1. A series of strikes on the part of about 600 persons, principally reed and rattan workers, employed by the Heywood Bros. and Wakefield Company in Wakefield, covered, in all, a period of about 50 days. Approximately 400 other employees were indirectly affected. Officials of the American Federation of Labor and of the Industrial Workers of the World were active in conducting the strike, but toward the close of the strike the latter organization abandoned the field.

2. A strike of 67 organized employees of the Northampton Street Railway Company, while lasting for a period of only one week, was important because of the possibility of its extending to other railway lines. In this strike the employees received the assistance of the international union with which the local union was affiliated.

3. A strike of about 130 metal polishers employed by the Hendee Manufacturing Company in Springfield continued for about seven months, and a large number of other employees of the company were indirectly affected. Executive officers of the Metal Polishers International Union and representatives of the National Metal Trades Association, of which the company was a member, represented, respectively, the two parties to the controversy.

4. A general strike of about 125 bartenders employed by 66 liquor dealers in New Bedford, lasted about six days, but owing to some misunderstanding arising from the reinstatement or the filling of places of certain bartenders in several establishments, the controversy was prolonged for several weeks. The International Union granted both moral and financial support to the strikers, while the interests of the employers were represented by the New Bedford Liquor Dealers Association, of which they were members.

5. A strike of about 100 shoe workers employed by the firm of J. J. Grover's Sons in Lynn, and of 18 shoe workers employed in its branch factory in Stoneham, lasted about 10 weeks. In this strike both the United Shoe Workers Union and the Boot and Shoe Workers Union were concerned.

6. A strike of about 286 operatives in the color mixing, soaping, white, and dye departments of the Pacific Print Works in Lawrence lasted about three weeks and resulted in the closing of the works for a period of about one week, and in the loss of employment by over 2,000 other employees during that time. This strike was endorsed by the Industrial Workers of the World and officials of this organization were at first active in their endeavors to organize the employees, but after a time many of these employees withdrew from the organization.

7. A general strike of about 133 organized coal teamsters employed by 22 coal dealers in Lowell lasted somewhat over three weeks. The strikers received the support of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters with which the local union was affiliated.

2. LABOR LEGISLATION IN 1914.1

During the session of the Massachusetts Legislature in 1914 approximately 500 labor bills (some of which were merely amendatory in character) were introduced, and 95 labor measures were passed during the session, a large number of which had received the active support of representatives of organized labor. The Massachusetts State Branch of the American Federation of Labor, through its Legislative Committee, was particularly active in its endeavor to secure the passage of certain of these bills, and, according to the report of this committee, 26 measures to whigh it had given support were enacted, in certain instances with some modification. The following descriptive list of the more important of these measures is based principally on the report2 of this committee:

Anti-Injunction Act (Chapter 778). This Act, which was considered by the Legislative Committee as, by far, the most important of the labor laws passed in Massachusetts during the year, has been reported upon3 by the Executive Council of the American Federation of Labor as follows:

Beginning with the Revolutionary days, the old Bay State has been a leader in the cause of human freedom. Nor does that Commonwealth now lag behind in the march of progress it is one of the foremost states in progressive enlightened legislation. During the past year Massachusetts has placed upon its statute books a law securing to the working people — the masses of the people — the legal right to activities necessary for promoting their industrial welfare. This legal right carries with it a greater degree of industrial freedom a freedom that vitally concerns the lives and the welfare of the people. This law in a very direct and positive manner guarantees to laborers the right to organize, the right to exercise the normal activities of organization in order to better economic conditions, and forbids the misuse of the injunctive process to deny workers the right to legitimate activities in industrial disputes. The law is founded upon the bill drafted and supported by the American Federation of Labor for federal enactment. (The "Pearre Bill," and later the "Wilson Bill.")

1 Under this caption have been discussed only those more important measures which received the support of organized labor. For a list of the labor laws enacted and of bills introduced during the session, see Massachusetts Labor Bulletin No. 102, entitled "Action Affecting Labor During the Legislative Session of 1914."

2 See Report of the Proceedings of the Twenty-ninth Annual Convention of the Massachusetts State Branch, American Federation of Labor, pp. 52 to 56.

3 See Report of the Proceedings of the Thirty-fourth Annual Convention of the American Federation of Labor, p. 73.

The Executive Council recommends that all state federations and central bodies make every effort to secure the passage by their respective state legislatures of a law such as now exists in Massachusetts.

Advertisements for Persons to Take the Places of Strikers. (Chapter 347.) — This act strengthens previous legislation on this subject.

Investigation of Strikes and Lockouts by the State Board of Conciliation and Arbitration. (Chapter 681.) — By this act the powers and duties of the board are more closely defined. In those cases where a settlement has not been agreed upon and the employers refuse to submit the matter in dispute to arbitration, the board is instructed to investigate the cause of the controversy and ascertain which of the parties thereto is mainly responsible or blameworthy for the existence or continuance of the same, and, unless a settlement to the controversy is reached, to make and publish a report finding such cause and assigning such responsibility or blame.

Wages of Mechanics Employed in the Construction of Public Works. (Chapter 474.) - Chapter 514 of the Acts of 1909 was amended by providing that the wages for a day's work paid to mechanics employed in the construction of public works shall not be less than the customary prevailing wages for a day's work in the same trade or occupation in the locality, city, or town where such public works are constructed.

Preference in Appointment and Employment. (Chapter 600.) - Citizens of the Commonwealth are, by the provisions of this act, to have preference in all work of any branch of the service of the Commonwealth or any city or town therein, and the Civil Service Commission is forbidden to place upon its list any person not a citizen of the United States.

Saturday Half-holiday to Certain Employees of the Commonwealth. (Chapter 688.) The matter of granting a half-holiday on every Saturday in the year, without loss of pay, to laborers, workmen, and mechanics permanently employed by or on behalf of the Commonwealth, was, by this act, submitted to the voters at the State election in 1914. (On referendum this act was adopted.)

Vacations to Employees of Cities and Towns. (Chapter 217.) — In accordance with this Act laborers regularly employed by cities or towns for more than one year must be granted a vacation of not less than two weeks during each year of their employment, without loss of pay, in those cities or towns accepting the act at the annual State election in

1914.

Workmen's Compensation. (Chapter 708.) By this act the following important changes were made in the Workmen's Compensation Law: An increase in the proportion of wages to be paid as benefits from 50 to

663 per cent; an increase from $3,000 to $4,000 in the amount that may be paid for partial or total incapacity; and an increase from 300 to 500 in the number of weeks during which compensation shall be paid.

Proof of Contributory Negligence. (Chapter 553.) — By the provision that persons injured or killed shall be presumed to have been in the exercise of due care, relief formerly denied to many workmen injured in the course of their employment, was made more readily obtainable. Safety and Sanitation. Three acts, amending, in some measure, previous legislation, are worthy of special mention: Chapter 328 provides for better sanitary conditions and the more thorough safeguarding of machinery; Chapter 557 further provides for medical and surgical chests in mechanical and mercantile establishments; and Chapter 566 makes more explicit the penalty for locking of certain doors in industrial establishments during working hours.

Minimum Wage Law. (Chapter 368.) - This act makes more effective the previous legislation providing for the determination of minimum wages for women and minors.

Public Ownership of Street Railways. (Resolve 102.) By this resolve the Public Service Commission is authorized and directed to file a report relative to the cost to the Commonwealth of acquiring street railways situated within the Commonwealth. (The bill introduced by the State Branch provided that the question of public ownership of street railways be submitted to the voters.)

State University. (Resolve 105.) By this resolve the Board of Education is requested to report to the next General Court a bill embodying a plan for the establishment of a State university with free tuition and free text books.

The passage of a constitutional amendment granting suffrage to women, and of another providing that the State may authorize the taking of land by the Commonwealth to relieve congestion of population and to provide homes for citizens was endorsed by the State Branch, and urged by its legislative committee.

The following measures also received the support of the committee: The abolition of party enrollment at primaries. (Chapter 790.) Reorganization of the State Board of Health as a Department of Health. (Chapter 792.)

The further regulation of the licensing of moving picture operators. (Chapter 791.)

The prohibiting of the conveyance of neglected children to courts and asylums in patrol wagons. (Chapter 272.)

The authorizing of co-operative banks to allow shares to remain after maturity. (Chapter 643.)

An act for the better prevention of fires throughout the metropolitan district. (Chapter 795.)

The more important of the bills supported by the committee which failed of passage had reference to the following subjects:

Initiative and referendum; Home rule for cities; Recall of judicial decisions; Popular election of judges; Reduction of hours of labor for children; Tax exemption of homesteads; Eight-hour day for paper mill workers; License law for barbers; Amendments of certain pension acts; Removal from the poor authorities of the administration of the law providing aid for mothers with dependent children; The prohibiting of construction or repair work on institution buildings by inmates thereof. The committee strenuously opposed legislation providing for compulsory arbitration of strikes and lockouts and for biennial elections, and legislation of this character was defeated.

The principal legislation endorsed by the convention in 1914 and which the committee was instructed to support, had reference to the following subjects:

Initiative and referendum; Woman suffrage; The homestead constitutional amendment; Home rule for cities; Reduction of the hours of labor for children; Eight-hour day for paper mill operators; License law for barbers; The removal from the poor authorities of the administration of the law providing aid for mothers with dependent children; The submission to the voters of the question of public ownership of street railways.

3. CONVENTION OF THE MASSACHUSETTS STATE BRANCH AMERICAN FEDERATION OF LABOR.

The Massachusetts State Branch of the American Federation of Labor held its 29th annual convention in Boston, on September 1-26, inclusive. The number of delegates who presented credentials was 317, this being the largest number of delegates that had ever attended an annual convention of this organization, and was in distinct contrast with the representation at the Boston convention which was held 22 years before, when only 25 delegates were present. Addresses of welcome were delivered by the Mayor of Boston, the Lieutenant-Governor, the Treasurer of the Commonwealth, and by the President of the Boston Central Labor Union.

The reports of the executive officers showed marked progress of the