Of greater significance are Wolman’s figures for organization by industries.  These computations show that in 1910 the breweries had 88.8 percent, organized, printing and book binding 34.3 percent, mining 30.5 percent, transportation 17.3 percent, clothing 16.9 percent, building trades 16.2 percent, iron and steel 9.9 percent, metal 4.7 percent, and textile 3.7 percent.[47] By separate occupations, railway conductors, brakemen, and locomotive engineers were from 50-100 percent organized; printers, locomotive firemen, molders and plasterers, from 30-50 percent; bakers, carpenters, plumbers, from 15-30 percent organized.[48]

Accompanying the numerical growth of labor organizations was an extension of organization into heretofore untouched trades as well as a branching out into new geographical regions, the South and the West.  On the whole, however, though the Federation was not unmindful of the unskilled, still, during the fifteen years after 1898 it brought into its fold principally the upper strata of semi-skilled labor.  Down to the “boom” period brought on by the World War, the Federation did not comprise to any great extent either the totally unskilled, or the partially skilled foreign-speaking workmen, with the exception of the miners and the clothing workers.  In other words, those below the level of the skilled trades, which did gain admittance, were principally the same elements which had asserted their claim to organization during the stormy period of the Knights of Labor.[49] The new accretions to the American wage-earning class since the eighties, the East and South Europeans, on the one hand, and the ever-growing contingent of “floaters” of native and North and West European stock, on the other hand, were still largely outside the organization.

The years of prosperity brought an intensified activity of the trade unions on a scale hitherto unknown.  Wages were raised and hours reduced all along the line.  The new strength of the trade unions received a brilliant test during the hard times following the financial panic of October 1907, when they successfully fought wage reductions.  As good a test is found in the conquest of the shorter day.  By 1900 the eight-hour day was the rule in the building trades, in granite cutting and in bituminous coal mining.  The most spectacular and costly eight-hour fight was waged by the printers.  In the later eighties and early nineties, the Typographical Union had endeavored to establish a nine-hour day in the printing offices.  This was given a setback by the introduction of the linotype machine during the period of depression, 1893-1897.  In spite of this obstacle, however, the Typographical Union held its ground.  Adopting the policy that only journeymen printers must operate the linotype machines, the union was able to meet the situation.  And, furthermore, in 1898, through agreement with the United Typothetae of America, the national association of employers in book and job printing, the union was