48 SEVENTEENTH REPORT. 



ployees in collectiiig evidence conduce to the speed}' and regular 

 conviction of offenders. 



Fifth. The hist group of provisions for enforcement are those for 

 tlie administrative olMces. The arbitration board sits as a court 

 of final jurisdiction. All questions Avhich cannot be adjusted be- 

 tween the business agents or the president of the district council 

 and the president of the contractor's association are brought before 

 this board for final adjustment. A refusal to comply with the deci- 

 sion of this board suspends the joint agreement. 



The officers of the district council, a president, secretary, the busi- 

 ness agents and stewards enforce the rules. The business agents 

 nmke frequent visits to the jobs and make inquiries into the ob- 

 servance of the rules and the satisfaction of the men. If any have 

 been abused or '"fired" without cause, the steward communicates this 

 to the offices of the business agent. The steward interprets the rules 

 in the absence of the business agent and determines violations of 

 the rules. He is a journeyman, usually popular with the men and 

 well acquainted with the trade and union rules. Through this line 

 of offices, any violation of the rules is speedily detected. Their effi- 

 ciency commands the respect of the members and a well administered 

 organization is the result. 



Chapter III. 



Theory and trade unionism are almost contradictory terms. The 

 trial and error method of testing rules, the everchanging conditions 

 of the trade, the large number of men concerned in the agreement, 

 the different nationalities represented in the union personnel, and 

 the triennial agreements have left the carpenters' rules marked as 

 if they are in a process. The constant changes in the agreements 

 evince the carpenters' struggle to get control of the trade, first by 

 one method or rule and then by another. (*125.) This trial and 

 error method has removed at least the trace of theory as a control- 

 ling force in the construction of the joint agreement. Journeymen 

 are seldom conscious of any underlying theory of the rules in ex- 

 1-laining their demands, methods, policies, and aims. Although the 

 development of llie rules has been free from the ccmtrol of theorists, 

 development has been in harmony with certain theories of business 

 and human relationship. The tlieoiy of standardization, the theory 

 of undercutting, the fixed group demand or lump labor theory, and 

 the standard of living theory, are vital to the carpenters' rules. 

 Journeymen may not realize the ])resence of any theories, -never- 

 theles.s the officers interpret the niles in the light of these theories. 

 To illustrate, one business agent said the rule proliibiting journey- 



