UNITED SHOE MACHINERY COMPANY- During the first week of May machinists employed by the United Shoe Machinery Company of Winchester organized a lodge of the International Association of Machinists. Soon after, the members, beginning with the leaders, were day by day discharged in groups of increasing size, for the reason, as stated by the company, that they had too many in their employ; or that, according to the men, it desired to break up the union. On the 22d 200 were discharged, and on the next day the factory shut down, and 150 more were thrown out of employment. In all departments the number of employees affected was about 750. Meanwhile, there had been several interviews between the workmen's agent and the officers of the company at Boston. On May 23 the men accepted the mediation of the Board, and the company took the suggestion under consideration. Several attempts were thereafter made to induce the employer to discuss a settlement, and interviews took place between the machinists' agent and the company's officers. No adjustment seemed possible in the circumstances, and the difficulty dragged along until the end of the third month without anything to attract attention. On July 30 a committee, claiming to represent the machinists' lodge, obtained an interview with the representative of the company who was then in charge of the Winchester factory, at his office in Boston, and proposed to dissolve the lodge, in consideration of the company's receiving all the recent employees into their old places without discrimination; and the Board was thereupon notified that the company was ready to settle the difficulty by such an agreement; but the organizer of the International Association of Machinists, who had till that time represented the men in question as agent, claimed that the so-called committee did not represent the lodge, and that their action of July 30 had been repudiated by the workmen. At his request, the Board endeavored to meet the company's officers on August 3, but failed to get into communication. One of the general officers of the workmen's international body had an interview with the officers of the company, but no agreement was reached. The shop was opened for a short time each week, and those who worked were given extra pay. The local organizer seized the charter and disbanded the lodge. By hiring and discharging, the company finally succeeded in replacing nearly all the men by new help, who were for the most part women and girls. N. L. MILLARD & CO.-NORTH ADAMS. On the 21st of May the shoe cutters employed in the factory of N. L. Millard & Co. at North Adams refused to work under a new price list, which they claimed required more work without additional pay, whereupon they were suspended from the pay roll. Subsequently, they were organized as a branch of the Boot and Shoe Workers' Union. Negotiations between the general president of that body and the employer resulted in an agreement on all but a few items, which were left for settlement by negotiation with a committee of the local unions, or, in case of failure, by reference to the State Board of Arbitration and Conciliation. Under this agreement the cutters were permitted to return to work, pending a settlement; but when the local committee stated to the employer that it was not clothed with full power to make a final adjustment, he refused to treat with them, upon which, on May 28, the cutters quit work and went out of the factory on strike. The employer requested the Board to state whether there could be any arbitration proceedings under such conditions, and was informed that there could be no hearing or decision while the employees were out on strike, but that conciliatory efforts might be made, with a view to inducing an agreement, either to terminate the controversy by agreement, or to refer the difficulty to some arbitrator. On June 11 and 12 the Board had separate interviews with the parties at North Adams, and advised the appointment of a committee of workmen, fully empowered, as required by the firm, to settle the dispute. The employer handed the Board a written message, to be transmitted to the strikers, as follows: Will meet a committee of cutters from our old cutting room employees. Will reinstate what cutters are needed. Will pay prices now in force. If this is unsatisfactory, will then refer the adjusting of wages to the State Board of Arbitration. The men now at work for us to remain at work as long as they wish to. The strikers submitted the following reply: Will agree to a committee of cutters from Millard's cutting room appointed by the executive board of the union to meet him and adjust prices, and all prices not agreed upon to be left to the State Board of Arbitration, provided that all cutters now at work are discharged at once, and all employees of said room are reinstated at once. Neither party would accept the terms of the other. At the end of June one of the general officers of the Boot and Shoe Workers' Union reported to the Board that the controversy was without prospect of immediate settleThe difficulty was protracted for several weeks, when a settlement was agreed upon by the parties. ment. 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 |