OF THE DEPARTMENT OF LABOR. VOLUME II.-1897. EDITED BY CARROLL D. WRIGHT, COMMISSIONER. OREN W. WEAVER, CHIEF CLERK. WASHINGTON: GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 1897. CONTENTS OF VOLUME II. Page. Workers at gainful occupations at the Federal censuses of 1870, 1880, and 1890, by William C. Hunt, of the Department of Labor..... Public baths in Europe, by Edward Mussey Hartwell, Ph. D., M. D....................... 434–486 Digest of recent reports of State bureaus of labor statistics: Digest of recent foreign statistical publications Decisions of courts affecting labor.... Laws of various States relating to labor enacted since January 1, 1896. LIST OF PLANS. Plan No. 1A. Cheetham Public Baths and Hall, Manchester, England-Elevation.... 2B. Public Baths and Washhouses, St. Mary Stratford Bow, London, Eng- 3A. Model Bath House of the Berlin Society for People's Baths, Berlin (Ger- 441 441 443 443 463 3C. Model Bath House of the Berlin Society for People's Baths, Berlin (Ger- 4. Stuttgart Swimming Bath, Stuttgart, Germany-Ground floor.................. 463 463 476 The anthracite mine laborers, by G. O. Virtue, Ph. D. Digest of recent reports of State bureaus of labor statistics: CONCILIATION AND ARBITRATION IN THE BOOT AND SHOE INDUSTRY. BY T. A. CARROLL. The subject of conciliation and arbitration is one that has attracted the attention of the industrial world, periodically, for many years past. Whenever there have been labor troubles of serious moment, the great need of some available method whereby the contending parties might come together and settle their differences in a peaceable manner has always come prominently to the front. During such trying times the public mind becomes agitated, sympathy and advice are gratuitous, and on all sides there is a general feeling of hopefulness that the questions at issue may be brought to a speedy and peaceful termination. If there is one fact more than another which the history of labor troubles has brought into prominence, it is, without doubt, that both employers and employees have given altogether too little attention to the consideration of the mutuality of their interests and the urgent need of having some kind of an established method for arranging whatever details may be necessary to promote the same. In the majority of cases their minds seem to drift in this direction only after they have become involved in some serious difficulty which threatens to disrupt the business of the employer and throw the employees into a state of enforced idleness. They wait until the conditions are such that it is almost impossible for them to come together in a friendly way and discuss the merits of the case in a calm and dispassionate manner. It is then that the wisdom of resorting to conciliation and arbitration dawns upon them, and when some kindly disposed person steps in and |