The most important meeting ever held by the International Union of Journeymen Horseshoers took place at the Chicago Hotel, Memphis, Tenn., beginning Monday, June 22, President John T. Kane in the chair.

The weather was very warm and oppressive, which caused the addresses at the opening of the convention to be very short. 1 Every delegate and officer answered the roll call with the exception of Third Vice-President William Mayouck, of Seattle, Wash., whose local was not represented.

William Commins, San Francisco, Cal.; Alexander McCormack, Providence, R. I.; Frank Remle, Cincinnati, O.

It was evident at once that a spirit of harmony would prevail and gave assurance that the work of the session would prove beneficial to the organization. After the report of the Credential Committee, President Kane appointed the regular committees, which were anxious to get the subject matters referred to them in order to get to work. Never in the history of the organization did the committees work as faithfully as they did at this convention. Every delegate present was on a committee and not one complaint was made by any of the chairmen that the men were neglecting their work, notwithstanding the intense heat which had a number of the brothers under the weather at different times. Several of the brothers were very ill, but seemed to be able at some part of the time to attend to the committee meetings.

A number of changes were made in the International Constitution, which will be of great benefit to the organization in the opinion of those who made them; such as the uniform initiation fee and monthly dues.

Some of the locals were charging fifty cents a month for dues and twenty-five cents a month for per capita tax, including this as a separate item. A number of the locals were charging a dollar a month and some more than that. In making the minimum dues one dollar a month it will avoid a number of complications. The per capita tax is included in this, and as the stamps are needed the money is ordered paid from the treasury of the local union.

A number of smaller locals pay sick and death benefits, which is the cause of a great drain on the treasury on account of the low dues. The dollar a month will help build up the treasuries of these locals.

The uniform initiation fee has been requested at a number of conventions, but was not thought advisable until the present time. There are so many small locals where the members can join anywhere from five dollars up, take a transfer card and enter locals which charge a high initiation fee. Therefore it was deemed advisable to set a regular initiation fee. The convention decided on a minimum initiation fee of twenty dollars.

Should a local at any time consider that twenty dollars for an initiation fee was detrimental, they can comply with the International Constitution and By-laws and petition the Executive Council to reduce the initiation fee for a stated period. This also applies to the monthly dues. In this way the increase in dues and initiation fee will not prove detrimental in any way to any local union.

The matter of bonding the financial officers of the locals in the International Union was also made part of the constitution. In the bonding department the money will be used for the sole purpose of protecting the finances

of our local unions and prosecuting those who are found guilty of embezzling the funds of any local.

There was considerable discussion on the minimum wage and a recommendation was made that the minimum wage be made $3.50, but as some of the locals are not getting that at the present time, the convention thought it would cause trouble for the locals and we are not prepared at the present time to take care of them. But the slogan is now, "three dollars and fifty cents per day," and we advise that the members individually and collectively work for this point, to the best of their ability and without causing trouble. This would be in harmony with the slogan of the Master Horseshoers' Protective Association, which is, "Two dollars for the minimum price of horseshoeing," which we say is low enough. No horse should be shod under two dollars in any part of the great continent, either the United States or Canada. With the two dollar minimum scale, it has been acknowledged by prominent employers that $3.50 is low enough for any journeyman to receive.

From time to time the magazine will touch on these subjects and the changes in the constitution.

ALBERSTEIN MFG

NATIVES OF TENNESSEE.

THE AUDITING COMMITTEE.

John Clancy, Philadelphia, Pa.; Bernard Malloy, Brooklyn, N. Y.; Henry M. Becker, Evansville, Ind. ; Edw. Cashman, Louisville, Ky.; Peter Baumhardt, Niles Center, Ill.; Hugo Hein, Springfield, Ill.; John Few, Hamilton, O.

As early as Friday, June 19th, the delegates left their homes for Memphis. Some of the Eastern delegates stopped off for a few hours in Pittsburg, Pa., and were entertained by the brothers of Local Union No. 9. Their next stop was at Cincinnati, where the brothers of No. 12 met and entertained them, thus breaking the monotony of the long ride. The delegates coming by way of Chicago were entertained by the brothers of Local No. 4. Those coming by way of Kansas City were entertained by the brothers of No. 18. Those delegates coming through St. Louis were taken care of by the brothers of No. 3. They all arrived in Memphis within a few hours of each other.

Sunday afternoon at 4 o'clock the delegates were invited to participate in a carriage ride through the city and Overton Park. After riding some two hours, they were escorted to a shady grove on the outside of the park, where refreshments were served from an express wagon, notwithstanding the strict prohibition law of Memphis. The return drive to the hotel through the grand boulevards and drives of Memphis was much enjoyed by the delegates and visitors.

Monday night the delegates were entertained at a smoker by the Business Men's Club of Memphis, which was highly appreciated by the delegates.

Tuesday night, the delegates and their friends attended a boat ride on the Mississippi, which was very delightful, owing to the pleasant evening and the cool breezes of the