several years later was reduce 1 0 eight.
 At that time however. officials said. 1 he organization did rot adhere to the l main principle Of the present strike, | hat no men should return to work lntil agreements paved the way for he return of all, but 'he raen then vent back to their iobs by local l groups.
 However. 1t was enpia:ically de | dared on the first day C. thc present | strike, that just as the lsi! executives nave organized into one central body | o lower wages, so will the union | fight in one organization for the re- urn to former scales.
 While the many sections of the as have taken part in a long | ist of strikes, local and sectional, long l md short, among the most bitter and | ongest were the following:
 The general strike of 1901, which | asted eight months on the Southern Railway in the same year. which last d about the same time: on the Union 'acific in 1902, duration nine months; n the Canadian Pacific, 1903. dura- ion eight weeks; on the Santa Fe, anne year, lasted four years; on the Erie, 1906, lasted two years; on the Saltimore and Ohio, 1910, duration me year; on the Illinois Central. 1911, uration four years; on the Grand 'runk, duration one and half years, Others of duration were called on he Pennsylvania, the Wabash and he Wheeling.
 William H. Johnston Is Information l president of the organization, and with P J Conlon, international vice. resident, will direct the activities of he strike from Washington headquar-