demands of the engineers, temporarily, pending further conference, you to confer with your associates and we with ours, you to take your own time as to when a further conference may be had between this committee and yours?" This proposition was also declined by the brewers' committee. We, failing to in any manner agree, unless we accepted a proposition declined last year by you, withdrew from the conference. While our meeting with the committee was as friendly as could be desired on both sides, we regretted to learn that our fair proposition could not be accepted, and thereby avert the pending trouble. There appears to be nothing for the engineers to do but strike. We believe a strike at this time is destined to effect a severe blow, if not to completely demoralize the brewing industry. Having exhausted every honorable means in our power to settle this matter, we ask the co-operation of all union men in putting a check to any body of employers who arrogantly refuse to realize that trades unions are a factor in production, and who will not accord fair and honorable conditions to their workmen. We have been assured that some of the brewers will accede to the demands of the engineers, notwithstanding the position taken by the brewers' committee. In view of this fact, we request that all engineers remain at work until the strike order of Engineers' Union 16 be transmitted to them by this committee or its representatives. On May 2 the following notice was received: To the Honorable the State Board of Arbitration. The undersigned respectfully represent that, on the thirtieth day of April, A.D. 1900, a strike was threatened in this Commonwealth, involving all the breweries located in the city of Boston and those lately employed by said breweries; that, at the time of the threat of said strike, said breweries were employing not less than 25 persons in the same general line of business, to wit; the manufacturing of malt liquors at said various places of business; that the nature of the controversy, briefly stated, is as follows: a demand on behalf of the engineers, made through the medium of the International Union of Steam Engineers No. 16 and the Central Labor Union, for a working day of eight hours at $3 per day. Wherefore, your Honorable Board is respectfully requested to put itself in communication, as soon as may be, with said employer and employees, and endeavor, by mediation, to effect an amicable settlement between them, and, if the Board deems it advisable, investigate the cause or causes of said controversy, and ascertain which party thereto is mainly responsible or blameworthy for the existence or continuance of the same. Dated this first day of May, A.D. 1900. AMERICAN BREWING CO., BURKHARDT BREWING CO., CONTINENTAL BREWING CO., HAFFENREFFER & Co., HANLEY & CASEY BREWERY CO., A. J. HOUGHTON CO., JAMES W. KENNEY, A. G. VAN NOSTRAND, H. & J. PFAFF BREWING CO., PURITAN BREWING CO., ROBINSON BREWING CO., ROESSLE BREWERY, RUETER & Co., WM. SMITH & SONS BREWING Co., SOUTHER BREWING CO., STAR BREWING CO., FRANK JONES BREWING CO., By EDWARD RUHL, Agent. This was promptly laid before Messrs. O'Sullivan, Kneeland and McCarthy, a committee having direction of the employees' interests. It was learned that negotiations of the preceding day had been without result; that shortly after, at half-past one o'clock in the morning, the threatened strike became actual, and about 75 men left their employment in the breweries. The Board requested the committee to say whether or not they would join in referring the case to the Board, or participate in a conference with the employers with a view to a settlement. The committee saw no reason for renewing the conference of the previous evening, but, in respect of the Board's offer, promised to reply in a few hours. Later in the day a message was received from the committee, saying it was resolved to "follow the long-standing custom," regulating the settlement of the difficulties between master brewers and their employees, which contemplated a solution by a joint conference committee. While in the opinion of the strikers' committee it would be quite proper to go on with the strike, the impression might possibly gain ground, in view of the employers' application, that the committee was opposed to a peaceful solution of the difficulty. The only response, therefore, that they felt at liberty to make was to express a willingness to resume the negotiations that had been so recently abandoned as fruitless. The committee further said that a letter to that effect had just been sent to the secretary of the Boston Brewers' Association. Mr. Huse, the secretary of the employers' organization, was then informed of the situation. On the morning of May 3 almost all of the firemen employed in the Boston breweries quit work and joined the strikers. On this day, however, a conference was had between the strikers' committee and the Brewers' Association, which resulted in a settlement, upon which all hands returned to work. HOLZER-CABOT ELECTRIC COMPANY — BROOKLINE, MASS. never. A strike of 25 buffers, employed at $2.25 a day in a factory of the Holzer-Cabot Electric Company, took place on May 18 to support a demand for $2.50. The superintendent deemed the strike an attempt to take an unfair advantage of Mr. Holzer's absence in foreign parts, and offered the employees a chance to return to work then or The men returned, but quit work in a few days. On learning that the strike had been renewed, the Board had separate interviews with both parties in negotiating a settlement; but the superintendent was firm in the position he had taken. He feared, he said, that a concession, however slight, would cause the difficulty to spread. Besides, he could not take any back without making room for them by discharging some of his new hands, which he would not do. On May 25 the selectmen of Brookline gave notice of the difficulty as follows: TOWN OF BROOKLINE, OFFICE OF THE SELECTMEN, TOWN HALL, BROOKLINE, MASS., May 25, 1900. Massachusetts Board of Arbitration, State House, Boston, Mass. GENTLEMEN:- - At a special meeting of the selectmen, held this morning, it was Voted, That the clerk be directed to notify the State Board of Arbitration of the strike of the employees of the Holzer-Cabot Electric Company, in accordance with the terms of chapter 269 of the Acts of 1887. Yours very truly, GEORGE F. JOYCE, Clerk. A reply was sent, saying that the Board was at work on the case. On June 8 an application of buffers, polishers and platers recently employed by the company was filed. The controversy, as they stated it, was: We asked for an increase in our wages of 25 cents a day, from $2.25 to $2.50. The foreman of the buffing and plating rooms said that we were worth the money, but the manager refused to grant it, the foreman telling the manager he could get all the men he wanted for $2.25 a day. After further efforts, the following letter was sent : Mr. JAMES MURRAY. STATE BOARD OF ARBITRATION AND CONCILIATION, DEAR SIR:- Since receiving the application dated June 5, and signed by you and others, concerning the Holzer-Cabot Company, the Board upon inquiry has been recently informed that the position of the manager with reference to the strikers has not changed, that some of the former workmen have been re-employed, that others have made application to be taken back, and that all places are filled. If, under such circumstances, you can suggest any course of action on the part of the Board which will benefit you and your associates, we shall be pleased to hear from you and to act accordingly so far as may be practicable and expedient. Nothing further was heard of the controversy. It may not be superfluous for us to add our appreciation of the efforts of the town officials of Brookline. The statute by them cited, so far as it relates to the duties of mayors and selectmen in the matter of strikes and lockouts, has the following provision: That whenever it is made to appear to the mayor of a city or to the board of selectmen of a town that a strike or lockout . . . is |