The Detroit times., 1912-05-06

union town and there Is large fol
lowing of Socialists, all or whom arr
actively interestin gthemselves In be
half OF the strikers. The Socialist
vote for mayor of Kalamazoo az the
last election, was loo. one hundred
more than the vote for the Republic
can candidate and within 500 OF the
Democratic candidate, who was elect
ed. There are about 1920 members
OF the Kalamazoo Trades G. Labor
council and the total number OF wage
earners in the city is estimated al s..
t000.
Kalamazoo has been expecting seri.
Gus trouble TO grow out OF the situa.
ton at the corset factory since Feb
ruary, 1911, when the company at.
tempted TO cut the employees wages
20 per cent. The employees were not
organized. but they quit at once At
| ter a number OF serious street demon
| STATIONS the company agreed to re-
instate the former wage scale and the
employees went back, but more trou-
bic was anticipated
The employees were far from being
satisfied with merely a return to their
former wages. They considered those
wages too low and the leaders ask
ed the International Ladies' Garment
Workers TO send a norganizer to Kali
amazoo with a view to preparing a
| demand for higher wages when the
years agreement with the company
had expired.
Half Of Employees unlonized.
Miss Casey was sent to Kalamazoo
last fall She il 80 years OF age, and
of slight build. To her was entrusted
the task OF unionizing one Of Kalama-
zoos greatest industries. She ap-
preached the task undaunted, being a
forceful talker and possessing great
physical vigor. BY February of this
year she had nearly 400 OF the 500 wo-
men employed in the plant enrolled in
the union. She also had nearly 100
men enrolled and OF these about 90
went on strike with the women, the
total number TO strike being 400. The
company imported men and women TO
I'LL their places and continued on un-
interrupted until the strikers began
to coerce these into resigning their
positions.
| The company went into court few
days after the strike was called and
got an injunction against members OF
the garment workers union from pick
citing the premises. Union sympathiz-
ers then began to take up the work
and the company went before Judge
Knappen and got a blanket Injunction
to prevent any one from picketing or
attempting to coerce the employees
from leaving the factory. This order
seemed to be effective until last week
when the strikers held mass meeting
and adopted a resolution to go on the
street surrounding the factory and test
the courts order. They construed the
order to mean that they could not
| converse with any OF the employees in
| the vicinity of the plant and their at
torney cautioned them not to do so.
But the women went ahead and be-
came holder each day until the com.
pany's officials charged that they had
violated the courts Injunction and the
court cited them to show cause why
] they should not be punished for con
tempt.
| The women on whom copies Of the
citation were served went to the plant
Tuesday and waved them In the faces
OF the employees. The latter say they
| were called vile names and complained
to their employers, while the strikers
say the employees took the aggressive
and that the employees applied cpl
thets to the strikers. The company
Immediately appealed to Judge KNAPP
pen and an attachment was issued for
the six women and three men who
were sent to jail.
| There was no other alternative fol-
me-" said Judge Knappen. The com
pany swore to a complaint charging
that the strikers were disobeying the
| Injunction. II the charge Is false the
defendants have redress In civil suits
for damages.
| Il do not think the purpose Of the
law could be fulfilled in any other way
than by the course took There was
| immediate danger to property. The
women were offered bail, but they re-
fused 1t. They wanted to pose as mar
tyrs. But for that they could be en-
Ijoying their freedom until they could
be given hearing, Monday morning.
| you may say that I shall pursue
the same course in every instance
intend TO maintain order about that
| factory at all hazards and IL any more
| strinkers are caught violating my in
junction they shall be dealt with as
were these women. do not purpose
to take chance on letting the trouble
get out Of hand.
Doesn't Believe In Jury Trial.
Il do not believe that a jury tria!
before Imprisonment for contempt oil
court is a wise thing. and ! believe
this case is a good example OF my be
lief. No one Is more capable o. inter
preting my injunction than | myself
A jury picked up in such case al
such time might be easily swayed
from the law and sane determination
Eof the questions at issue"
The defendants must answer 70
charges OF contempt OF court, the sec
ond complaint, on which they were
arrested, having been made after the
first complaint that they had violated
the courts Injunction. II is the pur
pose OF the union sympathizers to con
tinue TO picket the factory and an OH
cial who had thorough knowledge oil
a as