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COAL - Clpdigital.org

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36 THE <strong>COAL</strong> TRADE BULLETIN.<br />

ovens, has been entirely rewritten and a large<br />

amount of additional matter added, including detailed<br />

descriptions of many well known plants.<br />

Chapters seven, eight and nine are devoted to the<br />

physical properties of charcoal, anthracite and<br />

coke, comparisons of bee-hive and by-product coke,<br />

laboratory methods of obtaining the relative calorific<br />

values of metallurgical fuels and the location<br />

of plants for the manufacture of coke. Chapter<br />

ten, on general conclusions on the work, costs and<br />

products of the several types of coke ovens, is<br />

largely new and is a most interesting comparison<br />

of results and costs with different ovens, taken<br />

from actual working figures and based upon Mr.<br />

Fulton's wide knowledge and experience.<br />

Chapter eleven, on the fuel briquetting industry,<br />

is entirely new, and wdiile foreign to the<br />

general subject of the book is added to supply the<br />

great demand for information upon this subject.<br />

Mr. Fulton has summarized the literature upon<br />

briquetting, and in 70 pages has given an excellent<br />

digest of the present practice in Europe,<br />

where of course, most of the briquetting is done<br />

at the present time.<br />

Typographically the book is pleasing, and the<br />

large number of illustrations and working drawings<br />

add greatly to the value of the statistical and<br />

descriptive matter contained in the text.<br />

LABOR UNIONISM IN EUROPE.<br />

The first international report of the trade union<br />

movement in Europe giving facts and figures to<br />

the close of the year 1903, has been issued by Carl<br />

Legien, general secretary of the general committee<br />

of the trade unions of Germany, and who is also<br />

a Socialist member of Parliament, representing<br />

Kiel. Reports for countries affiliated are in brief<br />

as follows:<br />

England—The General Federation is the only<br />

central trade union <strong>org</strong>anization of the country<br />

which has to perform trade union work only.<br />

Only 30 per cent, of the trade unions of the country<br />

belong to it. The affiliated <strong>org</strong>anizations have<br />

to pay a one and two-shillings subscription annually.<br />

From the funds thus collected the trade<br />

unions are given support in strikes, namely, two<br />

and a half and five shillings per striking or lockedout<br />

member weekly during the whole of the strike<br />

or locKOtit. It is thought that the contributions<br />

are too high for the unions not affiliated. The reserve<br />

funds of the federation have reached £100.-<br />

000. For the political representation of the workers<br />

there is a combination in the Trade Union<br />

Congress, with which 70 per cent, of the unions<br />

are affiliated. Then there is the Labor Representation<br />

Committee, to forward the election of labor<br />

representatives to Parliament. Fifty per cent, of<br />

the unions belong to this committee. These societies<br />

for political purposes are not oppositional<br />

but supplementary <strong>org</strong>anizations of the central <strong>org</strong>anization.<br />

Denmark—Aside from the Samvirkende Fagforbund,"<br />

there exists a Christian federation. It is<br />

reported that this society has 45,000 members and<br />

170 branches. The Samvirkende Fagforbund h^s<br />

ten central federations, fifteen local societies and<br />

23,477 members. Nearly all are united with the<br />

Social Democratic party.<br />

Sweden—There is only one national <strong>org</strong>anization.<br />

It has nine central federations, 100 local societies<br />

and 32,080 members.<br />

Norway—There is only one national central <strong>org</strong>anization,<br />

called the "Arbeidernes Faglige Lands<br />

Organization."<br />

Germany—Besides the General Committee of<br />

Trade Unions there are three other central <strong>org</strong>anizations<br />

of workers in Germany—the Christian<br />

trade unions, the Hirseh-Duncker trade societies,<br />

and the purely local societies. The unions affiliated<br />

with the general committee have a membership<br />

of 389,132.<br />

Austria—No national <strong>org</strong>anization exists here<br />

aside from the trade union committee. There are<br />

a number of Christian social <strong>org</strong>anizations which<br />

call themselves trade unions, but which are only<br />

the tail of reactionary political parties. Nothing<br />

is known of their membership, as no report is<br />

made by them.<br />

Hungary—All the existing trade unions in Hungary<br />

have declared themselves for affiliafon with<br />

ihe Hungarian Trade Union Council.<br />

Servia—All labor <strong>org</strong>anizations in this country<br />

belong to the central federation of trade unions.<br />

Spain—Spain has only one central <strong>org</strong>anization,<br />

namely, the "Union General de Trabajadores," but<br />

a number of local unions exist there. These stand<br />

for the general-strike proposition.<br />

A number of countries reported their membership,<br />

from which the following figures are taken:<br />

England, 1,922,780; Denmark, 86,326; Sweden, 80,-<br />

000; Norway, 15,996; Germany, 1,276,831; Austria,<br />

177,592; Hungary, 41,138; Servia, 3,500. The total<br />

number of women <strong>org</strong>anized in the foregoing<br />

countries is 84,721. Secretary Legien is now<br />

compiling the 1904 report and when it is issued,<br />

which will be soon, it will undoubtedly show a<br />

marked increase, as there was great activity in<br />

<strong>org</strong>anization work displayed in Europe during the<br />

past year.<br />

Edward E. Lewis, of Duluth, Minn., claims to<br />

have discovered anthracite coal about forty miles<br />

from Duluth. on the line of the Northern Pacific<br />

railroad.

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