[25] In addition to the regular commissaries, the local organizations, grace to their own funds or occasional donations from their international unions, had relief enterprises of various sorts, such as soup kitchens, milk, clothes, rent and sickness funds. In Monessen and Donora the strikers actually served a big turkey dinner on Thanksgiving Day. Strikers paid five cents a plate for all they wished to eat. Sympathizers donated liberally according to their means. But the commissary system was the main source of strike relief. [26] It is true, as noted above, that several other unions besides the Molders and Coopers made occasional contributions to their strike-bound locals, but when measured against the vast armies of strikers, these funds dwindled almost into insignificance. [27] This was largely because the men were sober. In fact, prohibition helped the steel campaign in several important respects; (1) because having no saloons to drown their troubles in, the workers, clear-headed, attended the union meetings and organized more readily; (2) when the strike came they did not waste their few pennies on liquor and then run back to work in the old way; they bought food with them and stayed on strike; (3) being sober, they were the better able to avoid useless violence and to conduct their strike effectively. [28] This sum represents the actual cash given by these affiliated organizations directly to the National Committee throughout the entire movement. It divides itself as follows: Blacksmiths $ 6,273.28 Boilermakers 10,448.92 Bricklayers 4,199.05 P. & S. Iron Workers 7,335.78 Coopers 907.76 Electrical Workers 6,138.80 Engineers 100.00 Firemen 2,395.53 Foundry Employees 1,030.51 Hod Carriers 1,350.00 Iron, Steel and Tin Workers 11,881.81 Machinists 16,622.33 Mine, Mill, Smelter Workers 3,583.53 Mine Workers 2,600.00 Molders 4,199.05 Pattern Makers 615.52 Plumbers 2,581.04 Quarry Workers 412.50 Railway Carmen 10,448.30 Seamen 3,081.04 Switchmen 4,115.52 Sheet Metal Workers 100.00 Steam Shovelmen 627.25 ----------- Total $101,047.52 XIII PAST MISTAKES AND FUTURE PROBLEMS LABOR'S LACK OF CONFIDENCE--INADEQUATE EFFORTS--NEED OF ALLIANCE WITH MINERS AND RAILROADERS--RADICAL LEADERSHIP AS A STRIKE ISSUE--MANUFACTURING REVOLUTIONS--STRIKES: RAILROAD SHOPMEN, BOSTON POLICE, MINERS, RAILROAD YARD AND ROAD MEN--DEFECTION OF AMALGAMATED ASSOCIATION