34 ASSOCIATION OF IRON, STEEL AND TIN WORKERS [ ] 66 



finishing divisions, the other the sheet and tin divisions. 

 Each vice-president appointed one deputy to each of the 

 districts of his division, to assist him in administration. 



The enlargement of the functions of the national union 

 Jias had a tendency to increase the importance of the presi- 

 dent and the secretary-treasurer. The president acts as 

 chairman of the annual assembly and of the general execu- 

 tive board.^" Since 1890 he has been a member of each 

 district executive committee, which has power to declare 

 strikes for that district. In conjunction with the vice- 

 presidents and their respective deputies, he enforces the 

 rules of the national union, and with them as a board of 

 investigation brings to trial delinquent subordinate unions 

 in the several districts. The decision of the board is final, 

 unless non-concurred in by a two-thirds vote of the conven- 

 tion. The president travels frequently to various parts of 

 the country to organize new local unions, to encourage the 

 weak ones, and to adjust disputes between the workmen 

 and their employers. The secretary-treasurer acts as sec- 

 retary of the meetings of the convention and of the general 

 executive board. He keeps the financial accounts, and has 

 charge of the funds. The president and the secretary- 

 treasurer together administer the funds. 



Perhaps the greatest power of the president is his influ- 

 ence over legislation. The constitution from the beginning 

 has given to the executive the power to appoint the various 



^0 The national executive board superseded the advisory board in 

 1907, and, like it, this board had no definite functions except the 

 vague one of advising the national officers in matters " not clearly 

 defined by law" (Constitution 1911, p. 14). It was composed of the 

 national president, secretary-treasurer, and divisional vice-presidents. 

 In 1909 there were added to the board the assistant secretary, man- 

 aging editor of the Journal, and residing trustee; and in 1915, the 

 insurance secretary. In 191.3 its functions were defined to include, 

 in addition to subjects not covered by the rules, "all rulings on, or 

 interpretations of, the scale of prices, footnotes, memorandum of 

 agreement, addenda, convention actions and resolutions"; and any 

 constitutional laws made by the national president, vice-presidents or 

 national executive board arc printed in the financial statements and 

 read in the lodge meetings of the local unions (Constitution 1913, 

 p. 15). 



