"We have an obligation to protect our city and to uphold the law," Paolillo said, adding that the city would charge Busch for the overtime costs.

Other councilors said that by escorting the busloads of strikebreakers to the plant. Cambridge police were themselves crossing the picket line.

Paolillo said that the policy of his force was not to take sides on strikes, but added that if the company wished to drive its trucks, he had a legal duty to make sure they could.

Paolillo, however, did not allow the company to hire off-duty Cambridge policemen to patrol the area in plain clothes. He said the company subsequently hired agents from two private Boston detective firms.

City Manager Robert W. Healy added that because there was very little violence involved with the strike, the police force was "phasing down" its operations in the area.

The only incident involving strikers occurred on the first day of the picketing, when several union drivers lay down in front of a Budweiser delivery truck to prevent it from leaving the garage. The protesters were arrested by the Cambridge police.

Since then, Paolillo said, the only violence surrounding the strike was a smoke bomb that was thrown into a local liquor store just after it received a delivery of the company's beer.

Still Talking

Meanwhile, talks aimed at ending the strike continued in downtown Boston Representatives from both sides met with a federal mediator at noon yesterday, and we were still meeting by early evening.

Busch Spokesman Wayne Charness said that his company had been "somewhat surprised" by the walkout, "because management felt progress was being made and had scheduled talks past October 20."

But union officials felt the company was negotiating in bad faith, John Murphy, a business agent for Local 122, told the city council last night.

"On the second day of the strike, we suggested everybody go back for a 21-day cooling off period, conducting round-the-clock negotiating sessions to get this settled, and the company responded by locking out the 16 clerical employees," Murphy added.

Murphy said he thought the walkout would not end for some time. "Anheuser Busch [of which August Busch is a subsidiary and regional distributor] is prepared to spend any amount of money" to win the light, he said.

And Joel Giorgio, a union member picketing at the museum, said he was prepared to stay off the job "as long as we have to."

The seven-year employee of August Busch added that a prolonged walkout could make things financially difficult for his family.