COAL - Clpdigital.org
COAL - Clpdigital.org
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.