Evening star., 1901-09-24
ENGLISH LABOR UNIONS
EXISTENCE MENMEn BY THE DECI-
SION OF THE LAW LORDS.
The Taft Vale Case and the Late Con-
Eress of Organized
Tradess
Correspondence c New York Tribune.

London Correspondence New York Tribune.
The history of British trades unionisn
during the last thirty years has been a
record of action and reaction. In the
early 'IOs the leaders, having commanded
legal recognition for the interests OF or
ganized labor, converted trades unionism
into great political and democratic force.
A reaction followed their triumph. and In
the early sos the unions were torpid ana
enmeshed with red tape, having degen-
Grated into benefit societies without re-
sources for combination. The first, con-
gress, at Swansea about fourteen years
ago, witnessed the opening skirmlsh be-
tween the new unionism tainted with So
cialism and collectivism and the old union
ism, with it's easygoing educational meth
DDS. Year after year the struggle went on,
the socialists steadily gaining ground
through the support of unSkllled labor,
until the principles of Henry George and
the naturalization of land and industries
were adopted as the program OF the Or
ganized workers At the congress of Car
political agitators, and after hard-fought
battle it was decided that the delegates
must be workers in trades rather than
politicians, faddists and demagogues with
out industrial occupation. This was de-
feat for the new unionism, but there was
no renunciation of the socialist program
The last fifteen years have witnessed the
assimilation of the new with the Old
unionism and the accomplishment of fed
Grafton. The collective power of organized
labor has been enormously increased. and
in spite of the vagarieS of impraC Cticable
and revolutionary programs the conserVa-
tion of the industrial masses has steadied
and ballasted the ardor of the new union
lists.
The Taft Vale Decision.
The organized trades as they have be-
come rich and powerful, have been exposed
to attack from employers in the courts. A
series of decisions in the courts has es-
tablished the principle that the trades
unions are associations which can be held
responsible for breaches of law and COM
PEELED to pay damages when the interests
of employers are injuriously affected. Inc
Taft Vale decision rendered by the house
of lords afirmS the financial responsibility
of the Amalgamated Society of Railway
Servants for the acts of one of it's officers
The Taft Vale railway has sued the society
on the ground that Mr.. Bell, one of its Off
GERS, induced men to break their contracts
by picketing the Great Western station at
Cardiff. The house of lords has decided
that the funds of the union can be attached
if the railway company proves its case and
wins the suit.
The action for damages has not been
tried, but it is rumored that there will be a
change of venue from Cardiff to London,
and that suit will be brought for about
100000 A similar action has been begun
at Blackburn, where a strike has been In
progress for eleven weeks at the mills of
Messrs. Banster Brothers & Moore. The
Northeast Lancashire Employees Associa-
tion is seeking to restrain the WeaVers,
Winders and Wrappers Association from
picketing those mills and holds it respon-
sible for damages and costs if mel are him
dered from working for the Banlsters Ihe
importance of these actions is fully appre-
trik
will be rendered impra cticable If black
legs cannot be approached, picketed and
kept out of work. If employers are at lib
erty to sue the trades nnion which au-
thorizes these operations, and recover dam
ages, organized labor has no effective
weapon of off nSe.
Trades Union Congress-.
The Trades Union Congress in the course
of few years has passed from one OK
treme of creduity respecting the resources
of systematic organization to the other
extreme of scepticism concerning the pos
sibility of accomplishing anything without
a fundamental revision of the charter of
the labor societies. Instead of forecast1ng
the enactment of old age pensions and the
Of private property, the
leaders are now drawn together by the in
stinct of self-preservation. Ihe law lords
have brought on crisis in the fortunes
of the laboring millions of Great Britain
They have undermined the whole fabric or
trades union organization by athrmlng that
employers have means of legal redress in
suing the labor society with Wh1ch they
may be in open conflict.
The Taft Vale decision rightly becomes
the issue Of paramount Importance In the
discussions of the Parliament of Labor this
week at Swansea. President BOwerman,
in the course of his inaugural address, de-
scribed the decision as the signal for the
legal pauperization of workmen, since un-
der it the funds of the trades unions would
become the sport of employers and specu-
lative solicitors. The parliamentary COM
mttee quoted the opinion of its counsel to
the effect that under this judgment. it
would be exceedingly difficult for any labor
to conduct a strike without
rendering itself financially liable to en-
plOyers for the damages caused by picket
ing and other illegal acts. The discussion
revealed a general conviction that the
utility of trades unions would be at an end
if they were exposed to litigation collect
ively for the acts of individual members.
Every strike would be followed by enorm-
Gus demands for damages, and the savings
of the workers would be exhausted in re-
the employers losses. The lead
ers of the congress emphatically declared
that nothing could be done in future by
organized labor for the regulation of wages
and working time and the promotion of
workmens interests if the treasures of
the unions were exposed to the employers
raids.
Defensive Measures.
The defensive measures recommended by
the parliamentary committee and approved
by the congress were cautious and con-
servative. One was the earliest possible ac-
cess to the house of lords for a close and
definite decision respecting the legality of
picketing Another was the establishment
of a legal defense fund. available for the
requirements of any union attacked in the
courts by employers. A third was the
of the rules of the unions rep
resented in the congress so as to minimize
liabilities to employers and to safeguard
the funds accumulated for specific pur-
poses. These expedients were considered
but the congress was not pre-
pared to recommend a radical revision of
the trades union act and the law of con-
spiracy. 1t was evident that test case
was required in order to enable the unions
to find out where they stood, and what
legal means they could adopt when strike
had been ordered.
TIL blackburn strike seemed most op-
hal