in organization, it is nevertheless democratic in operation, depending
generally upon the referendum for its sanctions. It is flexible in its
parts and can mobilize both its heavy artillery and its cavalry with
equal readiness. It has from the first been managed with skill, energy,
and great adroitness.

The supreme authority of the American Federation is its Annual
Convention composed of delegates chosen from national and international
unions, from state, central, and local trade unions, and from fraternal
organizations. Experience has evolved a few simple rules by which the
convention is safeguarded against political and factional debate and
against the interruptions of "soreheads." Besides attending to the
necessary routine, the Convention elects the eleven national officers
who form the executive council which guides the administrative details
of the organization. The funds of the Federation are derived from a
per capita tax on the membership. The official organ is the American
Federationist. It is interesting to note in passing that over two
hundred and forty labor periodicals together with a continual stream of
circulars and pamphlets issue from the trades union press.

The Federation is divided into five departments, representing the
most important groups of labor: the Building Trades, the Metal Trades,
Mining, Railroad Employees, and the Union Label Trades. * Each of these
departments has its own autonomous sphere of action, its own set
of officers, its own financial arrangements, its own administrative
details. Each holds an annual convention, in the same place and week, as
the Federation. Each is made up of affiliated unions only and confines
itself solely to the interest of its own trades. This suborganization
serves as an admirable clearing house and shock-absorber and succeeds
in eliminating much of the friction which occurs between the several
unions.

* There is in the Federation, however, a group of unions not
affiliated with any of these departments.

There are also forty-three state branches of the Federation, each with
its own separate organization. There are annual state conventions whose
membership, however, is not always restricted to unions affiliated with
the American Federation. Some of these state organizations antedate the
Federation.

There remain the local unions, into personal touch with which each
member comes. There were in 1916 as many as 647 "city centrals," the
term