▁between ▁the ▁London - based ▁executive ▁and ▁the ▁provincial ▁branches , ▁cul min ating ▁in ▁a ▁vote ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 ▁to ▁move ▁the ▁head ▁office ▁to ▁Manchester . ▁ ▁He ▁disappeared ▁in ▁May ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁and ▁was ▁later ▁found ▁to ▁have ▁em igr ated ▁to ▁Australia ▁without ▁inform ing ▁his ▁wife ▁or ▁friends , ▁having ▁st olen ▁£ 1 4 4 ▁of ▁union ▁funds . ▁ ▁G row th ▁under ▁Row an ▁Jimmy ▁Row an , ▁the ▁union ' s ▁national ▁organ iser , ▁was ▁elected ▁as ▁E wer ' s ▁replacement , ▁and ▁he ▁ultimately ▁served ▁until ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁ ▁He ▁and ▁o vers aw ▁rapid ▁growth ▁in ▁the ▁union ; ▁from ▁ 1 , 5 0 0 ▁members ▁in ▁ 1 9 0 7 , ▁it ▁grew ▁to ▁more ▁than ▁ 8 0 , 0 0 0 ▁on ▁his ▁ret irement . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 1 8 , ▁the ▁union ▁ball oted ▁its ▁members ▁on ▁joining ▁the ▁new ▁Am alg am ated ▁Engineering ▁Union , ▁but ▁this ▁was ▁not ▁approved . ▁ ▁The ▁early ▁ 1 9 2 0 s ▁proved ▁a ▁difficult ▁time ▁for ▁the ▁union , ▁and ▁Row an ▁negoti ated ▁a ▁mer ger ▁with ▁the ▁Transport ▁and ▁General ▁Work ers ' ▁Union , ▁but ▁this ▁too ▁was ▁rejected ▁by ▁the ▁membership . ▁ ▁Walter ▁Cit r ine ▁was ▁appointed ▁as ▁an ▁assistant ▁general ▁secretary ▁of ▁the ▁union ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 0 , ▁and