Said

court may prescribe. He shall have power, under the direction of the court, to issue subpoenas, to administer oaths in all cases before said court, to call for and examine all books, papers and documents of any parties to the controversy, with the same authority to enforce their production as is possessed by the courts of record, or the judges thereof, in this State. arbitrators and clerk shall take and subscribe the constitutional oath of office, and be sworn to the due and faithful performance of the duties of their respective offices before entering upon the discharge of the same. An office shall be set apart in the capitol by the person or persons having charge thereof, for the proper and convenient transaction of the business of said court.

SEC. 3. Any two of the arbitrators shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, and may hold meetings at any time or place within the State. Examinations or investigations ordered by the court may be held and taken by and before any one of their number, if so directed. But the proceedings and decisions of any single arbitrator shall not be deemed conclusive until approved by the court or a majority thereof. trator shall have power to administer oaths.

Each arbi

SEC. 4. Whenever any grievance or dispute of any nature shall arise between any employer and his employés, it shall be lawful for the parties to submit the same directly to said State court, and shall jointly notify said court or its clerk, in writing, of such grievance or dispute. Whenever such notification to said court or its clerk is given, it shall be the duty of said court to proceed, with as little delay as possible, to the locality of such grievance or dispute, and inquire into the cause or causes of grievance or dispute. The parties to the grievance or dispute shall thereupon submit to said court, in writing, succinctly, clearly and in detail, their grievances and complaints, and the cause or causes thereof, and severally agree in writing to submit to the decision of said. court as to matters so submitted, and a promise or agreement to continue on in business or at work, without a lockout or strike, until the decision of said court, provided it shall be rendered within ten days after the completion of the investigation. The court shall thereupon proceed to fully investigate and inquire into the matters in controversy, and to take testimony, under oath, in relation thereto, and shall have power, by its chairman or clerk, to administer oaths, to issue subpoenas for the attendance of witnesses, the production of books and papers, to the same

extent as such power is possessed by courts of record, or the judges thereof, in this State.

SEC. 5. After the matter has been fully heard the said board, or majority of its members, shall, within ten days, render a decision thereon in writing, signed by them, or a majority of them, stating such details as will clearly show the nature of the decision and the points disposed of by them. The decision shall be in triplicate, one copy of which shall be filed by the clerk of the court in the clerk's office of the county where the controversy arose, and one copy shall be served on each of the parties to the controversy.

SEC. 6. Whenever a strike or lockout shall occur or is seriously threatened, in any part of the State, and shall come to the knowledge of the court, it shall be its duty, and it is hereby directed to proceed, as soon as practicable, to the locality of such strike or lockout and put itself in communication with the parties to the controversy, and endeavor by mediation to effect an amicable settlement of such controversy; and, if in its judgment it is deemed best, to inquire into the cause or causes of the controversy, and to that end the court is hereby authorized to subpoena witnesses, compel their attendance, and send for persons and papers, in like manner and with the same powers as it is authorized to do by section four of this act.

SEC. 7. The fees of witnesses shall be one dollar for each day's attendance, and seven cents per mile traveled by the nearest route in getting to and returning from the place where attendance is required by the court, to be allowed by the board of State auditors upon the certificate of the court. All subpœnas shall be signed by the secretary of the court, and may be served by any person of full age authorized by the court to serve the same.

SEC. 8. Said court shall make a yearly report to the Legislature, and shall include therein such statements, facts and explanations as will disclose the actual working of the court, and such suggestions as to legislation, as may seem to them conducive to harmonizing the relations of, and disputes between, employers and the wage-earning.

SEC. 9. Each arbitrator shall be entitled to five dollars per day for actual service performed, payable from the treasury of the State. The clerk or secretary shall be appointed from one of their number, and shall receive an annual salary not to ex

ceed twelve hundred dollars, without per diem, per year, payable in the same manner.

SEC. 10. Whenever the term "employer" or "employers" is used in this act it shall be held to include "firm" "joint stock association," "company" or "corporation," as fully as if each of the last named terms was expressed in each place. [Approved July 3, 1889.

CALIFORNIA.

An Act to provide for a State Board of Arbitration for the settlement of differences between employers and employés, to define the duties of said Board, and to appropriate the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars therefor.

The People of the State of California, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:

SECTION 1. On or before the first day of May of each year, the Governor of the State shall appoint three competent persons to serve as a State Board of Arbitration and Conciliation. One shall represent the employers of labor, one shall represent labor employés, and the third member shall represent neither, and shall be Chairman of the Board. They shall hold office for one year and until their successors are appointed and qualified. If a vacancy occurs, as soon as possible thereafter the Governor shall appoint some one to serve the unexpired term; provided, however, that when the parties to any controversy or difference, as provided in section two of this Act, do not desire to submit their controversy to the State Board, they may by agreement each choose one person, and the two shall choose a third, who shall be Chairman and umpire, and the three shall constitute a Board of Arbitration and Conciliation for the special controversy submitted to it, and shall for that purpose have the same powers as the State Board. The members of the said Board or Boards, before entering upon the duties of their office, shall be sworn to faithfully discharge the duties thereof. They shall adopt such rules of procedure as they may deem best to carry out the provisions of this Act.

SEC. 2. Whenever any controversy or difference exists between an employer, whether an individual, copartnership, or corporation, which, if not arbitrated, would involve a strike or

lockout, and his employés, the Board shall, upon application, as hereinafter provided, and as soon as practicable thereafter, visit, if necessary, the locality of the dispute and make careful inquiry into the cause thereof, hear all persons interested therein who may come before them, advise the respective parties what, if anything, ought to be done or submitted to by either, or both, to adjust said dispute, and make a written decision thereof. This decision shall at once be made public, shall be recorded upon proper books of record to be kept by the board.

SEC. 3. Said application shall be signed by said employer, or by a majority of his employés in the department of the business in which the controversy or difference exists, or their duly authorized agent, or by both parties, and shall contain a concise statement of the grievances complained of, and a promise to continue on in business or at work, without any lockout or strike, until the decision of said Board, which must, if possible, be made within three weeks of the date of filing the application. Immediately upon the receipt of said application, the Chairman of said Board shall cause public notice to be given of the time and place for hearing. Should the petitioners fail to keep the promise made therein, the Board shall proceed no further thereupon without the written consent of the adverse party. And the party violating the contract shall pay the extra cost of the Board entailed thereby. The Board may then reopen the case and proceed to the final arbitration thereof as provided in section two hereof.

SEC. 4. The decision rendered by the Board shall be binding upon the parties who join in the application for six months, or until either party has given the other a written notice of his intention not to be further bound by the conditions thereof after the expiration of sixty days or any time agreed upon by the parties, which agreement shall be entered as a part of the decision. Said notice may be given to the employés by posting a notice thereof in three conspicuous places in the shop or factory where they work.

SEC. 5. Both employers and employés shall have the right at any time to submit to the Board complaints of grievances and ask for an investigation thereof. The Board shall decide whether the complaint is entitled to a public investigation, and if they decide in the affirmative, they shall proceed to hear the testimony, after giving notice to all parties concerned, and

publish the result of their investigations as soon as possible thereafter.

SEC. 6. The arbitrators hereby created shall be paid five dollars per day for each day of actual service, and also their necessary traveling and other expenses incident to the duties of their office shall be paid out of the State Treasury; but the expenses and salaries hereby authorized shall not exceed the sum of twenty-five hundred dollars for the two years.

SEC. 7. The sum of twenty-five hundred dollars is hereby appropriated out of any money in the State Treasury not otherwise appropriated, for the expenses of the Board for the first two years after its organization.

SEC. 8. This Act shall take effect and be in force from and after its passage. [Approved March 10, 1891.

NEW JERSEY.

An Act to provide for the amicable adjustment of grievances and disputes that may arise between employers and employees, and to authorize the creation of a state board of arbitration.

1. BE IT ENACTED by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey, That whenever any grievance or dispute of any nature growing out of the relation of employer and employee shall arise or exist between employer and employees, it shall be lawful to submit all matters respecting such grievance or dispute, in writing, to a board of arbitrators, to hear, adjudicate and determine the same; said board shall consist of five persons; when the employees concerned in any such grievance or dispute as aforesaid are members in good standing of any labor organization, which is represented by one or more delegates in a central body, the said central body shall have power to designate two of said arbitrators; and the employer shall have the power to designate two others of said arbitrators, and the said four arbitrators shall designate a fifth person as arbitrator, who shall be chairman of the board; in case the employees concerned in any such grievance or dispute as aforesaid are members in good standing of a labor organization which is not represented in a central body, then the organization of which they are members shall have the power to select and designate two arbi