which, if not arbitrated, would involve a strike or lockout, and his employes, 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.

§ 3. Said application shall be signed by said employer, or by a majority of his employes 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.

§ 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,

agreement shall be entered as a part of the decision. Said notice may be given to the employes by posting a notice thereof in three conspicuous places in the shop or factory where they work.

§ 5. Both employers and employes 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. as's

§ 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.

§ 7. The sum of twenty-five hundred dollars is hereby appropri ated 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.

§ 8. This act shall take effect and be in force from and after

An Act to provide for a State Board of Arbitration for the settlement of differences between employers and employes.

Section 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Louisiana, that within thirty days after the passage of this

act, the Governor of the State, with the advice and consent of the Senate, shall appoint five competent persons to serve as a Board of Arbitration and Conciliation in the manner hereinafter provided. Two of them shall be employers, selected or recommended by some association or board representing employers of labor; two of them shall be employes, selected or recommended by the various labor organizations, and not an employer of labor, and the fifth shall be appointed upon the recommendation of the other four; provided, however, that if the four appointed do not agree on a fifth man at the expiration of thirty days, he shall be appointed by the Governor; provided, also, that if the employers or employes fail to make their recommendation as herein provided within thirty days, then the Governor shall make said appointments in accordance with the spirit and intent of this act. Said appointments, if made when the Senate is not in session, may be confirmed at the next ensuing session.

§ 2. Two shall be appointed for two years, two for three years, and one, the fifth member, for your years, and all appointments thereafter shall be for four years, or until their successors are appointed in the manner above provided. If, for any reason, a vacancy occurs at any time, the Governor shall in the same manner appoint some person to serve out the unexpired term.

§ 3. Each member of said Board shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, be sworn to the faithful discharge thereof. They shall organize at once by the choice of one of their number as chairman and one of their number as secretary. The Board shall, as soon as possible after its organization, establish rules of procedure.

§ 4. Whenever any controversy or difference not involving questions which may be the subject of a suit or action in any

court of the State exists between an employer, whether an individual, copartnership or corporation, and his employes, if at the time he employs not less than twenty persons in the same general line of business in any city or parish of this State, the Board shall, upon application as hereinafter provided, and as soon as practicable thereafter, visit the locality of the dispute and make careful inquiry into the cause thereof, hear all persons interested therein who may come before them, and advise the respective parties what, if anything, ought to be done or submitted to by either or both to adjust said dispute.

§ 5. Such mediation having failed to bring about an adjustment of the said differences, the Board shall immediately make out a written report. This decision shall at once be made public, shall be recorded upon proper books of record, to be kept by the secretary of said Board, and a short statement thereof published in the annual report hereinafter provided for, and the said Board shall cause a copy thereof to be filed with the clerk of the court of the city or parish where said business is carried on.

§ 6. Said application for arbitration and conciliation to said Board can be made by either or both parties to the controversy, and shall be signed in the respective instances by said employer or by a majority of the employes in the department of the business in which the controversy or difference exists, or the duly authorized agent of either or both parties. When an application is signed by an agent claiming to represent a majority of such employes, the Board shall satisfy itself that such agent is duly authorized in writing to represent such employes, but the names of the employes giving authority shall be kept secret by said Board. § 7. Said application shall contain a concise statement of the grievances complained of, and a promise to continue on in busi

ness or at work in the same manner as at the time of the application without any lockout or strike until the decision of said Board, if it shall be made within ten days of the date of filing said application.

§ 8. As soon as may be after the receipt of said application the secretary of said board shall cause public notice to be given of the time and place for the hearing therein, but public notice need not be given when both parties join in the application and present therewith a written request that no public notice be given. When such request is made notice shall be given to the parties interested in such manner as the Board may order, and the Board may, at any stage of the proceedings, cause public notice to be given, notwithstanding such request. Should the petitioner or petitioners fail to perform the promise made in said application the Board shall proceed no further therein until said petitioner or petitioners have complied with every order and requirement of the Board.

§ 9. The Board shall have power to summon as witnesses any operative in the department of the business affected, and any person who keeps the records of wages earned in those departments, and examine them under oath, and to require the production of books and papers containing the record of wages earned or paid. Summons may be signed and oaths administered by any member of the Board. The Board shall have the right to compel the attendance of witnesses or the production of papers.

§ 10. Whenever it is made to appear to the mayor of a city or the judge of any district court in any parish, other than the parish of Orleans, that a strike or lockout is seriously threatened or actually occurs, the mayor of such city or judge of the district court of such parish shall at once notify the State Board of the fact. Whenever it shall come to the knowledge of the State