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about a common ownership of the means of production and distribution, industrial self-government or democracy, economic equality, and a cooperative character."

Mutualité. "Friendly" or MUTUAL INSURANCE activities on the part of organized labor are so called in France. Such activities are decidedly limited, owing partly to the reluctance of French workers to pay high union contributions, and partly to the fact that the SYNDICAT (trade union) generally regards itself as a fighting organization and is prepared to fight without funds. Sickness and OUT-OFWORK PAY are exceptional, and even STRIKE PAY is seldom given regularly. This latter deficiency is often supplied by other means, however; voluntary contributions are sent to the strikers from workers in other trades and districts, food is often supplied by the local BOURSE DU TRAVAIL, and the children of strikers are boarded out free in other neighborhoods. Mutual aid activities are more commonly found in the REFORMIST than in the revolutionary syndicats. (See SOU DU SOLDAT; CAISSE DE SECOURS MUTUEL; UNION DEPARTMENTALE; MUTUELLISME SYNDICAL.)

Mutuality. In certain British skilled trades where PIECE WORK prices are not standardized in a written or printed PRICE LIST, this is the method whereby the fixing of the piece price for an individual job is accomplished by mutual agreement between the employer, acting through his representative, and the workman or workmen who perform the job. "Where this occurs, individual mutuality has often a measure of collective backing; for the men in the shop naturally act together in the adjustment of piece prices, either through an organized committee or by unorganized cooperation. Thus piece-work prices become to some extent fixed by workshop custom; but even so, there is usually no approach to the fixity and almost automatic operation of the standard price list."

Mutuellisme Syndical. In France, the theory of trade unionism as primarily or largely devoted to benevolent or MUTUAL INSURANCE activities—a theory which is for the most part rejected. (See MUTUALITE.)

N

N. P. L. See NON-PARTISAN LEAGUE.

National Adjustment Board. A body formed by authority of the United States Railroad Administration to adjudicate disputes between railway employees and railway managements arising in connection with the so-called NATIONAL AGREEMENTS IN THE RAILWAY INDUSTRY, adopted during 1919-1920.

National Adjustment Commission. A war-time agency for the settlement of industrial disputes and the determination of wages and working conditions in connection with the loading and unloading of American shipping. As reconstituted on a peace-time basis in September, 1919, the Commission was made up of five active members -a neutral chairman, named by the United States Shipping Board; two members representing private ship-owning interests; and two members representing the International Longshoremen's Association. Advisory representation was accorded the Departments of War, Navy, Commerce, and Labor. The United States Shipping Board withdrew from the Commission in October, 1920, thus practically scuttling the entire arrangement.

National Agreement. A TRADE AGREEMENT which is applicable to a specific industry throughout the entire country is commonly so called-in contradistinction to any form of local or district agreement. (See NATIONAL AGREEMENTS IN THE RAILWAY INDUSTRY.)

National Agreements in the Railway Industry. A series of TRADE AGREEMENTS made late in 1919 and early in 1920 between the United States Railroad Administration and representatives of the organized railway employees. They are not wage scales, but mainly WORKING RULES Covering CLASSIFICATION, OVERTIME, and similar matters. When the railroads were handed back to private ownership, the "national agreements" remained in force, and it has been customary to decide disputes between employers and em

ployees according to them, though the war emergency is a thing of the past. In response to pressure from the railway executives, the RAILROAD LABOR BOARD announced in April, 1921, that the national agreements would be abrogated on July 1 following. By that date, however, the roads and their employees must have negotiated new contracts, which must conform to sixteen basic general principles specified by the Board.

National Autonomy. See AUTONOMY.

National Board for Jurisdictional Awards in the Building Industry. At its annual convention in 1919 the BUILDING Trades DEPARTMENT of the AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR adopted a plan to settle disputes over work that is claimed by more than one building trade. This is effected through a body known as the National Board for Jurisdictional Awards in the Building Industry, "to hear claims for JURISDICTION over work performed by building trades, and to determine by which trade the work in contention shall be performed and to make an award in conformity with the facts submitted by the contendents." NO SYMPATHETIC STRIKE because of a jurisdictional claim is permitted. The board consists of eight members, three selected by the Building Trades Department of the A. F. of L., and one each by the American Institute of Architects, the Engineering Council, the Associated General Contractors of America, the National Association of Builders' Exchanges, and the National Building Trades Employers' Association. The headquarters of the board are in Washington, D. C.

National Catholic Union of Canada. See CANADIAN LABOR ORGANIZATIONS.

National Child Labor Committee. See LABOR LEGISLATION.

National Civic Federation. A private association of prominent American business men, financiers, and professional persons, organized in 1901 for "the promotion of industrial peace by developing direct relations between employers, the workers, and the general public," these three classes being represented on the executive committee of the organization. It opposes all radical labor tendencies, and thus receives the support of only the most conservative elements in the labor movement. It has worked in close cooperation with the AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR, and has been a considerable factor in the success of that organization. The National Civic Federation maintains a "Woman's Department," the purpose

of which is "to secure needed improvements in the working and living conditions of women wage earners in the various industries and governmental institutions, to do practical work in each emergency as it arises, and to cooperate in the general work of the Federation."

National Clearing House for Labor. Owing to lack of funds, the UNITED STATES EMPLOYMENT SERVICE has recently been obliged to transfer or abandon practically all of its independent field activities, and to concentrate upon the task of coordinating the efforts of state and municipal authorities in employment work. The Federal government now conducts no field work, and operates no EMPLOYMENT BUREAUS. All PLACEMENT WORK, all intrastate clearance, all the work of collecting information relating to employment and industrial conditions is carried on by the states, or by municipalities responsible to and acting in behalf of the states in which they are situated. The states report to the Federal office on the employment activities of its several offices, on the industrial situation from week to week, on the LABOR SURPLUS or deficit from day to day, and on their shipments of labor to other states. The Federal office receives and analyzes the stream of information which is thus poured in and directs it into channels of usefulness for the benefit of the states from which it was derived and of the nation as a whole. (For a more detailed account of the general plan by which the Employment Service will function as a "national clearing house for labor" see ZONE CLEARANCE SYSTEM and INDUSTRIAL EMPLOYMENT SURVEY.)

National Consumers' League. See CONSUMERs' Leagues.

National Convention. In many American national and international unions, the annual or biennial convention of delegates from the various local unions is perhaps the most important feature in the national administrative machinery. It is often the highest authority of the national union, exercising executive and judicial as well as legislative functions. In its legislative capacity it may have equal authority to pass every kind of rule. "At one moment, therefore, the convention may be remodeling the entire machinery of government, or transferring important functions from the local unions to the international union; at another, it may be passing an unimportant rule to the effect that the UNION LABEL shall be printed on red instead of blue paper." Acting as a judicial tribunal, the convention considers grievances brought by national officers, local unions, or members, and these grievances may involve violations of

the rules of local unions as well as those of the national union. As an executive body, it fixes the amount of dues and assessments; it controls disbursements; it orders strikes against employers. The convention has the final power in making agreements. Even when COLLECTIVE BARGAINING is conducted by the local unions, the national union frequently fixes rules of APPRENTICESHIP, hours of labor, and other conditions of employment which the subordinate locals must demand from employers. The convention performs many other functions. It elects officers, and audits their accounts. Through its committees it performs at times a wide variety of detailed administrative duties which in a political government are usually delegated to the executive officers. Representation in the convention is sometimes on an equal basis, with one delegate for each local regardless of its size, sometimes on a proportional basis. In some national unions, the expense of sending delegates to the convention is borne by the national body; in others the local or district bodies bear the expense; while in still others the expense is divided between the national organization and the local or district bodies. (See TRADE UNION GOVERNMENT-NATIONAL; BLOCK VOTE; FRATERNAL DELEGATES; INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM.)

National Deputy. See DEPUTY SYSTEM.

National Economy. In an historical sense the third, and what is commonly considered the present, stage of economic organization. The social basis of industry is now nationality-instead of bloodrelationship as under HOUSEHOLD ECONOMY, or contiguity as under TOWN ECONOMY. Community in production and community in consumption become distinct and separate. Commodities are no longer mainly consumption goods as in household economy, or mainly articles of exchange as in town economy, but commercial wares. The consumer no longer stands in any direct relation to the laborer, but purchases his goods from the ENTREPRENEUR or merchant, by whom the laborer is paid. Money becomes a medium of exchange and of profit-making as well. Capital becomes predominant; credit spreads to every sphere of industrial life; the FACTORY SYSTEM, LARGE-SCALE PRODUCTION, and minute DIVISION OF LABOR become universal. While national economy has already been succeeded, in considerable part, by international or world economy, the latter is as yet not sufficiently organized to be considered an established successor to national economy. (See WAGE SYSTEM; GREAT INDUSTRY.)

National Executive. See CENTRAL EXECUTIVE.

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