the blastfurnacemen at Askam, the blastfurnacemen at Blaenavon, the painters at Norwich, and the carpenters and joiners at Blackpool.

It should be added that in five of these cases the Board of Trade succeeded in arranging conferences between the parties, at three of which Board of Trade representatives were present, and though no agreements were actually effected, there is no doubt that in some cases useful progress was made towards a settlement.

THE REGISTRATION AND FORMATION OF CONCILIATION
BOARDS, &C.

The total number of boards, which have been registered under the Act up to the present, is 19. A list of these boards is given on p. 124. Both the registered and most of the unregistered boards furnish the Department periodically with a return of the work done by them. A summary of these returns for the year 1900 will be found in the Annual Report on Strikes and Lock-Outs for that year (see pp. 80-92).

The Department, in accordance with the arrangement made with the London Labour Conciliation and Arbitration Board in 1897, continues to supply that board with early information respecting disputes in the London district which may enable them to take action for the promotion of a settlement.

AGREEMENTS TO REFER DISPUTES TO THE BOARD OF TRADE.

An interesting development in connection with the rules of voluntary conciliation boards and agreements between employers and workpeople providing for the establishment of such boards is the insertion in many cases of a clause providing that, if the board fails to agree upon any question submitted to it, the Board of Trade shall be asked to appoint an arbitrator or conciliator. No less than 35 boards are known to have adopted clauses of this character.

For example, the working rules of the London carpenters and joiners agreed to by employers and employed, which govern the conditions of employment of some 20,000 workpeople, provide that

"The Board of Conciliation so constituted, if unable to agree, shall make application to the Board of Trade under the Conciliation Act, 1896,' or apply for the appointment of a person to act as conciliator."

'In the event of an application being made to the Board of Trade, or a person being appointed as conciliator, the decision of such person or the Conciliation Board shall be final and binding on both parties."

A similar clause appears in the London Bricklayers' Agreement affecting some 12,000 workmen, the Stonemasons' Agreement, affecting 3,000 men, and the Plasterers' Agreement, affecting 4,000 men.

In the coal trade, the rules of the Durham Conciliation Board provide that

"An umpire shall be forthwith agreed upon by the board, or failing agreement, be appointed by the Board of Trade, after conferring unitedly with each of the parties represented by the board."

The rules adopted by the majority of the conciliation and arbitration boards in the boot and shoe trade also provide that the President of the Board of Trade shall, in the last resort, appoint an umpire. In the case of the Stafford Boot and Shoe Trade Board of Conciliation and Arbitration, application was made for the appointment of an umpire, and the Board of Trade appointed Mr. W. B. Hoffman accordingly.

More recently the Board of Trade, in accordance with the rules of the local conciliation board, appointed Mr. Askwith to act as arbitrator in an important case affecting 1,500 clickers and pressmen at Northampton.

The working rules for the London Cabinet-Making Trade provide that

"The board of conciliation so constituted, if unable to agree, shall make application to the Board of Trade under the Conciliation Act, 1896, or apply for the appointment of a person to act as a conciliator.'

Reference has already been made to the appointment of an arbitrator by the Board of Trade under the rules of the conciliation boards in the brass trades.

So far, every application to the Board of Trade for the appointment of an arbitrator or an umpire under the rules of a conciliation board has been complied with. Provisions of this character provide a useful escape from the deadlock created when a conciliation board fails to agree, and, so far as possible, the Board of Trade have encouraged their adoption.

A list of agreements providing for reference to the Board of Trade will be found on pages 122-123, and the full text of the clauses dealing with this point on pp. 111-121.

In appendix III. to this Report will be found copies of the awards and agreements settling disputes dealt with since the passing of the Act, which have been collected for convenience of reference.

Although the present Report is confined to a statement of the proceedings of the Board of Trade under the Conciliation Act, it may not be out of place to mention that the Department keeps

agencies for conciliation and arbitration, and publishes annually a detailed account of their work in the form of an Appendix to the Report on Strikes and Lock-Outs. These agencies, especially the trade boards and joint committees established in many industries and districts, are carrying on work of the most valuable kind, and great care is taken by the Board of Trade to avoid any risk of interfering with or hindering the activity of voluntary organisations. On the other hand, any assistance that the Board can render is always at their service, whether by the supply of information as to the regulations or proceedings of other bodies, or as to the existence of disputes with which they might deal, or by the appointment of umpires in cases in which they desire it. It is of interest to note that so far from the action of the Board of Trade having diminished the activity of voluntary boards, the number of such boards known to have settled cases has increased from 50 in 1896 to 64 in 1900, while of the aggregate changes of wages recorded, the proportion arranged through conciliation boards or other agencies for mediation and arbitration was no less than 42 per cent. in 1900, compared with 10 per cent. in 1896.

I am, &c.,

A. E. BATEMAN.

Commercial, Labour, and Statistical Departments,

Board of Trade,

July 31, 1901.

* The latest report relates to 1900. Its official number is Cd. 689 of 1901.

APPENDICES.

Page

50

I.-CASES dealt with from 1st July 1899 to end of June

(c.) Methods by which cases were dealt with II.-Documents relating to the Taff Vale Railway Dispute

III.-Text of AWARDS and AGREEMENTS settling disputes dealt with under the Conciliation Act, since the passage of the Act in 1896

IV.—List of Arbitrators and Conciliators appointed by the
Board of Trade since the passage of the Conciliation
Act, 1896

V.-Rules of Conciliation Boards and other Agreements containing clauses which provide for the reference of disputes to the Board of Trade, failing their settlement by other Agencies:

VI.-List of Conciliation Boards registered under the
Conciliation Act, 1896

VII.-Text of the Conciliation Act, 1896

VIII.-List of Board of Trade publications on Labour Questions

124

125

127

APPENDIX I.

I-CASES IN WHICH ACTION BY THE BOARD OF
TRADE UNDER THE CONCILIATION ACT, 1896,
HAS TAKEN PLACE, OR HAS BEEN INVITED,
FROM 1ST JULY 1899 TO END OF JUNE 1901.

(a.) DETAILED STATEMENT.

1.-PLASTERERS' LABOURERS AT DUNDEE.

On August 16th, 1899, a strike of plasterers' labourers began at Dundee. The dispute, which affected 124 men, arose out of a demand for an advance of wages from 5d. to 6d. per hour, and an increase of 18. per week (48. to 58.) travelling allowance The employers offered an when working outside the radius. advance of d. per hour, but this was declined.

On September 2nd the Executive Committee of the National Labourers' Union applied to the Board of Trade to take action with a view to the settlement of the dispute. An officer of the Department visited Dundee and held interviews with representatives of both parties, and on September 7th, at the request of both sides, he presided at a conference of three representatives of each of the parties, at which the terms of an agreement on The men's the points originally in dispute were arrived at. representatives, however, insisted on the dismissal of the men who had been engaged during the strike, and this being refused by the employers, the negotiations for a settlement fell through. On October 24th work was resumed on the conditions which prevailed before the strike.

2.-BRICKLAYERS' LABOURERS AND BRICKLAYERS
AT LEICESTER.

On April 4th, 1899, the bricklayers' labourers at Leicester struck work for an advance of wages from 6d. to 7d. per hour. The bricklayers at the same time resolved not to work with any labourer not a member of the Labourers' Union. In all, about 1,200 labourers and bricklayers were affected.

On September 7th representatives of the Leicester Master Builders' Association and the Bricklayers' Labourers' Society forwarded to the Board of Trade a request for the appointment of an arbitrator. The Board appointed Sir W. Markby, K.C.I.E., who heard the parties on September 19th. In the course of the inquiry a question was raised as to the re-instatement of the On ascertaining that the men objected to men on strike. working with non-unionists, the arbitrator arranged a further meeting on September 23rd, and on this occasion, neither party raising an objection to his dealing with the question in his award, he announced his intention of doing so.