Evening journal., 1914-06-18
OPPOSE clayton
ANTITRUST BILL
The Chamber of Commerce
Thinks Measure Unfair
TO General Business
SEND BULLETINS
ON THE SUBJECT

General Secretary Neil b. Sinclair,
of the Chamber OF Commerce, yestor-
day sent to all the members of the
trade body bulletin bearing upon the
enactment OF laws discriminating
against business in favor of labor and
agriculture as embodied in the Clay
ton Antitrust bill now pending in
Congress, and registering a vigorous
protest against the passage of the bill
In it's present form.
The bulletin follows:
10 the Members of the Chamber OF
Commerce, Dell Wilmington, Del.
Gentlemen:
The situation regarding pending
legislation In Congress is such that
no time should be lost In writing or
telegraphing TO our Senators i'm Con-
gress, and following up such tele-
grams by personal letters of protest
against the proposed unjust discrimi-
nation against business and in favor
of labor and agriculture included in
various bills awaiting passage Such
protests, as we have been making
should not I'm this crisis be confined
TO action by the Chamber of Com
merce alone. but each member afli-
Hated with this Chamber should pre-
sent the matter to each of our Sena-
tors. with a view to making their
protests personally felt
In Referendum No. s., of the Cham
Der of Commerce of the United States
of America, which closed on June IA,
| 1913, and in the resolution adopted
unanimously at the last annual meet
. ftN 90
the United States of America, the
members of that body have placed
themselves squarely on record as
against class legislation and the ex-
emption of labor and agricultural or
ganizations from the Sherman Act
| Referendum No was on the Ques-
tion of placing on the appropriation
! for enforcement OF antitrust laws, a
prohibition of its use for the prose-
cution of labor and agricultural COM
binations. Such a prohibition was
included in the Sundry Civil Appro-
Driation Bill, making appropriations
| for the year ending June 30, 1914.
/ The vote against the prohibition was
! 669 TO 9 I'm favor. President Wilson
/ did not veto this bill, but on signing
| II issued a statement, in which he
/ said that II he could have separated
this particular item from the rest of
the bill he would have vetoed It, and
that ne signed the bill on the assur-
ance that other appropriations sup
Dlied the Department of Justice with
abundant funds to enforce the law.
The Sunday Civil Appropriations
Bill Oh. r. 17041), making appropri-
ations for the year ending June 90.
1915. was reported In the House last
Thursday and contains the identical
clause which was condemned In the
Chambers referendum of last year
and which the President last year
said he would have vetoed had he
been able to separate this item from
the rest Of the bill. The bill is now
under debate in the House. (See ap-
Dendix b
The Clayton antitrust bill CH. r.
1860, as IL passed the House of Re
representatives. last Friday contained
two provisions unwarrantably dis
eliminating against business in favor
of labor and agriculture. The first
is contained in Section z and relates
to the prosecution of labor and agri-
cultural organizations under the anti
trust laws. The second is in Section
is and would prevent the courts from
using the ordinary process of iniunc-
tion against certain specified methods
employed by labor unions i'm conduct
ing strikes. (See Appendix b
Through the insistent efforts of the
representatives of organized labor to
secure exemption from prosecution
under the antitrust acts for labor
and agricultural organizations, both
these provisions I'm the Clayton bill
were amended last week just prior to
passage. The amendment TO Section
is-as was pointed out frequently
I'm the dehate-sO ambiguously drawn
as absolutely to defy certain inter
b nretation Yet this blind clause. car
rying one meaning 10 organized labor
/ and an opposite meaning to those
who favor it, but are opposed to class
discrimination, passed the House by
a vote Of 207 TO 0. The president, In
! a published interview, is quoted as
e stating that the amendment is merely
2 declaratOry of existing law. but
opinions were expressed in the de.
e bate, and have been expressed 10y
, lawyers who have been consulted
e which give color 10 the belief helt
:, elsewhere that the amendment is
y ptacucal exemption OF labor anC
{ agricultural organizations from pro
!, secutiOn under the Sherman Act. Tn
d der any Interpretation the clause IL
n discriminatory. (See Appendix A)
The power to issue iniunctions g.
. tO be limited only I'm the case of dis
d Dutes between employers and en-
10 Dloyees. Its use is prohibited in cas-
e of certain methods employed by or
d ganized labor I'm industrial warfare
The amendment TO Section is, adde,
e Just before passage by the Houss
d Drescribes that none of these specifiel
methods Of warfare shall be con
5 sidered OF held unlawful.
The three clauses taken togethe
indicate clearly a deliberate purpos
: more attention TO this part of GU
duty