workers, of whom more than half are women in this mill, and about one quarter are children from eight to fourteen years. The machinery is all British, except the engine room and electrical equipment, which seemed to be American. Many of the machines date from 1923, the rest 1920, when the first installation was made. The plant is owned and manned throughout by Chinese. There are no foreigners employed in any capacity.
After visiting this mill and another, the Yu Wah mill with 41,000 spindles and 4,400 workers, we talked with the representatives of the Textile Workers Union about their organization, and about the living and working conditions. The following information was given us by Han Yu-win and Fun Chin-vin, members of the Executive Bureau of the Wuhan Union. The last-named is a young woman, head of the secretarial department and of the women's committee.
The Wuhan Textile Workers Union has 37,096 members. These are organized in 11 branch unions. Six branches are based upon the six large cotton mills in Wuhan, one branch to one mill; two branches are silk workers, one of weavers, one of dye workers, and one of hosiery workers. The last two named are branches of artisans, employed in myriad small shops.
In the big mills, the inner organization of the branch proceeds first, with the organization of a row of spinners (for example), each row or group of machines being the basis of the first unit of organization of the workers. This group of workers elects a delegate to a section committee. The sections of each main department join together to form a department committee. From the department committees the branch is formed.
The Dee Yee Mill, which we visited, has 9,700 workers. Here one delegate is elected by each 50 members to a branch Assembly, which is the supreme body of the branch, electing the standing executives, delegates to higher bodies, etc.
The General Executive Committee for the Wuhan General Textile Workers Union, is elected by a meeting of branch delegates, with each branch represented in pro-
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