The White Pine news. [volume] (Ely, Nev.) 1906-1910, 1908-03-25
LABOR BILL
IS IN HAND
Terms as Yet are Known
Only in General Way
Effect of the Desired
Act Would be Wide

WASHINGTON, March 24.-The
bill prepared by the National Civic
Federation, after conference with the
President and representatives of capi-
tai and labor to relieve the stringency
of the Sherman antitrust law. was
introduced In the House today by
Representative Hepburn of Iowa.
chairman of the committee on Inter-
state and Foreign Commerce. 1t was
referred by Speaker Cannon to that
committee for consideration and re-
port, and 1t is understood that Presi-
dent Roosevelt will. in a message to
congress, make recommendations
concerning it.
There is no information on which
to frame a prediction of the failure
or success OF the bill In the House,
nor will there be until the hearings
have been given in committee. Party
leaders today profess to be wholly
ignorant of the details of the bill.
and to have only a general under
standing of its purpose.
TO ESCAPE LATE DECISIONS.
One of the most intesesting acti0nB
of the federation bill Is that whlon
seeks to relieve organized labor from
the suppressive effects of the recent
supreme court decision declaring
labor unions to be conspiracies In
restraint of trade. and therefore un-
lawful. The bill, broadly speaking,
aims to restore the unions their
rights of peaceable existence, includ-
ing the right to strike, but leaving
them still amenable to the Sherman
act in the matter of boycotts. picket
ing and similar coercive practices.
The section is as follows:
Nothing in said act, approved
July 2, 1890, or in this act, Is intend
ed, nor shall any provision thereof
hereafter be enforced, SO as to inter-
fere with, or to restrict any right OF
employees to strike for any cause or
to combine or to contract with each
other or with employers, for the pur-
pose OF peaceably obtaining from en-
ployers satisfactory terms for their
labor or satisfactory condition OF en-
ployment, or as to interfere with or
to refrain any right of employers
for any cause to discharge all or any
of their employees, or to combine or
to contract with each other or with
employees for the purpose of peace
ably obtaining labor on satisfactory
terms"
PURPOSE OF THE MEASUSE.
The bill introduced today does not
attempt to change the legal statue OF
anything condemned as In restraint
of trade under the Sherman anti
trust act but it aims to provide q
way by which, under certain condi-
tions. combinations and contracts In
restraint of trade that are not un-
reasonable may be saved from at
tack. The benefits and immunities
offered by the proposed bill, there
fore, will be in the main confined to
those who register In accordance
with the terms of the bill. Common
carriers may register with the inter-
state commerce commission, and all
others with the commissioner OF cor
porations in the department of COM
merce and labor. 1t Is proposed to
amend section of the Sherman anti
trust act by cutting out the provision
for threefold damages, reducing the
amount that can be collected to SIM
pie damages, as under the common
law. Everybody, whether registered
or not. will get the benefit of this
provision.
Both corporations for profit and
having capital stock. and also corpo-
rations not for profit and not having
capital stock. may register, but mel
ther are obliged to do so. This de-
scription is intended to include CO.
operative organizations, as well as
business corporations, agricultural
and labor organizations and the like.
If they do register they get the bene-
fits of the act. If they do not reg
lister, they remain under the Sher-
man antitrust law unamended.