Los Angeles herald., 1908-03-20
EMPLOYERS
L IA BILITY
LAW URGED
LABOR LEADERS CALL UPON
OFFICIALS
CANNON AND FAIRBANKS EXPECT
ENACTMENT
Attention of Congress Is Called to the
Necessity for Immediate Action
for Relief of "Most Grave
Situation"

By Associated Press.
WASHINGTON. March 19.-Speaker
Cannon and Vice President Fairbanks
today announced their belief that the
present congress would pass an em-
ployers liability act which would
meet and overcome the unconstitution-
ality of the present law pointed out
by the supreme court of the United
States In a recent decision.
These statements were made unre-
servedly by Speaker Cannon ana
guardedly by the vice president to
delegation led by Samuel Gompers,
president of the American Federation
of Labor. from eighty-seven national
and international trade and labor Or
ganizations and farmers organizations
assembled in national conference III
this city.
The delegation called on the speaker
to lay before the house of representa-
tives through him a memorial entitled
"Labor's Protest to Congress-. Inc
scope of this memorial was set iorth
i'm the following opening paragraph:
"In the name of labor we now urge
unon congress the necessity for imme-
diate action for relief from the most
grave and momentous situation whlch
has ever confronted the working peo-
nle of this country. This crisis has
been brought about by the appilcation
of the supreme court of the oniteu
states of the Sherman antitrust law
to the workers. both organized ana III
their individual capacity.
Labor and the people generally LOOK
askance at the invasion of the court
upon prerogatives of the law-maklns
and executive department or our gov
ernment. There Is something omlnous
in the ironic manner in which the
courts guarantee to workers.
"The right to be manned ana Kiileo
without liability to the employer
"The right to be discharged ior
longing to union.
''The right to work as many hours as
ernnloyers please and under any con-
ditions which they may impose.
Labor is justly indignant at tne m
bestowal or guaranteeing or tnese .,
worthless and academic rights oy .iv
courts, which in the same prea.n osny .s,.o,
nd necessary protection of laws wnlcn
define and safeguard their rights anu
liberties and the exercise or thelh III
oiyidually or in association.
The protest submitted by Mr.; Com
rers and his assistants-Joseph f. va.
entjne, eighth vice president Oh NJ
american Federation of Labor; w. ~:
Tairlev of the United Mine Workers OF
America, c. M. Barnett of the Amer
lean Society of Equity; w. ID. Mahon
of the street Car Employees and r, d.
McArdle of the Amalgamated Assocla-
tior of Iron and Steel Workers-reIers ;
TO the supreme court decision In tne
hatters case as the most recent per
version of the intent of law by tne
judiciary by which the sherman anti
frust law has been made to apply 70
labor. although 1t was an acCePteo
fact that congress did not intend tne
law to so apply and might even nave ~
specifically exempted labor but Tor 1he
fear that the supreme court mlsn.
construe such an affirmative provision
10 be unconstitutional.
'The workers" says the memorial
Earnestly urge congress to cooperate
with them in the upbuilding and edu,
eating of a public sentiment which VIII
confine the judiciary to its proper
functions. . Low. which
stall restrict the jurisdiction OF courts
of equity to roperty and properly
rights and shall so designate properly
and property rights that neither snali
there be held to be property nor prop
erty rights in the labor or labor power
of any person or persons"