Durango semi-weekly herald., 1901-11-11
LABOR WIN IN COURT.
Right Of Strikers to Resort to Pick.
citing is Upheld in Germany.


BERLIN, Sept 30-(William Il.
Curtis in the Chicago Record-iIer-
add There has recently been
judicial decision which gives great
satisfaction to the working classes
OF Germany. The supreme court OF
the empire, upon an appeal from
labor organization in the City of Lu.
beck, has decided that law passed
u Few years ago by the Prussian diet
prohibiting strikers from using pick
cts is unconstitutional in that it re-
stricts the liberty of the citizen.
Strikers are not permitted, under
this decision, TO interfere by force
with the movements or the wishes OF
others. but the court declares that
they cannot be prevented from max
ing observations or using moral sua-
sion, providing they do not interfere
with the rights of others or break the
peace This is regarded as n dis
tinct triumph for the lGbor unions,
which, since the passage of the law
referred to, have been prohibited by
the police from placing pickets at the
approaches to factories and mines
The Germans are not much in ad-
vance of MS in their methods of set
tling labor struggles. and manufact-
urers over here appear to have even
more trouble with their employees
than those in the United States.
During the year 1899. the latest for
which statistics are obtalnable-and
| must say that we are far in ad.
vance of the Germans In the prompt
publication of statistics and govern
ment reports-there were In the Ger
man empire | 1886 strikes, involving
1921 employers and 15i. working
men. OF these 99.33S persons struck
work voluntarily and 10.122 were
forced or induced to stop work by
strikers. The largest number of
strikes was in the metal trades, the
second largest number in the mines
and the third in the textile manufact-
cries; 1.126 of the strikes were for
higher wages, 379 for shorter hours
of labor and SOC other reasons were
involved. or the total number of
strikes 333 were entirely successful,
52S entirely failed. 439 were compro
missed or We're partially successful
and the remainder were still pending
when the report was published.
A permanent branch of the Ger
man judicial system. called gewerbe-
gerchts. or industrial courts. has jur.
| isdiction over all disputes of an in
| dustrial character. just as the com
merclaJ courts settle commercial
matters and the criminal courts
prosecute crime. These industrial
courts are established for the ex-
press benefit OF labor employees. me
chanics, factory operatives, domestic
| servants. clerks. bookeepers and
wage-earners of every description,
and in all cases involving less than
100 marks (25) their decision are
| final In suits of greater importance
appeals may be taken, but there are
no fees and no costs. The members
and minister of justice acting on be-
half of the emperor, one court for 50
many population, located at the most
convenient point. In large cities and
manufacturing centers ,he courts are
permanent and hold regular sessions
like the other courts, but where the
population Is scattered they are cali
ed together as their services are
needed.
| They have authority to sit as medi-
ators or arbitrators In strikes II
either party petition them to do so
or they can offer their services. but
except in certain circumstances,
hereafter described, they have no
power to compel disputants to cub
nit their claims. and like our own
boards OF arbitration. must depend
upon public opinion to do go. II
both parties agree to submit matters
In dispute they must abide by the
decision. or appeal from It within
ten days to one OF the higher courts
as In an ordinary lawsuit. The In
Idustrial tribunal Is court Of record