The labor world. [volume] (Duluth, Minn.) 1896-current, 1900-09-15
4 ! ! \ ! TRUSTS |||||
AN IOWA JUSTICE DECIDES THAT
THEY ARE.
BY the Ruling Of the Court Labor
Will he Denied Right to Orga nfZe.
Yet the Trusts Will Sell Their
Trust Made Products as Abun-
dainty as Ever-NO Laws Affects
Trusts.

We have asserted in previous issues
that all laws thus far enacted to des-
troy trusts have done more harm to
labor than to the trusts. An Iowa
justice has declared recently that la
Dor organizations are trusts, and that
they come within the meaning of the
Iowa trust law. If this decision holds,
a labor organization will not be al
lowed to exist in the state of Iowa.
Yet, in spite of the antitrust law, the
American Tobacco company will sell
it's trust-made product in the state.
The Standard Oil company will sell it's
oil; the trust-made nails, crackers,
farming implements, leather, ETC., will
be sold just as freely as ever. =
The judge who made the decision is
undoubtedly correct in his ruling. 1t
is not his fault but the legislatures.
If the anti-t trust law is anything like
some that we have read, we cannot see
how any fair and impartial court could
rule otherwise.
Every attempt to destroy the trusts
so far has been futile. So called anti
trust laws have given trusts better ad-
vantage than ever. Labor, and labor
alone, has suffered because their right
to organize is prevented, and they as
individuals are obliged to combat with
organized forces on the other side.
The st. Paul Globe refers to the Iowa
decision editorally as follows:
Not a few well-meaning and COM
petent judges have regarded the ordi-
nary labor organizations as in the
nature of trust. Its design being to
maintain a certain standard of wages,
or, even to exact the highest possible
standard of wages, it it has. in the
opinion of many, come within the
category of trust.
This at least, is the opinion of an Iowa
justice, who has made a judicial de-
claration of his belief. This is under
the Iowa statute. Under the law, ac-
cording to the press reports, trust
is defined as being "any organization
or corpora ton having for it's object
the maintenance or regulation of the
price of any commodity"
These are very broad lines on which
| to define aetrust. Yet, while the Iowa
statute is apparently ly loosely dra Wn, IT
Iaasasffissis ahts ils ID e6Re
Ethls subject az i Mon bein d
fitsS nature or opera ion aaa iii1egal Com
bination, and in restraint Of trade. Il
| 1t is stated in this case that an ap-
peal, which will ultimately secure the
! decision of the supreme court of the
United States on the question is in pro-
| cess of perfection. This is at least in
| teresting. Few will be found to be-
| lieVe that organizations which are
maintained for the laudable purposes
which distinguish the labor unions are
| in any sense or degree obnoxious tC
the law or to true public policy. Since
the question has been repeated raised
and since it would give to the highest
appellate court the best available op-
| portunity to define with eXactness the
qualities which render any organiza-
ton for Industrial purposes amenable
to the law which forbids combinations
which are against freedom of trade and
against the public welfare, it is de.
sirable in every sense that the question
should be passed upon.
Indeed the entire subject of illegal
combinations of this character has been
so completely bedevilled by writer's and
| lawmakers alike, that one hardly
| knows where to look for those char
acteristics in trade organization
which render it amenable to the anti
trust principle. 1t would clear the
subject of many of it's difficulties if the
federal supreme court could be induced
| to state with more fullness and clear
ness what constitutes trust than has
vet been done. The Iowa labor unior
case may not possess any great intrin'
sic Importance either as to the interests
involved or as to the Immediate ques'
ton at issue, but it would be very
desirable if it could be made the medi'
um of appeal of settling in an effective
way what trade organizations are anc
what are not in violation Of the anti
trust laws.