The sun., 1910-01-02

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pene Bis RusIDeSs by = National
Bsycott Instituted After . strike
Caused BY HIs Refusal to UnioniZe
fiis Factory American Fedora
4, sis5 sf Labor and the United IIaiters
N Of North America Involved In the
Csse-Methods or Labor Unions De-
scrtbed I'm the Testimony-Thrcats
md noycetts Against Merchants who
Handled Leewe's Goods willing
20 spend s73, 900 TO Get" Loewe.
i Following right in line after the Bucks
Stove case. in which President Samuel
Gompers OF the American Federation of
Labor figured prominently. there is being
tried before the United States District
Court at Hartford. Conn, lawsuit which
u virtuaIly brought against the American
Esdaration Of Labor by a hat manufac-
tprer az Dsnbury.
y. y. Loewe 4 CO., manufacturers Of
Rnft felt hats. felt the effect Of the union
F'2inx policy Of the American Federation
Z 81 Labor on July rs. 1903. when their
esnpIoyess were called out on a strike
bscapse Mr.. Loewe refused TO unionize his
shop and for the next year or two vigor-
cur boycott was maintained against the
sails ofthe firm . hats. MIR Loewe, backed
W TIE American Anti Boycott Association.
Bhioh was formed for tho purpose OF
ns<ietinS him in his fight. brought suit
< against the 24O union strikers who left his
ctnploy. alleging conspiracy in restraint
n trade under the Sherman antitrust
law, and levied an attachment for $3.50 900
~ TIE homes and bank deposits of the men,
The United Hatters Of North America
!, under whose auspices the strike had been
E 6eciarsd. came to the assistance of the
local stvilxere. and the American Fedora
Mon 81 labor came to the assistance of the
. Tinted Hattsrs OF North America.
n since the suit was brought. August 81
+ 9ed3. the questions Of law in the case have
been brought before the attention OF the
United States Supreme Court. and now,
y t1re Demurrer OF the defendants lawyers
by the Supreme Court, the case is being
tried on its merits. The evidence pre-
eohted in tho six weeks the trial has so far
occupied has supplied revelation OF the
methods Of the American Federation OF
+ Labor. The operations Of the agents OF the
American Federation Of Labor. and in
particular the operations Of the various
local unions OF the United Hatters OF
F North America throughout the cour,T--',
4 have bean gone into in detail.
Richmond. Chicago and the cities along
4 this Pacific coast were the scenes of much
Of the work done. The boycott which
was declared against Triest 4 Co. the
dietfibuters Of Loewe hats at San Fran
osco, was efectusl in blocking the sale
Of Loewe hats almost entirely along the
Pacihc coast until an Injunction was Sc
cured by Mr.. Loewe which enabled him
10 resume the sale Of his hats.
NJ The presentation OF the plaintiffs case
was completed Christmas week Il sp-
pears from the evidence that the American
Federation OF Labor had at the time Of
the bringing Of the suit moro than million
md four thousand members, and that il
4 had associated with it 10 national and
International unions. which were in turn
.|WuUyOoeQ OF local unions.
The United HAtters OF North America
10 one of the strongest OF the national
unions that form the American Fedora
: fion Of Labor. II has been waging war
ffars against hat manufacturers for years.
and according to the testimony OF leaders
Of the United Hatters they had succeeded
+. In unionizing all hat shops in the United
] States except twelve. Previously to
|I. ~ nkf I ~ nop
wsged a successful fight by means Of
(, strike and boycott against II. H. Roelofs
Co. Of Philadelphia. 1t cost them
s 80, 900 TO gain their purpose. but they
Z succeeded
af Previously TO the Roelofs boycott they
conducted a successful boycott against
\ y. Berg a Co.. Orange. N. J. They con-
(, duct a paper known as the Journal OF
y kks United HGtters OF North America, in
which. the reports OF their agents are
published. They also have a union label,
which Is put within the sweatband OF all
hats approved by them.
The leading personality in the conduct
of the trial has been Daniel Davenport,
ehief counsel for the plaintiff. From
Judge james p. Platt 10 the youngest Of
I the four counsel arrayed against them.
4 this organizer OF the American Anti
Boycott Association has been recognized
~ the most thoroughly equipped man TO
lay bare the facts 81 the alleged conspiracy.
+ ne wee the lawyer who pushed the Bucks
stove case to a successful issue. His
junior counsel. Walter G. Merritt. is
New York lawyer, but his father has con-
Quoted hat factory in Danbury for years.
and the United Hatters Of North America
hss been his special study.
The lawyers for the defendants are
Ichn X. Beach OF New Haven. John II.
Light of South Norwalk. ex-Congress-
Tnap Robert Il. De Forest OF Bridgeport
and Howard ". Taylor OF Danbury
there were 2iO defendants in addition
20 Martin Lawlor. the secretary Of the
United Hatters, who was first named
4 They are from Danbury. NorwaIk and
Bethel. Since the beginning OF the suit
twenty-six OF the defendants have died.
- H.