, ▁gradually ▁attract ing ▁a ▁more ▁diverse ▁membership . ▁ ▁It ▁also ▁began ▁accepting ▁members ▁elsewhere ▁in ▁the ▁West ▁R iding , ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 4 ▁became ▁the ▁West ▁R iding ▁of ▁York shire ▁Power ▁Lo om ▁We a vers ' ▁Association , ▁with ▁membership ▁over ▁ 3 , 0 0 0 . ▁ ▁Allen ▁Ge e ▁became ▁the ▁union ' s ▁general ▁secretary ▁in ▁ 1 8 8 8 . ▁ ▁Under ▁his ▁leadership , ▁it ▁surv ived ▁through ▁a ▁decl ine ▁to ▁only ▁ 2 , 3 0 0 ▁members ▁in ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁and ▁changed ▁its ▁name ▁to ▁the ▁General ▁Union ▁of ▁We a vers ▁and ▁Text ile ▁Work ers ▁the ▁following ▁year . ▁ ▁Now ▁seeing ▁itself ▁as ▁an ▁industrial ▁union ▁accepting ▁as ▁members ▁all ▁workers ▁in ▁the ▁industry , ▁this ▁marked ▁the ▁start ▁of ▁rapid ▁growth . ▁ ▁M emb ership ▁rose ▁to ▁ 4 , 5 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁of ▁which ▁almost ▁half ▁were ▁women ▁- ▁unusual ▁for ▁a ▁union ▁of ▁the ▁period ▁- ▁then ▁to ▁ 1 3 , 4 0 0 ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁when ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁" General ▁Union ▁of ▁Text ile ▁Work ers ", ▁and ▁ 6 4 , 0 0 0 ▁by ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 9 2 2 , ▁the ▁union ▁merged ▁with ▁the ▁National ▁Society ▁of ▁Dy ers ▁and ▁Fin ish ers ▁and ▁the ▁Y ead on