Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-05-07
PORTO R|CAN LABOR
Injunction Against Strikers
by Judge MacKenna.
MR.. GOMPERS' COMMENT
IT WAS ISSUED ON Elk PARTE
STATEMENT.
Says the Account is Wilful and Ma
licious Perversions Of Truth-His
Letter to Gov. Winthrop.
MR.. GOMPERS' COMMENT

Rico under the very folds Of the American
flag and in utter defiance of the American
Constitution said Mr.. Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation OF
Labor to a Star reporter after he had read
a news special to The Star from San Juan.
Porto Rico. Mr.. Gompers not only fur
nished an autograph reply to the allega-
tons and structures contained In the spe-
cial, but he gave the, reporter copy of a
letter he has just written to Gov. Beekman
Winthrop Of Porto Rico. and a statement
he has received from a leading lawyer on
the island setting forth the deplorable con-
ditionS In the colony.
The news special follows
An Important Decision.
Special Correspondence of The Star.
SAN JUAN, P. R., April "a, 1905.
The most severe blow yet dealt to San
tiago Iglesias, labor leader and personal
representative of Samuel Gompers In Porto
Rico has just been given by Justice Charles
F. Mackenna of the United States district
court for Porto Rico, upon an application
for injunction made by Charles Hartzell re-
Gently secretary of Porto Rico, acting as
counsel for the Porto Rico Sugar Company.
The decision is of vital Importance. 1t
doubtless will at once stop overt acts by
strikers on sugar plantations, such as the
recent frequent firing of cane fields, and
will prevent the ruination of crops at least
during the present grinding season. 1t is
also a warning to labor agitators that the
law must be obeyed in Porto Rico, that riot
ing must stop and that the American flag
must be respected
The Porto Rico Sugar Company has 1000
acres of cane and employs 1,2OO laborers. 1t
owns five plantations, known as La For
tuna, Luciano. Cristine, Reparada and Ser
reno 1t has never before had trouble with
Its workmen, and In it's petition claims that
= hac al maid ffS empOVpS better
rate of wages than those current in Porto
Rico and larger wages than are paid by
many other employers of a similar class.
| On March % last Iglesias wrote to Mr.. Man.
vury, general manager of the company's
| business demanding large increase OF
| wages for the employees. and inclosing circu-
| lars calling strike meetings and containing
| tnflammatory words. The company alleges
| that few of it's employees members of
| the Federation Libre, which, 1glesias says,
| is the Porto Rican branch of the American
Federation of Labor 1t also charges lgle-
sias with deliberately fomentlng strike
| without consultation with the employees. and
| says that the employees have never COM
municated with the company on the subject.
On Sunday, April 10, five meetings were
called by IglesiaS in the name OF the Fed
| eracion Libre near the companys property.
| At one of these gatherings in front of La
| Fortuna factory the police were forced TO
| interfere and the American flag was wan
| tonly. desecrated, traduced and torn Many
arrests were made and one man was shot.
| Last Sunday a serious labor riot at Ponce
! was dispersed by the insular police. thirty
| persons being wounded, and of these fifteen
| are still in hospitals. The police were or
| dered to act by Gov. Winthrop when the
! company appealed to him for protection
| The companys petition to the United
| States district court alleged that the strike
! was costing 1t 5000 day and prayed that
| Iglesias, Jose Storer Eugenio Sanchez, one
| Cintron and the Federation of Labor be
| restrained from any interference, from go
| ing on the premises of the company or con-
gregating in a disorderly manner in the
| immediate vicinity of the company's prop
| erty The company praised the work of
| the insular police in trying to maintain
order but stated that the force Is too
small and asked for relief by injunction.
All this Judge MacKenna promptly granted,
| together with permission to add other
names. If necessary, to the restraining or
| der thus making Mr. Hartzells victory
| complete. Armed with the specific and
| blank warrants he proceeded to the south
| side of the island day or two ago and
| had the papers served.
| IgIesias Is furious and has advised Sam
uel Gompers of the situation. He says that
| thu ough Gompers he will appeal to Presi-
dent Roosevelt for Justice" In the mean
| time most of the cOmpanyS workers are
returning and the backbone of the strike
| is broken. Planters all over the island are
| brea thing more freely and it is hoped that
| the present season will end without further
serious trouble. The injunction is granted
until June l. when the defendants are re-
| quired to appear and show cause why the
restraining order should not be made per-
| manent The grinding of cane will doubt
| less be completed before the date fixed.