Mr. Kelly.— Well, we saw it. They were shipping brick most every day, loading cars with brick.

Commissioner Robertson.- Well, what next was said.

Mr. Kelly. He claimed that we did not know the prices that he was getting; he claimed he was not getting the same prices for them. We could not account for that, of course.

Commissioner Robertson.- What next was said?

Mr. Kelly. That if business would stir up he would guarantee to try and do his best to get it for us; he could not guarantee any time to get it for us, and we were dissatisfied with that.

Commissioner Robertson. He could not do that?

Mr. Kelly. A great many companies do guarantee a time when they will do it.

Commissioner Robertson. He tells you that when he can pay you more wages he will; now you want him to tell you the date when he will do it; he can not tell you the date, until the business increases, any more than I can; so far as that is concerned, your requirement is unreasonable, if that were the turning point; I am assuming now that what he says and what you say is correct, that he will increase your wages when the business improves; he can not tell you when that will be; God Almighty is the only one who can do that.

Mr. Maher.- Business was booming the last two or three months; two teams would be around there shipping the biggest part of the time.

Commissioner Robertson.- While previously there was only

one?

Mr. Maher. One team is their regular work; they have had two teams out there drawing to the cars and shipping. That looks as if business was going on pretty lively.

Commissioner Robertson.- You know the main business of this concern is in New Jersey. Now, how many years have you been with this concern?

Mr. Maher.—I have been with them, on and off, about three years.

Commissioner Robertson. And you about how many?

Mr. Kelly. About twenty.

Commissioner Robertson. You have had faith in what this man said; he has treated you well, hasn't he?

Mr. Maher. We wanted him to give us back the reduction. Commissioner Robertson. You have not been there long, and you are not as important a witness as these men who have been there a good while; have you faith in the word and integrity of Mr. Podmore; have you ever known him to deceive you or lie to you? Mr. Naylor.- Well, the gentleman never lied to me. Commissioner Robertson.- He has always been frank and open? Mr. Naylor.— Whenever he promised me anything he always gave it to me, that is sure; he always kept his word with me; I can not say anything against the man.

Commissioner Robertson. How is it with you; you have been there for 20 years; has he kept his word with you?

Mr. Kelly.

Yes, sir, he has; he has kept his word.

Commissioner Robertson.

do you?

You don't think he would lie to you,

Mr. Kelly. I have nothing to say in that regard.

Commissioner Robertson.- Well, you hardly think he would lie to you?

Mr. Kelly. No; I don't think he would.

Commissioner Robertson.- Well, when he said that the business would not warrant any more you have no reason to believe that he lied, have you?

Mr. Kelly. No, I haven't; we have very good reason to believe that our cause was just, that we ought to get more pay.

Commissioner Robertson.- Exactly; I wish that you could get five dollars a day; now here is a concern that is making fire brick; they are not running it as a charitable institution; you would hardly expect them to run it if they could not make money.

Mr. Naylor.- I know I would not if I was running it. Commissioner Robertson.-Therefore, if the price of brick is such that they can not afford to increase your wages, you would not expect them to, would you?

Mr. Naylor.- Well, they ought to pay us as high wages as other

firms; McLeod & Henry is not as rich a firm, and they are paying higher wages; if they get half a loaf they should not take all of it; we ought to get some of it.

Commissioner Robertson.- Now, it is unfortunate for you gentlemen to be out of work; you would like to be at work?

Mr. Maher. Yes, sir; we would all like to be at work. Commissioner Robertson. I noticed there was a volunteer committee went to you; Mr. English was one; what was there of that? Mr. Naylor. That was all a farce. I trade with Mr. Hargrave; he told my little girl that he felt hurt when he saw his name in the paper.

Commissioner Robertson. There was no such committee came to you as stated in the paper?

Mr. Naylor. No, there was not; and we held no meeting at all. Commissioner Robertson. It is my duty, as a State arbitrator, to try to heal up such difficulties, but I knew that there were not many of you out, and I thought that you were sensible men, and in the end you would settle your difficulties yourselves; but when I read in the papers that a committee of citizens had undertaken to settle the difficulty and had failed, I felt that, being a resident of the city where your business is conducted, I would be derelict in the performance of my duty if I did not have some communication with you and see if I or our board can do anything for you. I know when a man is accustomed to receive regular wages it is hard to be out of work.

Mr. Naylor. If he would give me the 10 per cent. back and the work or play, I would be satisfied.

Commissioner Robertson.- My proposition is this: I will send for Mr. Podmore and I will ask him if he will restore onehalf of the cut if you gentlemen will go to work, with the understanding that the other half will be restored as soon as the business will warrant it; with the exception that the engineer, in addition to the restoration of one-half the reduction, shall receive his wages the year round. I will send for Mr. Podmore to-morrow and ask him if he will accept that proposition.

On the 29th of June Commissioner Robertson had a long inter

view with Mr. Ostrander, the president of the company, and tried to induce him to accept some compromise. Mr. Ostrander stated that it was absolutely impossible for the company to make any concessions at that time, but as soon as business conditions would permit the wages of the employes would be advanced. A few weeks later the men returned to work under the conditions that prevailed at the time the trouble commenced.

BUILDING TRADES.

GENERAL.

BROOKLYN.

On the 22d of April the union workmen employed on two public school-houses in course of erection in Brooklyn went on strike. Over 200 mechanics, including carpenters, plumbers, roofers, gas fitters, plumbers' laborers, electrical workers, steam fitters, plasterers, machinists and engineers, quit work. The trouble was caused by the refusal of the contractors to pay carpenters $3.25 per day, the union rate of wages. A few days after the strike commenced the Plasterers' Union ordered its members to return to work, and required its delegate to resign from the Board of Walking Delegates. Then the other trades resumed work, and the contractors agreed to confer with representatives of the carpenters with a view to an adjustment of the differences. The Carpenters' Union submitted evidence of the current rate of wages paid in Brooklyn, but while the contractors were investigating this evidence the carpenters again went on strike. They returned to work a few days later, and there was no further trouble until the 25th of June, when the walking delegates of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners ordered another strike for the union rate of wages. Thirty-six of the 56 carpenters employed on the buildings stopped work, but the other 20 refused to obey the order of their walking delegates. Members of the other building trades remained at work, and the Plasterers' and

Bricklayers' Unions sustained the contractors in the position they had taken. The firm of contractors announced that they would continue to pay the highest current rates of wages, but would no longer recognize the Carpenters' Union. On the 5th of September the Kings County District Council of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners ordered a strike on all the jobs of this firm. The board has not been informed of any settlement of the trouble.

On the 10th of June some of the men employed in the construction of a new office building at the Navy Yard, Brooklyn, stopped work and tried to induce all the other men to join them in a strike. They objected to going to the office of the contractors, in South Brooklyn, for their wages, and asked that arrangements be made to pay them at the Navy Yard. After discussing the matter for two hours the difficulty was amicably settled and the men returned to work.

BUFFALO.

On the 13th of December, 1894, about 100 men who were employed in the erection of an apartment house on Johnson Park, Buffalo, went on strike in order to compel the contractors to pay wages that were past due. Among the strikers were 25 carpenters and a large number of laborers. The building is still unfinished and the workmen have not received their pay.

On the 31st of December 26 housesmiths, who were employed on a large building in course of erection in Main street, Buffalo, went on strike. They demanded that their wages be increased from $1.50 and $1.75 to $2.25 per day, and that nine hours' labor constitute a day's work. On the 11th of March the members of several other building trades struck in sympathy with the housesmiths. Two days later the demands of the housesmiths were granted and all hands returned to work.

On the 9th of August about 25 men who were employed on a new hotel in Huron street went on strike. Members of the Plumbers' Union refused to work with nonunion steamfitters, and, as the contractors refused to discharge the steamfitters, the union