Evening star., 1936-07-05

the craft and industrial unlontStS.
The crdtt-controlled erecuttue
council OF the American Federation
OF Labor meets in Washington merit
Wednesday and is expected to act
upon the refusal OF the industrial
unionists to disband their Commit
tee on Industrial Organization. The
origins and forces in this dispute
are delineated in the tolloUing As
socidted Press article.
BY RICHARD ii. HIPPELHEUSER.
NY THE very nature of early
- Americas economic life, the
first labor unions were organ
- lied on craft lines.
There was no perennial class OF
unskilled labor. Young men, when
they first went to work, were appren-
ticed to a cord-wainer, carpenter,
printer or baker.
Even in industries workers were
skilled 1t was not until the great
industrial development during and
following the Civil War that mass
production brought unskilled labor
labor movement,
Thus for more than century the
only major problem was one of Or
ganization, of building labor unions
on a national basis.
In this development there were four
principal SUGGESTIONS:
I, THE NATIONAL TRADES UNION.
The first major step in the national
ization of unions came with the or
ganization of central trades councils
in the Eastern commercial-industrial
centers, first in New York.
In the early l83Os there were
around 10000 craftsmen organized in
these centers. with $4,000 or so in
New York and Brooklyn.
In September, 1882, under the
leadership of the carpenters and
printers, the General Trades Union
of New York was organized, followed
quickly with similar action in other
cities.
This brought immediate agitation
for a national federation. The Gen.
eral Trades Union of New York, in
March of 1888, issued a call for a
national convention of all unions and,
at this convention, held in New York
in July, the National Trades Union
was organized.
The subsequent growth of union
membership was swift. BY the time
of the third convention of the Ma
tional Trades Union, in 1886 some
100000 craftsmen were organized in
the East
Then came the panic of 1887 and
the National Trades Union collapsed.
II. THE NATIONAL LABOR UNION.
After this panic, the emphasis in
tabor circles was placed upon educa-
ton. Gradually, union strength again
increased, but the panic of 1857
brought another setback.
The Civil War industrial develop
ment had as its corollary the revivi-
cation of the unions, giving to labor
its next major opportunity al build
ing a federation.
In 1866, unionists from 13 States
and the District of Columbia convened
in Baltimore and organized the Ma
tional Trade Union.
In its short existence, this was little
more than congress for co-ordi-
mated agitation and exchange of
views. Principally, it gave national
cohesion in the campaign for the
eight-hour day. Finally, it gave more
attention to legislative and political
action, rather than to trade union
action.
Tnis incensed the pure trade union
lists. After their withdrawal, top
heavy with political reformists, the
National Labor Union disintegrated
around 1870
III. THE KNIGHTS OF. LABOR.
With emphasis on trade unionism,
instead of political activity, the labor
leaders who had been prominent in
the National Labor Union continued
their efforts. Again, however, came
an era of hard times in the industrial
world. The panic Of 1873 forced
many unions into only nominal ex-
istence. Secret labor societies, such
as the molly Maguires" in the an
thracite fields, were organized gener-
ally.
Another was the Noble Order of
the Knights of Labor.
Formed in 1859 under the leader
ship of Uriah Smith Stephens, an
intellectual who prepared for the
ministry but became tailor in Phila-
delphia, its influence spread swiftly
after the 1873 panic. For more than
q decade, it was the most powerful,
militant factor in the labor field
The Knights of Labor, strictly
speaking, was not a federation; but it
was the rallying force of the unionists
In day of difficulties,
w. THE AMERICAN FEDERA-
TON OF LABOR.
There were several contributing fac
tors in the dwindling away of the
knights of Labor, which reached its
peak membership of 100000 in 1886.
At this time, the principal issue was
still political action versus trade
unionism. The cause of political
action had been furthered by the
spread of Marxism and the formation
Of the Socialist-Labor party. The
Socialist-Laborites. with the rise to
power of Daniel de Leon, believed the
union and the political party should
be one and the same thing.
The established trade unionists,
mindful of the disintegration of the
national trade union, were vigorously
opposed to political action, whether
as advocated by the Marxists or by
political reformistS. They adhered to
o strict policy of -partisanship in