New Britain herald., 1915-03-17
LABOR BILL BITTERLY
OPPOSED AT HEARING
Shpnan, ktneaIy and Day Score
boycott and PiCketinQ Measure.


Hartford, March 17-Labor lead
ers gathered at the capitol from all
parts Of the state yesterday to appear
before the legislative committee on la
Dor in favor of a bill which, it is
claimed, would in effect legalize the
boycott and picketing in labor dis
putes. The bill, which would give
trades unions the right to wage cam
paigns against the purchasing of the
goods Of employers who fought them
and would permit the "peaceable pic
ketlng' of shops in which there was
strike, was bitterly opposed by A.
l.. Shipman Of Hartford, represent
ing the Manufacturers association,
and by Michael Kenealy of Stamford
and Edward A. Day of Hartford, rep
resenting the Shore Line Electric
company and the Connecticut COM
pany, respectively.
Some OF those who spoke in favor
of the bill were julius Stremlau
president Of the State Federation Of
LABOR; Sol Sonth elmer, representing
the Hartford Central Labor Union:
Jas)er McLevy of Bridgeport, first
vice president of the State Federation
or Labor; William Ryan, represent
ing the Meriden Central Labor Union;
Carl Lang, Bridgeport Central Labor
Union; j. F. McGrath, New Britain
Carpenters Union; James f. Flana-
gan, Bridgeport Trolleymen's Union,
and A. H. Bartlett, head of the build
ing trades section of the State Fed
GRAFTON of Labor.
Introduced by German.
The bill, which was introduced by
Representative Martin German of
Danbury, is in the form of an amend
ment to section 1896 of the general
statutes. This is the statute under
which arrests have been made for
the picketing of factories on the
ground that this is intimidation. The
labor leaders claimed that this sta
tute had been SO construed by the
courts that it worked harmfully to
them. 1t prevented them from try
ing to persuade prospective strike
breakers from taking the places of
strikers. They wanted this right,
providing they do it in a peaceab,e
manner and without intimidation.
They want the right to picket fac
tories and inform prospective strike
breakers of the reason why they had
struck. None of them touched upon
the boycott feature.
This law would legalize boycotting
and picketing, said Mr.. Shipman in
pehalf OF the Manufacturers associa-
tlon III you are contemplating legal
1zlng the boycott, you are contemplat-
ing anarchy he told the committee.
lie spoke of the Danbury Hatters'
case, IN which the employers sued the
unions and secured large damages.
He called attention also to the opin-
ions expressed by many judges that
there could be no such thing as
"peaceable picketing' in labor trou-
bles.
MIR. Kenealy was very strong in his
opposition to this bill. He said it
would upset the whole legal system
of the state. The present law gives
the strikers the right to talk to strike
breakers and to explain to them the
causes of the strike Any extension
Of this would be granting special
privileges to labor unions.
Text of Bill
Section 1896 Of the general statutes
shall be amended by adding thereto
new paragraph at the end thereof,
to read as follows: Provided, how
ever, that any orderly and peaceable
act, assembly or corporation of trade
unions or members of such trade
unions done or undertaken in fur
therance of a trade dispute, individ-
ually or collectively, shall not be con-
strued as a violation of this section.
and shall be lawful
me said section shall be further
amended by adding thereto as new
sections, to following provisions to be
known respectively as sections 1896
A, 1926 B and 1896 c., and to read
as follows:-
1926 A. It shall be lawful for one
Or more persons acting on their own
behalf or on behalf of a trade union
in contemplation or furtherance of a
trade dispute to abstain from work
ing for any employer, and to induce
other Workmen to abstain from work
! ing for such employer to abstain from
purchasing the products or patroniz-
ing the business of any employer, and
| to induce others to so abstain from
| purchasing such products or patroniz-
| ing such business; to attend at OF
near house Or place where per
son resides or works or carries or
business or happens to be, if they sc
attend for the purpose of peacefully
| obtaining or communicating Informal
ton or of peacefully persuading any
! person to abstain from working, p,lr.
! chasing or patronizing as above SCI
! forth.
Dispute Not ActionabIc,
1896 B. An act done by a person
| in contem platiOn or furtherance of 2