The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-03-27
LABOR'S DEMAND
WAS PRESENTED TO SPEAKER
CANNON BY DELEGATIoN FROM
A NATIONAL CONFERENCE.
CONGRESS- INDIFFERENT
They Demand Action to Overcome Eff.
feet of Recent Decisions of Courts
Making Antitrust Laws
Apply to Unions.

Washington, d. c., Mar. 20.-Speak-
er Cannon and Vice President Fair
banks Thursday announced their be-
lief that the present congress will
pass an employers liability act which
will meet and overcome the unconsti-
nationality of the present law pointed
out by the supreme court of the United
States in recent decision.
These statements were made unre.
servelly by Speaker Cannon, and
guardedly by the vice-president to a
delegation led by Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor, from 81 national and inter-
national trade and labor organizations
and farmers organizations assembled
in a national conference in this city.
The delegtion called on the speaker
to lay before the house of represen-
tatives, through him, memorial en-
titled 'Labor's Protest to Congress-
The scope of this memorial was set
forth in the following opening para
graphs:
1--WE, the official representatives of
the national and international trade
and labor unions and organizations of
farmers, in national conference as
sembled, in the District of Columbia,
for the purpose of considering and
taking action deemed necessary to
meet the situation in which the work
ing people of our country are placed
by recent decisions of the courts, r~ow
appear before congress to voice the
earnest and emphatic protest of the
workers of the country against the in
difference, if not actual hostility.
which congress has shown toward the
reasonable and righteous measures
proposed by the workers for the safe
guarding of their rights and interests
In the name of labor we now urge
upon congress the necessity for i'm
mediate action for relief from the. most
grave and momentous situation which
has ever confronted the working peo-
pie of this country. This crisis has
been brought about by the application
by the supreme court of the United
States of the Sherman antitrust law
to the workers both organized and in
their undivided capacity"
The memorial submits to congress
for consideration two amendatory pro-
visions, in substance as follows:
That nothing in said act (Sherman
antitrust law or in this act is intend
ed nor shall any provision thereof
hereafter he ,infOrced so as to apply
to organizations or associations not for
profit and without capital stock, nor
to the members of such organizations
or associations.
THAT nothing in said act (Sherman
antitrust law or in this act is intend
ed or shall any provision thereof here
after be inforced so as to apply to
any arrangements, agreements or COM
binations among persons engaged in
agriculture or horticulture made with
a view of enhancing the price of their
own agricultural or horticultural prod
ucts"
Congress is informed in the memoir
ial that additionally "the most inn
portant measures which labor urges
are: The Pearce bill, to regulate and
limit the issuance of injunctions; the
employers liability bill; the bill eX-
tending the application of the eight
hour law to all government employees
and those employed on work for the
government by contractors or sub-con-
tractors.