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50
GROWTH OF TRADE UNIONS
IN EUROPE AND AMERICA.
Ethelbert Stewart, of the United States department
of labor, in a recent report, declares that
whether or not trades unionism is a "foreign"
institution, its spread in the United States has
been very rapid.
At the close of 1904 England, Scotland and Ireland,
with a population of 41,500,000, had a trades
union membership of 1,902,308. In other words,
1 in 22 of the population was a trades unionist.
In Germany there were 1,276,831 trades unionists
in a population of 56,400,000, or 1 to 44. In
France, with a populatioh of 38,300,000, there are
715,576 trades unionists, or 1 to 53. Italy, with
32,500.000 population, reports 1 SI,230 members of
trades unions, or 1 to 180. In Australia the
trades unions have 177.592 members in a population
of 18,600,000 and a trades union membership
of 56,900, or 1 to 330. Hungary has 52,410
trades unionists in a population of 19,250,0o0, or
1 to 366. In Denmark the ratio is 1 to 28
THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
and in New South Wales 1 to 21.
In the entire United States the ratio is 1 to 29.
while in the state of New York it is 1 to IS, and
in Illinois 1 to 16.7. In Colorado, with 411 trades
unions, a total membership of 48,837 is reported,
which is 1 in 11 of population. In agricultural
states, like Missouri, the ratio of trades union
members to total population is, of course, less.
Yet not too much should be inferred from this,
since the proportion of organized to unorganized
workers in given trades may be very large in these
very states. For instance, the state bureau of
labor statistics of Missouri reports that the 98,102
members of the. 741 local trades unions in that
state constitute 79 per cent, of the people working
at the trades indicated.
The trades unions of most European countries
are fairly well equipped financially. Reports for
1904 show Austrian trades unions' receipts to
have been $599,472, expenditures $541,031, balance
on hand at end of year in cash, $767,630.
Most other countries present a similar showing.
In England the per capita tax on members is
higher than in any other country, being approximately
$9 a year. British trades unions have
large benefit features, however, which constitute
42 per cent, of their total expenditures. Thus
nearly one-half of the high dues of British trades
unions goes back to the members as sick or burial
benefits and in life insurance policies. In 1904
26.6 per cent, of the total income was paid out
in "out of work" benefits, which are different from
sick benefits and life insurance account. Thus
68.4 per cent, was returned to the members in
benefits other than strikes, which cost in the way
of strike benefits and other forms of strike ex­
pense 9.1 per cent, of the income from the per
capita tax. The running expenses of the unions—
that is, mere administrative cost—amounted to
221» per cent, of the income from the per capita
tax .
The growth of trades unions in various countries
has been steady, if we take a series of years.
If we compare 1901 with 1904 in England, for
instance, there is a falling off, but comparing
1894 with 1904 there is an increase from 1,414,800
in the former year to 1,902,308 in the latter.
In France the growth of trades unions has been
steady since 1890, when 1,006 unions had 139,692
members, to 1904, when 4,227 unions had 715,576
members. In only one year was there a setback
and that was in 1898, and even then the number
of unions increased, although the number of members
decreased. France still has 151 mixed unions
of the old guild type, admitting to membership
both employers and employes. Even these unions
are increasing in membership, though decreasing
in numbers. In 1903 there were 156 of these
guilds with 33,431 members; in 1904 the number
of guilds decreased to 151, but the membership
increased to 36,044.
Austria had 1,308 unions with 70,342 members
in 1892. In 1904 it had 2,469 unions with 177.592
members. At the latter date there were 5,653
members of the old guild type of organization in
Austria.
The first trades union in Denmark, organized
for the specific purpose of securing higher wages
and shorter hours, came into existence in 1869.
There were other organizations of a semi-political
character. Up to 1884 trades unionism was confined
practically to Copenhagen. Denmark now
has 1,213 trades unions reporting 88,098 members.
The membership has been falling off since 1902,
though the number of unions has steadily increased.
In 1902 the membership was 96,479, the
number of unions 1,193. The first trades union
in Sweden was that of the printers of Stockholm,
organized in 1846. A few unions were scattered
here and there from 1846 down to 1885. when the
real trades union movement of Sweden began.
The printers formed a national organization in
1SS6, the first national union. By April, 1899,
there were eleven national unions and these at
that time formed the National Federation of Labor.
At the beginning of 1904 there were 26 national
unions in this federation, with 500 local
unions and 40,000 members.
The printers of Norway formed the first national
union in that country October 1, 1882. There are
now 310 unions with 15,347 members in Norway.
In Norway, as in every other country in the
world, the printers have been the first and most
progressive along organized lines. The 15 national
unions of Norway are all organized on the