In order that such mistakes as this may not occur again, we had a letter go out the day before yesterday from Colonel Littell direct calling attention to the necessity of having union scales of wages and hours, and overtime and Sunday time, followed as they were in effect June 1, 1917.

Thanking you for calling this matter to our attention, I am,

Yours very truly,

(Signed) LOUIS B. WEHLE, Counsel, Cantonment Adjustment Commission.

The foregoing letter is quoted to you for your information and advice.

Fraternally yours,

WM. J. SPENCER, Sec'y-Treas., Building Trades Dept.

We come back.

Col. I. W. Littell, Quartermaster Corps, Washington, D. C.

My Dear Sir::

Your letter of July 20th-dictated by E. S.-in reply to mine of July 17th complaining that Stone & Webster, the contractors for the cantonment now being built at San Antonio, Texas, are not paying double time for Sunday work, is received.

You state-in substance that contractors are not allowed to increase the rate of wages of the locality without your consent nor are they required to re-arrange their entire schedule of pay in order to meet the demands of some one particular class of laborers. Permit me to re-state the facts: The employing painting contractors in San Antonio pay double time for Sunday work; this is in conformity with an agreement between the Master Painters' Association and Local Union 172 of this Brotherhood, the two bodies that determine the wages and working conditions in the painting industry in San Antonio. Consequently we are not asking that Stone & Webster be allowed to increase the rate of wages of the locality. On the contrary, we are asking that they be required to pay the rate of wages in the locality. Neither are we asking that they re-arrange their entire schedule of pay. We are merely asking that they pay the established scale to painters. We are satisfied that the other trades will take care of their interests. Stone and Webster have employed members of this Brotherhood in all parts of the United States and are familiar with the fact that Sunday work is paid for as double time.

You inform me that complaints have come to your office that wages have been increased (on cantonment work) to the detriment of the general business in the com

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munity but that ours is the first complaint of contractors not paying enough. In reply I can assure you that this complaint will not be the last. The majority of contractors awarded cantonment contracts are attempting to evade the payment of the local scale of wages and are violating established working rules. If these practices in violation of the provisions of their contracts, are persisted in and your department fails to correct them, we shall be compelled to decline to permit members of this Organization to work under such conditions.

We are familiar with the complaints that you have received from employers' associations and chambers of commerce and understand why they are made. They come from cities in which the workers are poorly organized and from employers' associations that have taken advantage of this fact to refuse to pay a living wage. These employers fear that the payment of an adequate wage on Government work will make it impossible for them to continue to obtain men at less than a living wage. The general contractors are not paying this wage out of generosity but in order to secure an adequate supply of competent workmen. This, necessarily, will demoralize the organizations of employers who do not wish to pay a fair wage or to conduct their work under reasonable conditions-a most wholesome effect.

In conclusion, I request you to read carefully the following copy of a letter addressed to Secretary-Treasurer Spencer of the Buildnig Trades Department of the American Federation of Labor by Mr. Louis B. Wehle, Counsel, Cantonment Adjustment Commission. It has reference to the subject matter of our complaint regarding the wages paid for Sunday work in San Antonio. You will note that it calls attention to the "necessity of having union scales of wages and hours, and overtime

and Sunday time followed as they were in effect June 1, 1917."

"WAR DEPARTMENT, Washington, D. C., July 13, 1917. Subject: San Antonio, Texas.

William J. Spencer, Esq., Secretary-Treasurer, Building Trades Department, American Federation of Labor, Washington, D. C. My Dear Mr. Spencer:

I have your letter of July 7th reciting letter from Mr. J. C. Skemp of LaFayette, Ind.

This matter has been taken up promptly by me and will be the subject of a special communication to the Constructing Quartermaster at San Antonio from Colonel Littell. In order that such mistakes as this may not occur again, we had a letter go out the day before yesterday from Colonel Lttell direct calling attention to the necessity of having union scales of wages and hours, and overtime and Sunday time, followed as they were in effect June 1, 1917.

Thanking you for calling this matter to our attention I am,

Your letter to Mr. Spencer of July 24th has been referred to me. I am sorry to see that this matter has been delayed so long in coming to a settlement. If the agreement between the Painters' Union at Fort Sam Houston with the contractors, in effect on June 1, 1917, called for double time on Sundays there is no reason why the Constructing Quartermaster at Fort Sam Houston should not have paid double time for Sunday work.

I note your enclosure of a copy of Colonel Littell's letter of July 20th to yourself. It is quite obvious that Colonel Littell's letter was dictated by someone who was not conversant with the terms of the

arrangement between the Secretary of War and Mr. Gompers. I have investigated the matter and feel sure that proper instructions will now go out from Colonel Littell's office to cove the matter in hand.

Please let me hear from you if there is any further question about the principles that shall govern pay for Sunday work at Fort Sam Houston of men in your Brotherhood.

Very truly yours,

LOUIS B. WEHLE. Counsel,

Cantonment Adjustment Commission.

LBW-N

Getting Together.

WAR DEPARTMENT,

Office of the Quartermaster General
of the Army,

Washington, July 30, 1917.
230.44-CR-Ft. Sam Houston (S)
Mr. J. C. Skemp, G. S.-T.,
Brotherhood of Painters, Decorators and
Paperhangers of America, Lafayette,
Indiana.

Dear Sir:

Acknowledgement is made of the receipt of your letter of July 23rd, in reference to rate of wages being paid painters upon National Army Cantonment work at Ft. Sam Houston, San Antonio, Texas. A letter is being sent by this office to the Constructing Quartermaster at San Antonio, requesting that he investigate the agreement to which you refer and that hereafter he instruct the contractor to pay painters for Sunday work upon that job in accordance with what he finds to be the agreement existing on June 1, 1917. Very respectfully yours,

I. W. LITTtell.

Colonel, Quartermaster Corps,

In charge of Cantonment Construction.

ES-MJS

CHILD OF ARCADY.

By Marguerite Head.

Through fragrant fields of Arcady, A happy little maid

Is skipping where the flowers bloom, Secure and unafraid.

She has no fear of man or beast,
For naught can harm her there;
Her laughter rings out, like silver bells
Upon the clear, pure air.

The factory can clamp no more
Her soul with iron bands;
No more can claim for aching toil
Her tiny, baby hands.

Sing, little child of Arcady,

In open-hearted glee! For you have passed inside the gates Where hills and woods are free.

The returns from the following local unions were not included in the tabulated statement. In some instances the return envelope did not contain the returns of the vote (being used for other purposes), in others the return sheet did not show the number of members voting, in some cases the signatures of the officers and the seal of the local union were omitted:

Local Unions 21, 83, 95, 287, 336, 365, 412, 467, 486, 555, 610, 619, 626, 648, 814, 938, 1000, 1026, 1077.

The votes of the following local unions were mailed after the date provided and were received after the committee had canvassed the returns and made its report:

L. U. 300, Seattle, Wash. (mailed July 4th): For 1; Against 198.

L. U. 740, Portland, Ore. (mailed July 4th): For 0; Against 9.

L. U. 942, Brooklyn, N. Y. (mailed July 6th): For 275; Against 15.

L. U. 513, St. Louis (mailed July 11th): No signatures of officers, no seal.

L. U. 690, Winthrop, Mass. (mailed July 10th): For 0; Against 7.

L. U. 909, Miami, Okla., (mailed July 7th): For 0; Against 22.

L. U. 515, Buffalo, N. Y. (mailed July 11): For 0, Against 62.

L. U. 558, Kansas City, Mo. (mailed July 13): For 0; Against 19.

L. U. 179, Geneva, N. Y. (mailed July 30th): For 0; Against 25.

L. U. 356, Newark, Ohio, (mailed July 28th): For 0; Against 21.

=

(Lack of space makes it necessary to hold a number of interesting letters until next month.-Ed.)

Tenacity tells.

After a strike lasting from early spring, the employers of Charleroi have acceded to the demands of Local Union 327. The agreement provides for a wage of $4.60 for the eight hour day-an increase of 60 cents per day. The paperhangers work piece work and have secured a corresponding advance in their prices.

By mutual agreement.

At a friendly conference between representatives of Local Union 66 and the employers of Pleasantville, New York, it was agreed that on and after July 1st, 1917, the wage scale should be $4.50 per day. This is an increase of 50 cents per day.

Local returns donation; a pleasing incident.

"With this I am returning the check for $150 for the amount the General Executive Board was kind enough to send us during our strike trouble this last spring. At the last meeting of Local Union 627, we voted to return the money. As things now are, I think we shall get along all right. We are going to tax ourselves ten cents a month to build up our treasury.

I think if other locals were as careful as we are, they would have more money in their treasuries and there would be more money in the treasury of the Brotherhood at Headquarters.

HARRY E. CORDESS,

Gt. Barrington, Mass. Treas. L. U. 627."

Every man busy.

Local Union 302 and the employers of Pueblo, Colorado, have reached an understanding. The wage scale for 1917 is $4.70 a day. Every man is busy.

Stand pat for the aged painters' home.

Should our Convention be held next month (September) all you Home advocates make a sure shot and see that your delegate is properly instructed to look out for