these disunited unions will be used as the principle means of bringing it about. The shrewd and brainy railroad masters will continue to play these 16 unions against each other like so many pawns on a chess board.
Amalgamation of the old unions is the only thing that is talked about as a remedy for the present deplorable railroad situation. The dual union idea is dead among railroad men. Nobody is thinking about organizing new unions. "I should be the first one to oppose any such program. The lessons of past experience warn against any such further attempt. The rank and file must insist upon, getting together and must furnish the impetus for such concentration and combination as are necessary to unite all the 'workers of a given industry within one compact and militant body," wrote Eugene V. Debs in a recent issue of The Labor Herald. As a leader of the defunct American Railway Union Brother Debs learned the futility of dualism. He is now a staunch supporter of the Trade Union Educational League and its program of Amalgamation.
To organize the movement for Amalgamation a conference was held in Chicago at which were present militants of all 16 unions. This conference issued a plan of Amalgamation and elected a committee to carry on the propaganda. The Railroad Amalgamation Advocate was established as the official organ of the Committee. The work of this Committee is being financed by voluntary subscriptions. Already the idea and plan has been endorsed by thousands of the local unions. Many local and system federations and two big International railway unions have adopted the plan. The idea is steadily gaining adherents and it is confidently expected that the railroad workers will be one of the first industrial groups of unions to close up their ranks and present a solid front to the enemy.
The Metal Trades
No industry in America is weaker from an organization standpoint than the metal trades. In this tremendous industrial division there are, according to the U. S. 1920 census, 4,476,137 workers employed. Of these not more than are organized. But they are divided up into 30 or more unions. Thus a united front amongst the workers is totally impossible. The bosses have gone ahead for years building trusts and super-trusts through a process of amalgamating their companies. But the unions have stood still, adhering to their antiquated
