The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1908-03-24
LABOR UNIONS GIVEN
THE RIGHT TO STRIKE
Still Made Amenable to the Sher.
man Antitrust Law in Matters
Of Boycott, Picketing and
Other Coercive Prac-
tices--Its Other
Provisions.
W AsH1NGToN. D. G., March %.


antitrust law was introduced in IL
House to-day by Representative He,
burn. of Iowa, chairman OF the Con
mittee on Interstate and Foreign Con
lnerce.
1t was referred by Speaker Canno
to that committee for considerable
President Roosevelt will, in messag
TO Congress, make a recommends 10
concerning 1t.
There Is no information on which
frame a prediction of tho failure G
success of the bill in the House, no
Will there be until hearings have bee
given In committee. Party leaders ;c
day professed to be wholly ignorant q
the details OF the bill and to have oni
q general understanding OF its pur
pose.
The Rights Of Unions.
One of the most interesting section
OF the federation bin Is that whic
seeks to relieve organized labor fror
Supreme Court decision declaring
labor unions TO be consplracies in re
stralnt OF trade and. therefore, unlaw
ful
The bill broadly speaking. aims /,
restore to unions their right OF peace
able existence. including the right L
strike, but leaving them still amenabl
TO the Sherman act in the matter o
boycotts, picketing and similar CO
ercive practices. The section is a!
follows:
Nothing in said act approved
July =, 1880. or in this act is IN
tendea. nor shall any provision
hereof hereafter be enforced so as
OF employes TO strike for any cause
or TO combine or to contract with
each other or with employers. for
the purpose of peacefully obtaining
from, employers satisfactory terms
for their labor or satisfactory con-
ditions OF employment. or so as to
interfere with or to restrict any
right OF employers for any cause
to discharge all or any OF their en-
ployes. or TO combine or to contract
with each other or with employers
Tor the purpose of peacefully OBJ
tanning labor on satisfactory terms.
Summary of the Bill.
DR.. seth Low, president Of the Ma
>ional Civic Federation. gave out a
statement tonight telling of the con-
ferences held with reference to the
presentation of the measure and CIV
Ing the following synopsis of it:
l: The Sherman antitrust law
of trade, and any monopolizing of
or attempt to monopolize trade.
The first six sections of the act
deal with the powers of the gov
ernment in relation thereto. The
seventh and last section OF the
act gives private parties right
TO sue and to collect three-fold
damages.
Court, by long series Of decis-
ions, has held that this law ap
plies to common carriers, to busi-
ness corporations and TO business
men, and also to labor organiza-
tions and to labor, men. The Su-
any action in restraint of trade, so
far as 1t applies to interstate COM
merce, is unlawful, whether such
action be reasonable or not
8. The bill submitted by the Ma
tional Civic Fedora ton does not
attempt to change the legal status
OF ANYTHING condemned as in re-
straint OF trade under the Sher-
provide way by which, under Ger
tain conditions, combinations and
contracts In restraint OF trade that
are not unreasonable may be saved
from attack The benefits and i'm
munities ,H, offered by the proposed
bill, therefore. will be in the main
confined to those who register in
accordance with the terms of the
piil; Common carriers may register
mission. and all others with the
commissioner of Corporations in
the Department Of Commerce and
Labor. 1t is proposed to amend
sectlon Z OF the Sherman antitrust
FOR three-fold damages, reducing
the amount that can be collected
70 simple damages, as under the
sommon 60 rae stdaay law. Everybody, wheth
benefit Of this provision.
1. Both corporations for nrofit
and having capital stock and also
corporations not for porft and not
hhavlng capital stock may register,
This description Is intended to in
clude cooperative organizations, as
well as business corporations, agri-
eutIural eud IA and ana labor a. organizations.
they, get the benefits Of the act.
II they do not register, they re-
main under the Sherman antitrust
law, unamended. In order to reg
ister, corporations for profit and
give such information in regard to
their financial condition, their con-
TRACTS and their. corporate pro-
oeedings, as may be prescribed by
time to be made by the President
OF the United States. Corporations
not for profit and not having cap
ltal stock, IN order to register, must
eet Iorth their charter or agree
ments of association and bylaws;
the place of their principal office,
and the names of their directors or
managing officers, and standing
committees. If any, with their resi-
dancces. Any corpora tion or asso-
c!ation that is Registered may be
stricken from the registry If it
shall fail at any time to file the
ctatements or to give the lnforma-
tion required under this act or to
comply with the requirements of
this act. or in case information
furnished by 1t shall be false in
any material particular. Any one
feeling aggrieyed by the decision
10 remove 1t from registry has an
appeal to the courts.
D. Being upon the registry, the
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