Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-09-03
c. w. Post Claims Heavy Loss
by A. f. of [. Boycott. !
WOULD BLOCK AGREEMENT
Stakeholder Of Bucks Stove and
Range Company.
OPPOSED DEAL OF JULY 10
Meeting Of Federation Leaders and
the Stove Company ofncers Had
Been Set for Tuesday.

ST LOUIS, September &C. W. Post
OF Battle Creek. Mich. today filed suit
in the United States circuit court for the
eastern district OF Missouri against the
American Federation OF Labor and the
Bucks Stove and Range Company OF ST.
Louis. not only TO restrain the officers or
the latter from carrying out an alleged
tentative agreement with officers OF the
former to make the st. Louis institution
closed shop. but setting up . claim for
damages OF $4,000 under the Sherman
act.
The case is a suit in equity and includes
among the defendants Samuel Gompers.
president; John Mitchell. vice president;
Frank Morrison, secretary. and other OF
Sicers of the federation and some nifty
others prominently identified with union
labor In America.
Because OF the absence of Judge d: p.
Dyer from the city, the Injunction fea-
next week. It is announced by attorneys
for Mr. Post.
Deal Of July 10.
The action grows out OF the meeting
held in Cincinnati July 10. at which ar
rangements were perfected between Com
pers and his associates and the officers
OF the stove company to have lifted the
boycott which had been In force during
the life Of J. w. Van cleave. who died
May Is.
The complainant states in his petition
that he Is q stockholder OF the Bucks
Company and that his interests and those
OF the company will suffer by reason OF
the proposed agreement. meeting be-
tween the American Federation leaders
and the stove company officers ha been
Co. TrraC
OF possible action that the suit was nied
today.
II is claimed, among other things. that
the contamination OF the proposed agree
ment would deprive the stove company
Of any opportunity of recovering hun
dreds of thousands Of dollars lost be-
cause OF the union boycott, and that IT.
reparable injury to the concern viii re-
suit because OF the destruction OF me
prestige 1t gained through It's victory over
the labor unions In the District OF CO.
lumbia courts. claim for damages In
the sum OF $4,000. allegedly suffered
as the result OF the boycott, Is set up
under the Sherman act. making the case
Identical in many respects with the ia
nous Danbury hat suit. In which the
hatters recovered $224.OO0 as the result
Of q boycott by the labor unions.
Change Of Compsny's Policy.
The petition charges that the present
directorate Of the Bucks company IL
about to enter a deal to thwart any
efforts on the part of the company to
collect damages sustained through the
boycott
Following the death OF j. w. Van
Cleave, who had been the backbone
of the company's opposition to the fed
GRAFTON leaders. IL is alleged. Fred w.
Gardiner, a majority stakeholder. as
sumed managerial control OF the COM
pany and planned to change its policy
to its detriment.
The petitioner claims he made every
effort to prevent q contamination OF
the proposed deal to close the plant or
the company to all except union men.
but the net result Of his efforts has
been to gain from Ma Gardiner the en-
phatic announcement that the deal VIII
be carried out.
II is further alleged that II Is pro-
posed by the defendant companys
present directorate to violate con.
tract with the American Anti-ooycote
Association, which Is prosecuting the
cases against Gompers and his as
sociates now pending in the supreme
Court This contract was entered into
during the life OF Van Cleave.