. E. T. WRIGHT & CO. - ROCKLAND. The following decision was rendered on November 23: In the matter of the joint application for arbitration to the State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration of a controversy existing between E. T. Wright & Co. of Rockland and employees of said E. T. Wright & Co. in their edgetrimming department. The Board, having considered said application and having made an investigation of the character of the work and the conditions under which it is performed, which is the subject-matter of the controversy, and having received and considered the reports of experts nominated by the parties and having heard the parties by their duly appointed representatives, awards that the following prices be paid by E. T. Wright & Co. to the employees in their factory at Rockland: Edgetrimming, all styles, including knifing, per dozen, $0 24 04 24 By the Board, BERNARD F. SUPPLE, Secretary. E. T. WRIGHT & CO.-ROCKLAND. The following decision was rendered on November 23 : In the matter of the joint application for arbitration to the State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration of a controversy existing between E. T. Wright & Co. of Rockland and employees of said E. T. Wright & Co. in their edgesetting department. The Board, having considered said application and having made an investigation of the character of the work and the conditions under which it is performed, which is the subject-matter of the controversy, and having received and considered the reports of experts nominated by the parties and having heard the parties by their duly appointed representatives, awards that the following prices be paid by E. T. Wright & Co. to the employees in their factory at Rockland : — LEWIS A. CROSSETT, INCORPORATED — ABINGTON. The following decision was rendered on December 5: In the matter of the joint application for arbitration to the State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration of a controversy existing between Lewis A. Crossett, Incorporated, of Abington and employees of said Lewis A. Crossett, Incorporated, in the tack-pulling department of Factory No. 1. The Board, having considered said application and having made an investigation of the character of the work and the conditions under which it is performed, which is the subject-matter of the controversy, and having received and considered the reports of experts nominated by the parties and having heard the parties by their duly appointed representatives, awards that the following price be paid by Lewis A. Crossett, Incorporated, to the employees in its Factory No. 1 at Abington : — Tack-pulling and trimming out before welting, By the Board, Per Dozen. $0.06 BERNARD F. SUPPLE, Secretary. M. A. PACKARD COMPANY-BROCKTON. The following decision was rendered on December 28: In the matter of the joint application for arbitration to the State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration of a controversy existing between M. A. Packard Company and employees of said M. A. Packard Company in the lasting department. The Board, having considered said application and having made an investigation of the character of the work and the conditions under which it is performed, which is the subject-matter of the controversy, and having received and considered the reports of experts nominated by the parties and having heard the parties by their duly appointed representatives, awards that the following prices be paid by M. A. Packard Company to the employees in its factory at Brockton : Patent colt, patent calf, patent vici, patent kid and leathers of the same nature (by agreement), 10 Hour work (by agreement), $0.331. Cripples, when laster is not at fault (by agreement), one-half price for pulling-off and price for relasting. Lasters (by agreement) shall not be required to relast shoes that crawl after shoes have been accepted as properly lasted. Lasters (by agreement) shall not be held responsible for shoes after leaving lasting department unless the fault is such as could not be discovered while on the last. By the Board, BERNARD F. SUPPLE, Secretary. ATWOOD BROTHERS - WHITMAN. The difficulty reported under this head last year culminated in a strike on the 22d of December, 1903, and the employees in question have continued that attitude ever since. On February 10, 1904, the business agent of the Boxmakers' Union of Boston stated that he had arranged for a conference with Mr. Atwood in the presence of the Board on the following day. Accordingly, the next day a conference took place, at which Messrs. Crozier of the State Federation of Labor, Driscoll of the Boston Central Labor Union, and Brewer, Bean, Shaw and Manter of the local unions of woodworkers and boxmakers, conferred with Mr. Atwood on the question of a settlement. The conference was resumed on the next day at Whitman, when the employer agreed to a proposition, without any assurance of constant or permanent employment, to reinstate all who went out, if the union would declare the strike off. The strike was never declared off. The employers were placed by the union upon the unfair list. At latest accounts they have a free shop, and are employing 30 per cent. of their old hands. They are not performing as much work as before the difficulty, but have all the workmen they need. The volume of business is estimated to have decreased onetenth. NORTH SHORE SHOE COMPANY-SALEM. On January 1, 1904, the parties to a controversy sent notice that a question had arisen concerning prices in the lasting department of the North Shore Shoe Company, at Salem. The Board immediately offered its assistance as mediator. While the question of preparing a joint application to the Board was under consideration by parties, an agreement was reached. Piece prices were thereby established for pulling-over and operating, and an hour price for work performed on samples. Nothing has occurred since that time to disturb the harmony. DERBY DESK COMPANY-SOMERVILLE. On January 1, when a difficulty of a former year was adjusted, the 59-hour week was established in the Derby Desk Company's factory at Somerville; subsequently, the Wood Workers' Union No. 24 demanded a Saturday halfholiday. This would diminish the 59-hour week; and the management refused to disorganize a factory where 350 were employed in order to oblige a mere handful of men." These threatened then to strike, and 3 were discharged, but partly because work was slack. On the 22d of September the wood workers struck, but immediately returned; and when the Board made inquiries, it was learned that the work of the factory was going on as usual. The absence of 3 men was no greater than what happens every day in the year, when more than that number are out for other causes. The strike was never declared off, but there has been no further difficulty. A committee representing the Insulators and Asbestos Workers' Union No. 6918 of Boston called on the Board on the 14th of January and stated that the time was near at |