TRADES-UNIONS (ante), organizations of working-men for mutual protection and assistance. They exist in Europe, in certain countries; but are most common and power ful in Great Britain and America. Their origin is properly described as " the inevitable and necessary outcome of those changes in industrial life which led to the growth of a capitalist class—men who were not craftsmen, as formerly, but manufacturers. They were fostered by the introduction of machinery, the consequent division of labor, the acgregation of large numbers of work-people in certain localities, and the inauguration of factory life." These organizations have reached great strength in England; where in 1879, four trades-unions comprised 1010 branches, 94,172 members; and had on hand funds amounting to £446,323, or $2,250,000. These four societies where the amalgamated society of engineers; the friendly society of iron-founders; the boiler makers and iron ship-builders; and the amalgamated carpenters and joiners. These
societies disbursed in 1877, to persons out of work, £126,576; sick benefit, £50,772; superannuation, £18,810; accident be:.efit, £6,203; funeral benefit, £13,310. Introduced into the United States by English working-men, they have spread rapidly, until every trade has its "union." That of the railroad engineers is perhaps the most powerful alio best organized. They have not succeeded in the United States as in England, in foment ing and sustaining differences between employers and employed; though they have organized important and costly strikes, and save materially deranged the system of labor by restricting the employment of apprentices in workshops, thus limiting the field for the education of the American mechanic. See COMBLYATIONS; Srnixrs.