Labor Unions and the

Union Label.

the

The history of trades-unionism in United States probably begins with the Declaration of Independence. While this document was not intended to liberate any bondsmen, save from the control of Great Britain, it did have that effect by simple force of circumstances. Men "deserted" their masters to enter the Continental Army, and there they came in contact with people occupying a different social plane, and with the idea of equality strong in their minds. The progress of the war brought about a kneading together of the elements forming the army, and at its close the former bondman found himself in a position to select and engage in work that best suited him. He had begun, too, to understand just how important organization was for the success of society.

JOHN N. BOGART,
Labor Editor of the
New York

Evening Journal.

The conspiracy laws remained, however, and, as in the days of Queen Elizabeth, it was still a crime for workingmen to combine with a view of bringing employers to terms, and many harsh prosecutions were instituted and maintained on this ground. Property qualifications excluded the workingman from suffrage in several States, and so he had no voice in the laws under which he lived. The property qualifications were gradually repealed and the workingman then became recognized as a political factor. The rivalry of political parties for his favor led to the effacement of the statutes which interfered with his right to organize for an increase in wages and the general improvement of his conditions. Labor unions began to be formed in all parts of the country, especially in the great industrial centres, and were patterned after the tradesunions of England, which probably had their birth in the merchant guilds of London.

Demands upon employers for improvement in conditions and wages, and strikes, prudent or imprudent, which followed when the demands were refused, brought to public notice the fact that the laborer had become strong enough to be heard. But either from the imprudence of the leaders, the inexperience of men in handling a new weapon, or the general ignorance of the public as to what the laborer wished and was fighting for, labor unionism did not meet with favor at first. Even those who agreed with the principles it represented were chary about openly expressing their views. In some places and by some classes unionism, arson and anarchy were, only a few years ago, considered to be closely allied. Being even now but a growing youth and hardly conscious of its full responsibility, trades-unionism to-day has not received the regard due it.

Still its growth has been large in the last few years. There are about 1,500.000 members of the American Federation of Labor, and nearly as many more members of unaffiliated labor bodies in the United States. It is strong enough to control elections, to regulate wages, to support for four months a hundred thousand people out of employment.

Organization of labor has undoubtedly had an effect in maintaining wages at a figure sufficient for comfortable living. The workman outside of a labor organization is entirely at the mercy of a bad employer, and there is sufficient evidence easily obtained to show that the man within the union is independent of employers' desire for cheap labor. The employer is probably justified in wishing to have his work done as cheaply as possible, other things being considered, but the workman is equally justified in wishing to receive as much as possible for his labor. The object of the trades-union is to bring these two desires into equilibrium, to give to the employer the best work at the best wages for the employe.

What has probably been the greatest result of the trades-union idea is the passage of laws looking to the welfare of the workingman. There is scarcely a State in the United States that has not statutes providing for the hours of labor, the sanitary conditions of workshops, the liability of employers, the age limit for the employment of children. Politicians have recognized the powerful influence organized labor can exercise and have acted accordingly, in spite of capital and the threats of capital. The public-the part of the public not affiliated with labor bodies-is beginning to understand that better conditions for workmen mean better communities, more schools and more intelligence. They find that with the incentive of a fair wage the workman can make better products, and by having more money, spends more for his own products and those of his fellow-workmen.

While the actual success of the labor unions depends upon the rank and file, still the responsibility for the success depends upon the leaders. The labor leader of to-day must be a giant, must be capable of accepting the greatest responsibility, of fighting against the shrewdest, richest and most influential men in the world. He has to employ his skill, not against individual employers, but against corporations and combinations of men able to employ the craftiest lawyers and managers that can be found. He has behind him thousands of men factious and obstinate, an army recruited from all classes of intellect, and it is his duty to make these men of one mind for their general betterment. He dare not make a mistake or speak once without thinking, for every word and every act of his are watched, not only by those he leads, but by those who oppose him.

Herbert N. Casson, in an article on "Up-to-date Trade-Unionism," says: "The leadership of a tradeunion depends upon the intelligence and stamina of the rank and file. Ignorant men will always choose ignorant leaders. No clever, efficient man will for long allow himself to be ground between two millstonesthe power of capitalists and the ignorance of the workers he represents."'

The organization, as it exists in America, consists of local unions in cities and towns; Central Labor Unions in the cities, which act as governing bodies for the local unions, and some national organization. The American Federation of labor is probably the best known, and probably the largest. Recently unions in the West formed a body known as the American Labor Union, which, while not entirely antagonistic to the American Federation, has no affiliation with that body. This American Labor Union seems to have entered rather strongly into the field of politics, working in conjunction with the Socialist Party, and in this way differs greatly from the American Federation.

The strongest weapon of trades-unionism in the United States is the union label. It wins more for the cause than strikes or boycotts, for it is known everywhere as a guarantee of good and honest workmanship. It is an evidence of good feeling between workman and employer. Wherever it is found it is the boast of organized labor that with it will be found the best possible working conditions and the best possible workmanship. The writer of an essay which won a prize offered by the Social Reform Club of New York, sums up the benefits derived from the union label, as follows:

It

It supersedes the strike, the lockout and the destructive boycott; it is an outward manifestation of harmony between employer and workman, binding both parties to maintain their friendly relations and the continued approval and patronage of a discriminating public. It condemns child labor and humanizes factory life. It minimizes convict competition with free and honest labor. It wipes out the tenement and sweat shop systems of production. It has ferreted out, exposed and cleansed the unwholesome cellar bakery. shortens the work day and gives the toiler time to read, think and cultivate the social side of life. It guarantees a living wage and rational conditions of employment. It warns all to shun the bargain counter, which makes the 'cheap' thing dear when woven with the virtue, sweat and blood of womankind. for quality and honest workmanship. It is not a weapon for industrial war, but an olive branch of peace held out to bind the brotherhood of man."

It stands

In connection with the union label a word should be said about a movement organized by the compliment of the producer, the consumer. It is an organization of women, known as the Consumers' League, which agrees to purchase no goods unless made in "fair" and cleanly shops. Committees of its members in various cities visit the shops which produce those things which women buy, and personally inspect the conditions of the workmen. A white label is used, and in the parts of the United States where the league is active, there are few manufacturers who are not anxious for the privilege of placing this white label on their products.

Life-Saving
Service
of the

United States.

SUMNER I. KIMBALL, General Superintendent of the Service.

The sea and lake coasts of the United States, exclusive of the coast of Alaska, have an extent of more than 10,000 miles. There are to-day upon these coasts two hundred and seventy-two life-saving stations, one hundred and eighty-seven of which are on the shores of the Atlantic, eight on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico, sixteen on the shores of the Pacific and sixty on the shores of the great lakes. There is, besides, a station at the falls of the Ohio River, at Louisville, Ky. These stations are located at selected points of danger to shipping, and vary somewhat in character, according to their environment and the nature of the service demanded of them. On some portions of the coast they are placed only at long intervals, while upon others they form chains of contiguous posts within communicating distance of each other. Since the establishment is chiefly related to commerce and the collection of the revenue, it is attached to the Treasury Department, which discharges all executive functions of that character. It has, indeed, from its earliest inception been formed and fostered by that department. The present system was established in 1871 upon the New Jersey and Long Island coasts by a code of regulations under the authority of somewhat scattered and fragmentary legislation. Acts of Congress passed since that time have extended it to embrace the entire ocean and lake coasts, which are divided into thirteen districts, limited in general by prominent natural or political boundaries.

The law provides that the stations on the Atlantic and Gulf coasts shall be opened and manned for active service from the 1st day of August in each year until the 1st day of the succeeding June, and those on the lake coasts from the opening to the close of navigation, usually from about the 15th of April to about the 15th of December. On the Pacific coast the period is left discretionary with the General Superintendent. The time during which the stations are manned is designated the "active season.' The stations on the Pacific coast are kept open the year round, experience having shown that disasters in their neighborhood occur more frequently from local causes than from stress of weather, and are about as liable to happen at one season as at another. For similar reasons a crew is kept continuously at the Louisville station.

While this system may appear to be an expensive and elaborate one, it must be remembered that, putting aside entirely the consideration of the value of human life, which is beyond computation, it saves many times its cost in property alone, and that it fulfills the functions usually allotted to several different agencies. It rescues the shipwrecked by both the principal methods which human ingenuity has devised for that purpose, and which in some countries are practised separately by two distinct organizations; it furnishes them the subsequent succor which elsewhere would be afforded by shipwrecked mariners' societies; it guards the lives of persons in peril of drowning by falling into the water from piers and wharves in the harbors of populous cities, an office usually performed by humane societies; it nightly patrols the dangerous coasts for the early discovery of wrecks and the hastening of relief, thus increasing the chances of rescue and shortening by hours intense physical suffering and the terrible agony of suspense; it places over peculiarly dangerous points upon the rivers and lakes a sentry prepared to send instant relief to those who incautiously or recklessly incur the hazard of capsizing in boats; it conducts to places of safety those imperilled in their homes by the torrents of flood, and conveys food to those imprisoned in their houses by inundation and threatened with famine; it annually saves, unaided, hundreds of stranded vessels with their cargoes from total or partial destruction, and assists in saving scores of others; it protects wrecked property, after landing, from the ravage of the elements and the rapine of plunderers; it extricates vessels unwarily caught in perilous positions; it averts numerous disasters by its flashing signals of warning to vessels standing into danger; it assists the customs service in collecting the revenues of the Government; it pickets the coast with a guard, which prevents smuggling, and, in time of war, surprise by hostile forces. The following table contains the statistics of the service for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902:

Life-Saving
Volunteer
Work.

Year ending
June 30, 1902.

361 $174,121

Number persons saved

Number persons lost

$167,576
$6,545
796

Net cost of maintaining the service for

the fiscal year ending June 30, 1902.... $1,654,392.96

The United States Volunteer Life-Saving Corps was incorporated in 1890 for the purpose of organizing the yachtsmen sailing for pleasure, the boatmen and fishermen working along the shores, and the young men and women passing their Summer vacations at the pleasure resorts along the coast and on our inland waters into life-saving crews by teaching them not only to become expert swimmers, but to know how to rescue the drowning and how to restore them to life. Its success in this work has been remarkable. Devoting its energies especially to the State of New York for several years, it has established 800 life-saving stations, with a membership of over 7,000 persons. It has distributed over $1,500 worth of life-saving buoys, consisting of tested steel and aluminum buoys,

J. WESLEY JONES, President of the U. S. Volunteer Life-Saving

Corps.

capable of supporting four persons in still water, and cork air-chambered rings good for three persons in any surf. In addition there are wooden balls for carrying life lines to persons who may have broken through the ice; life ladders for piers on the rivers and lakes, and many lifeboats at dangerous points, ranging

from the fiat bottomed dories to costly air-chambered, unsinkable life boats that will outlive and outride any surf.

It has furnished, also, medicine chests containing the remedies that a layman can be trusted to use, and has distributed thousands of its rescue and resuscitation cards annually. It has a corps of inspectors and organizers who visit its stations to instruct its members in its rules and drills, and in the art of rescue and resuscitation. They also examine all life-saving supplies, and have all necessary repairs made.

The primary object of these crews is to save life, and, secondly, to educate the youth of both sexes to become expert swimmers that they may protect their own lives and be able and ever ready to plunge into the waters to save a drowning person.

So great has been the achievements of this association that its fame and influence have extended to other States and enlisted the sympathies of some of their noblest and most humane citizens. The States of New Jersey, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut and Pennsylvania have well organized departments, and Maryland, Ohio, Michigan and Illinois are fast developing the life-saving corps work along their waterways. It is certainly an astonishing fact that in the year 1902 not a single life has been lost in the vicinity of any of the United States Volunteer Life-Saving Stations established in any State, while its members have rescued, to Septembr 1, in New York State, 649 lives; New Jersey, 242 lives; Pennsylvania, 162 lives; Connecticut, 54 lives; Rhode Island, 36 lives, and Massachusetts, 51 lives; making a total of 1,225 lives. The other States have not yet reported.

Every year, along the Atlantic and Pacific coasts and the shores of the Great Lakes there are numer ous accidents to boats, generally to pleasure craft, and many careless swimmers get into dangerous places. It is in cases like these that the work of the volunteer life savers is generally done, for the members of the corps are to be found at nearly every shore resort, or places where accidents are liable.

Another feature of the work is the saving of persons who may break through the ice while skating. Special instruction is given the members regarding the best means of rescue, and appliances are furnished the stations along the lakes and ponds where large numbers of skaters congregate in Winter.

The growing enlistment of the yacht clubs and sailing and launch parties in the United States Volunteer Life-Saving movement, is vastly extending its usefulness to a wider range upon the waters. The larger number of rescues from capsizes during the present year is a result. On the first Sunday in June alone twenty lives were rescued from capsized boats around the east end and south of Long Island from Whitestone to Sayville.

Not only are owners of yachts and pleasure craft instructed how to save others, but are given such information as might be of use to them in saving themselves in case of a wreck or serious accident. Yacht clubs have shown strong commendation of the work of the corps, and have generally given all the aid possible to the furthering of the work. In some instances special corps have been organized by clubs, and their methods of work are as systematic as those of the regular life saving crews employed by the Government. The Life-Saving Corps is supported entirely by private contributions. It is designed that each State shall support the volunteers of its own department, and the work will be extended into other States as fast and as far as the means contributed will permit.

The members of the Volunteer Life Saving Corps stand much in the same position as the members of volunteer fire companies, or even of members of the Red Cross Society. They risk their lives without expectation of reward in order to be of benefit to those who need their help, and the large membership of the organization shows that there are hundreds of unselfish men to be found when there is work to do. By acting in conjunction with the regular Life Saving crews of the various stations along the ocean and lake coasts they render most valuable assistance in times of heavy storms, when the regular crews are inadequate for the work.

From the beginning of the organization there has never been lack of volunteers, and men best suited to the work have been among the first to offer their services. The spirit of rivalry brought about by the desire to do the best possible, and the sense of all working for one object, have had much to do in preserving the integrity of the organization and of bringing about successful results. The directors report but few cases of shirking of duty, and even these were due to some circumstances which might excuse an exhibition of apparent cowardice.

Sums of money are often sent to individual members of the corps for heroic action in particular instances, but almost without exception these gifts are turned into the general fund, which, as has been stated, is supported entirely by voluntary contributions. Many of the members, however, wear medals for bravery.

The president and general superintendent, as well as the Board of Directors, give their time without salaries, the only officers who receive remuneration being the travelling organizing inspectors and instructors, not exceeding two in the larger and one in the smaller States.

The great army of United States Volunteer Life-Saving Corps members also give freely all their services, receiving only their supplies, flags, signs and badges of office and membership, which are recognized everywhere as the insignia of a great life-saving guild of sober, industrious, expert swimmers, who are ready at all times to risk their own lives to save other lives on land or sea.

During the past nine years the United States Life-Saving Corps has distributed honor medals for all noble rescues in saving life that have been fully attested. Nine hundred and seven have already been awarded, and it now has an honor medal list of 101 awaiting funds necessary for manufacture and presentation.

The total number of lives saved by the Life-Saving Corps since 1894 is 4,699, including the 1,225 rescued from death during 1902.

The officers are: J. Wesley Jones, president and general superintendent; Com. Thomas Smith, secretary; Mr. Joseph Wentworth White, treasurer; Hon. Henry E. Abell, ex-Police Commissioner of New York; Hon. James R. Howe, ex-Member of Congress; Com. Theodore Krombach, directors. Its national office is at No. 63 Park row, New York City.

THE LIFE-SAVING CORPS IN GREATER NEW YORK,

BROOKLYN DIVISION.-Theo. Krombach, Com. Coney Island to Newtown Creek.

Stations. Manhattan Beach, Coney Island, Old Iron Pier, Norton's Point, Sheepshead Bay, Plum Island. Coney Island Creek, Bay 27th st., Ulmer Park, Gravesend Bay Yacht Club, Bensonhurst, Bath Beach, West End Hotel, River View Pier, Bay 17th st., Fort Hamilton Pier. 58th, 56th, 53d st., Bay 21st, 20th St. Piers, Gowanus Bay, Erie Basin, Amity, Harrison, Baltic and Bridge sts., Catharine St. Ferry, Wallabout Basin, N. 8th St.. Newtown Creek and Gowanus Canal bridges.

MANHATTAN AND THE BRONX.-Charles W. Disbrow, Com. and Sec.

Hudson River Division.-Frank A. Koch, V. Com. from the Battery to Spuyten Duyvil; Eugene A. Reilly, V. Com., Whitehall Ferry to Hell Gate.

Stations.-North River, Battery Park, Barge Office, Governor's Island Pier. Piers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. 6. 7, 10. 12, Franklin, Grand, Morton, Desbrosses, 49th, 50th, 55th, 61st, 83d, 86th, 192d, 123d, 124th, 149th, 151st and 155th sts.: Cinder Beds and Audubon Park front to Inwood.

Harlem River.-U. S. Canal, 162d st.: Wyanoke Club, 153d, 165th st.; Lone Star Club, 140th, 147th, 149th, 132d sts.: Friendship Club, 125th, 98th, 92d sts.

East River.-E. 87th. E. 84th sts.: Cygnet Club, E. 76th st.; East Side House, E. 65th, E. 55th, E. 51st sts.: Blackwell's Island Ferry, E. 49th st.; Recreation Pier. E. 24th st.; Rivington st., E. 5th st.; Recreation Pier, E. 3d st.: Corlear's Park, Grand st.. Jefferson, Market and Dover sts.; Coenties slip.

QUEENS.-Jamaica Bay, Thomas Smith, Com.

Stations.- Carnarsie, Bergen Beach, Ruffle Bar, Barren Island, Rockaway Beach, Broad Channel, Old Mill Creek, Aqueduct, Breakwater, Hammels, Springfield, Arverne, Edgemere, Far Rockaway and Long Beach.