organizations—also called "neutral" unions. The Christian trade unions, however, are relatively more numerous and powerful than in Germany, having perhaps 200,000 members as against 700,000 in the socialist unions. Both the socialist and the Christian unions are centralized, as in Germany, in a comparatively few strong national unions. There is much rivalry between the socialist and the Christian bodies. The former are federated in the national COMMISSION SYNDICALE BELGE, and are affiliated with the PARTI OUVRIER BELGE or Belgian Labor Party. The Christian unions are nationally federated in the Confédération Générale des Syndicats Chrétiens et Libres de Belgique. Before the war, COLLECTIVE BARGAINING with the labor unions prevailed in a few industries only. Collective agreements were confined to local arrangements in minor industries, such as the printing trades, quarries, glass, diamondcutting, etc. They were unknown in the main industries: coalmining, iron and steel, transportation, and (with some local exceptions) textiles. Now the conditions are reversed; collective bargaining with the unions is the rule everywhere, the autocratic or "paternal" employer is the exception. This change is due less to a modification of the individual attitude of employers than to the fact that post-war conditions have radically altered the balance of power between capitalists and workers. As industrial work was resumed after the armistice, the workers flocked into the unions by hundreds of thousands. In one year the unions increased their membership by about 400 per cent. In Belgium every employee of a cooperative society must be a trade unionist, and the premises of the cooperative societies are invariably the headquarters of the local or national trade union, as well as of the local or national committees of the Labor Party. In an industrial dispute, the cooperatives supply provisions for the strikers and their families; and in ordinary times they make considerable appropriations from their profits to trade union and socialist propaganda. (See INDUSTRIAL COUNCIL SYSTEM IN BELGIUM.)

Bell Horse. See SPEEDing Up.

Benefit Funds. See BENEFITS; ESTABLishment Fund.

Benefit Societies. See FRIENDLY SOCIETIES.

Benefits. Payments made by trade unions, by MUTUAL AID SOCIETIES, or by the State, in relief of members of the working class under any form of SOCIAL INSURANCE, are usually so called; although various other terms, such as "pay," "donations," "allowances,"

"relief," etc., are often employed in the same sense. A fairly complete list of such payments would include sickness, death, accident or other disability, superannuation (old age pensions or retirement allowances), maternity, legal aid, and funeral benefits, out-of-work and strike benefits, travelling benefits, compensation for loss of tools by fire or theft, and such less common forms as MARRIAGE BENEFITS and VICTIM PAY. Of these various forms, out-of-work and strike benefits, travelling allowances, compensation for tools, and "victim pay" are commonly classified as "trade benefits," being paid as a rule only by trade unions. The others are known as "friendly benefits," and are paid by both trade unions and mutual aid societies -in some cases by the State also. In addition to the cash payments, or "cash benefits," additional relief for sickness, accident, maternity, etc., is sometimes provided in the form of medical treatment and supplies, known as "medical benefits." Practically all the large national and international unions now maintain benefit funds in one or more forms, and strong benefit provisions have as a rule become essential to the making of strong trade unions. In the case of practically all American trade unions, the funds are raised as a part of the dues and assessments of members. In most cases a single sum is assessed as constituting the dues for the week or the month. Of this amount a designated portion goes to one fund; another portion to a second fund, and so on around. In such cases the funds for the several purposes are kept separate. In other instances there is but one fund into which all dues are paid and from which are taken the benefit payments provided for. The latter is coming to be the more usual method. These funds are usually in charge of the general officers, the president, the secretary-treasurer, or the executive board or council. Reports are submitted and audited at regular intervals. In some national unions, the benefits are paid. wholly by the various local branches, in others wholly by the central organization, while in still others some forms are paid by the locals. and other forms by the central organization. A few of the largest and strongest unions (notably the International Typographical Union and some of the RAILWAY BROTHERHOODS) maintain permanent homes for sick or aged members out of their benefit funds. (See DEATH BENEFITS; DISABILITY BENEFITS; OUT-OF-WORK BENEFITS; STRIKE PAY; TRAVELLING BENEFITS; LEGAL AID BENEFIT; SHIPWRECK BENEFIT; SOU DU SOLDAT; TRADE PRIVILEGE BENEFIT; ESTABLISHMENT FUND; SICKNESS INSURANCE; INVALIDITY INSURANCE; MATERNITY INSURANCE; MUTUAL INSURANCE; OLD AGE INSURANCE; TOOL INSURANCE; UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE.)

Benevolent Feudalism. This term is sometimes used in derogatory designation of various paternalistic schemes, ranging all the way from industrial WELFARE WORK to STATE SOCIALISM, which are handed down to labor from above rather than gained by labor's own efforts; and which, while perhaps increasing the welfare of the individual worker, tend rather to augment than to diminish the power of the capitalistic class. (See PATERNALISM.)

Benevolent Fund. The fund from which trade union BENEFITS are paid is often so called. In some unions, however, this is a separate fund used for relief of members in special cases.

Benevolent Societies or Benevolent Associations. See MUTUAL AID SOCIETIES.

Berkshire System. A method of TEAM WORK once common in the iron-molding industry. Under this system, each expert molder employed a HELPER, known as a "Berkshire" or "buck," who after several years of employment might enter the trade as a molder. Owing to the improvement of foundry machinery, the "Berkshire system" (or "buck system," as it was frequently called) has very largely disappeared.

Berne Internationale. See INTERNATIONALE.

Berufsgenossenschaften. Under the German system of WORKMEN'S COMPENSATION, these are mutual insurance associations of employers, formed according to law to provide collective responsibility in the payment of compensation claims. Each industry has its own association, and each association pays the claims of workingmen employed by its own members. "The members of each association are annually assessed, according to the size of their pay rolls and the hazards of their business, at a rate sufficient to pay the death claims, the benefits to temporarily disabled workmen, and the pensions to entirely incapacitated workmen and the families of employees killed by accident. The assessments must also cover the administrative expenses of the association, which include the salaries of a large number of engineering and mechanical experts employed by the associations to inspect the factories of members and see that the best appliances are bought and used for safeguarding dangerous machinery."

Betriebsobmann (Works Steward). See GERMAN WORKS COUNCILS LAW.

Betriebsrat or Betriebsarbeiterrat (Works Council). See GERMAN WORKS COUNCILS LAW.

Betriebsrätegesetz (Works Councils Law). See GERMAN WORKS COUNCILS LAW.

Betriebsversammlung

WORKS COUNCILS LAW.

(Works Assembly). See GERMAN

Bezirksarbeiterrat (District Workers' Council). See German WORKS COUNCILS LAW.

Bezirkswirtschaftsrat (District Economic Council). See REICHSWIRTSCHAFTSRAT.

Big Four. See RAILWAY BROTHERHOODS.

Big Six. A common nickname for "Typographical Union No. 6," the New York City branch of the International Typographical Union of North America. This is one of the oldest, largest, and most influential LOCALS in the country. Horace Greeley was its president in 1850.

Bill of Prices. See PRICE LIST.

Birds of Passage. This term is commonly applied to those immigrants from Europe, Canada, Mexico, etc., who come to the United States with no intention of permanently settling here, but merely to earn enough money to enable them to return to their native countries and live there in comparative comfort upon their savings. They constitute a considerable percentage of all immigrants, and create some of the most serious social and economic problems connected with IMMIGRATION. (See HARVESTERS.)

Birmingham Alliances. The name commonly given to certain compacts between employers and workers in six branches of the light metal trades of Birmingham, England. These alliances are based on EXCLUSIVE AGREEMENTS, and selling prices of the product are fixed by a joint "wages board" of employers' and workers' representatives in equal number.

Bisbee Deportations. During a strike in some of the Arizona copper mines, nearly 1,200 workmen of Bisbee were rounded up on July 12, 1917, by armed mine officials and other members of a socalled Loyalty League, packed into freight cars, and deported across the border into New Mexico, where they were left marooned on the desert. After thorough investigation by the Federal government,

a report was issued condemning the act as a flagrant violation of elementary Constitutional rights; and on the basis of this report criminal proceedings were instituted by the Federal and state authorities against the mine owners and others who were responsible for this act; but both prosecutions have so far failed. In his book on "War-Time Strikes," Alexander M. Bing (an American employer) characterizes the Bisbee deportations as "probably the most deplorable act of industrial violence which has occurred in the history of our country." (See VIOLENCE IN THE LABOR MOVEMENT.)

Black. In connection with European public affairs, the adjective "black" is sometimes applied to anarchist and sometimes to Catholic movements, organizations, etc.—in either case, of course, by their opponents. The members of such organizations are often referred to as "blacks." (See BLACK UNIONS.)

Black Money or Dirty Money. In certain British trades which involve special unpleasantness or injury to clothing, this is an extra payment, generally stipulated in the WORKING RULES, made because of the nature of the work. Thus, boilermakers and engineers working on oil-carrying vessels usually receive "black money."

Black Unions. The separate organizations of Roman Catholic workers found in several European countries-notably Germany, Holland, Belgium, and Italy—are sometimes so called. (See BLACK; ITALIAN LABOR MOVEMENT.)

etc.

Blackcoated Proletariat. See BLACKCOATS.

Blackcoats. As used in British labor circles this term denotes the middle-class salaried workers, such as clerks, shop assistants, government employees, teachers, technicians, life insurance agents, The development of trade union organization among the "blackcoats" during the last decade has been one of the most remarkable facts in British labor history. Nearly 750,000 of such workers are now members of various unions, which for the most part are directly affiliated with the BRITISH LABOR PARTY and the TRADES UNION CONGRESS. Also called the "blackcoated proletariat." (See SALARIAT; WHITE COLLARS; MIDDLE CLASS UNIONS.)

Blackleg. In British labor parlance, the common equivalent for the American SCAB-ordinarily a worker who is hostile to trade unionism or who acts in opposition to trade union interests, especially in helping to defeat a strike. British workmen also use the word