TILE ULTIMATE FORM OF ORGANIZATION. One of the most persistently advocated remedies for jurisdiction disputes has been that of amalga mation, the form of organization in which all the trades are coalesced in a strong central union. Amalgamation has never proved practicable. United action is plainly necessary, but it must be secured by federation and not by consolida tion. Another remedy for the jurisdiction dis pute. tried with only partial success, is the 'jurisdiction statement.' The constitution of the National Building Trades Council, for example, provides that "all organizations affiliated with any local Building Trades Council shall plainly and satisfactorily define the class of work they claim, and no trade will be permitted to do the work pertaining to another." Up to the present time, however, the jurisdiction statement has been of but little use in preventing conflicts between unions. The indications are strong that the ultimate structure of union organization will he exceedingly complex: that the unit of government will be the simple trade union of the old type, but that these unions will be combined in a very large number of cross-cutting federations, each distinct and independent. but all of them tormed, as it were, of the same material. The simple trade union will probably retain jurisdiction over such questions as industrial education, appren ticeship. and friendly benefits. On the other
hand, the regulation of the strike and the settle ment of demarcation disputes will in all proba bility come within the province of industrial federations, which are even now multiplying rapidly. The industrial federations have come to stay. Yet there will undoubtedly be additional federations. The broad, general federation repre sented at present by the American Federation of Labor will surely persist. devoting itself particu larly. as the Federation does, to education of the working classes, the rapid extension of labor organization, the promotion of favorable legis lation. the defeat of unfavorable legislation, the wider use of the boycott, and the maintenance of a labor press. It is probable that the time is almost ripe for political action by labor organi zations. But past experience teaches unequivo cally that almost without exception the entrance of trade minions as such into politics has proved disastrous. Such being the ease, it is probable that the trade union will enter politics by means of a distinct political federation. A striking example of tbis is the Labor Representation Committee (q.v.) of Great Britain.