GEORGE LAWLEY & SON-BOSTON.

On June 4 a demand for the nine-hour work day instead of ten and one-half hours was made by the machinists in the employ of George Lawley & Son, boat builders in South Boston. The officers of the corporation requested time for consideration, which was granted; and on the evening of June 5 made answer that the shorter work day would be granted when two torpedo boats which they were building for the United States would be finished. The men calculated that it would take about four months to finish the work, that the major portion of those employed would be dismissed for lack of work, and that the reduction of time would benefit only the few that might remain. When the night shift reported for duty, a meeting was held and a strike declared forthwith. The men then laid the matter before Lodge 264 of the International Machinists' Association, and a committee was sent to the corporation to confer on the question of a settlement.

On the 6th the Board offered its services, but owing to some misunderstanding between the men involved and their organization, it was impossible to obtain a statement to which all would subscribe. The parties in interest held several conferences, and the corporation was about to ask the United States government, under the strike clause of the contract, for an extension of time in which to complete the work. On June 13, however, the following letter was

sent, containing an offer which the workmen accepted in settlement of the dispute:

To Machinists in the Employ of George Lawley & Son Corporation.

GENTLEMEN:- We hereby agree to change the working hours in the machine shop to nine per day as formerly, as soon as the machinery for the torpedo boats "Blakely" and "Delong" is completed as far as work in the machine shop is concerned, without discrimination against any workman on account of his participation in the strike.

GEORGE LAWLEY & SON CORPORATION,

By GEORGE F. LAWLEY, President.

The machinists thereupon returned to work, and there was no further trouble.

BOSTON MANUFACTURING COMPANY-WALTHAM,

On July 6 100 men and women employed in the manufacture of fancy cloth as box-loom weavers in the employ of the Boston Manufacturing Company at Waltham struck to enforce a demand for higher prices for 60-pick and 80pick leno; but after a while the claim for 60-pick leno was abandoned, and 5 cents per cut abated from their price for 80-pick. On the 7th the Board acted as intermediary for the purpose of arranging a compromise under which harmonious relations might be restored. The weavers said that their work required great skill and special training, that they had no fear of being replaced by new hands; and that other mills were paying $1.50 per cut for goods of similar quality, while the price which they had been receiving was $1.10. The employer said that his terms were perfectly fair, that the mill had no competitors, that the difficulty was such as would right itself in a few days, and that he was willing to take back all hands to their old plaçes without discrimination. When this was reported to the strikers, many of them were in favor of declaring the strike off. At the beginning of the next week a few of the strikers returned to work, followed by others, until all who applied were received in their former positions without discrimination, at $1.20 a cut for 80-pick, which was an increase of 10 cents.

BLAKE & KNOWLES-CAMBRIDGE.

On June 1 the chippers employed by Blake & Knowles, manufacturers of steam pumping machines, at East Cambridge, struck because of the employers' refusal to increase their wages 10 per cent. On June 7 a committee of 3, claiming to represent 19 of the strikers, made application praying the Board to investigate the cause of the controversy and ascertain which party was responsible therefor. It was stated that the product of the chipping department supplied material for 700 machinists, and that the number employed at the works in question was about 1,000, all told. The Board called at the machine shop on June 8 and desired to see the firm, but the superintendent said that at that time there was no trouble. On June 12 one of the petitioners called and stated that the chippers had returned on the preceding day, under a promise of satisfactory pay to be arranged at the end of a week's work. He and another of the committee had been blacklisted, he said, and the strikers who returned had sacrificed them to secure their own reinstatement.

BURLEY & STEVENS-NEWBURYPORT.

On July 2 the joint petition of Burley & Stevens, shoe manufacturers of Newburyport, and John F. Tobin, authorized agent of the employees in their cutting department, requested the Board to decide whether a practice recently inaugurated of charging cutters for damages to stock in process of manufacture was consistent with the agreement under which work was performed in their factory.

The following decision was rendered on July 23:—

In the matter of the joint application of Burley & Stevens, of Newburyport, and their employees in the cutting department.

PETITION FILED JULY 2, 1900.

HEARING JULY 10, 1900.

This cases arises out of the discharge of two cutters: one, for the reason that he refused to pay for damages to shoes, traceable to him, such payment being refused as inconsistent with the price list established May 26, 1900, by agreement between the firm and the cutters' union; the other, discharged for cutting through mistake a case of shoes by a wrong pattern.

It is understood that both men are now at work in the factory, pending a decision by this Board as to the right of the firm to discharge men, under the price list agreed to as above, and also "whether damaged work shall be charged under the list now in force."

After a full consideration of the case, and having first consulted the Attorney-General as to the legal powers of the Board in dealing with the case, the Board is of the opinion that, under the agreement between the firm and the employees, the firm had the right to discharge the cutters named in the application, and has the right to charge for damaged work. But, in consideration of