PREFACE. The Sixteenth Annual Report emanating from the Department of Labor is devoted primarily to the strikes and lockouts occurring in the United States from July 1, 1894, to December 31, 1900. The Tenth Annual Report related to the same subject from January 1, 1887, to June 30, 1894, while the Third Annual gave an account of strikes and lockouts occurring in this country from January 1, 1881, to December 31, 1886. The Third and the Tenth Annual Reports are now out of print. All the salient facts, however, in these have been consolidated and reproduced in the Sixteenth Annual Report, thus giving a connected collection of statistics of strikes and lockouts for a period of twenty years-from January 1, 1881, to December 31, 1900. There have also been included in this present report the most valuable parts of the Third Annual Report relating to decisions of courts and legislation of the various States concerning strikes and lockouts, conspiracies, boycotts, and other features of labor controversies, thoroughly revised and brought down to date. It is thought much better to bring forward this matter than to reprint the bulky reports of the past. There has also been included in this report a statement of strikes and lockouts in foreign countries. There has been some departure in the methods of compilation. It has been thought wise to omit the detailed statistics of individual disturbances, giving in the report only the important summarized statements. This course enables the Department to condense the matter into much smaller space than heretofore. In submitting this report I wish to bear testimony to the fidelity and ability of Mr. G. Wallace W. Hanger, the chief clerk of the Department, whose long experience has been found of the greatest value. He has had charge of the tabulation and compilation of the report. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR, CARROLL D. WRIGHT, Commissioner. Washington, D., August 15, 1901. 7 |