The Butler County press. [volume] (Hamilton, Ohio) 1900-1946, 1918-11-08
Higher Court Rules That Judge
Safer Had No Jurisdiction
In The Case.

fore the office entrance in running or
der, and Mr. Wood rushed out, passed
the committee, ignoring them COM
pletely, jumped in his machine and
drove away.
The committee after hanging around
nearly all day without being able to
secure an audience with the manager
Of the Niles company, called Mr.. f
G. Ruder and explained to him the
situation and urged that he secure, if
possible, an audience for them with
Mr. Wood Mr.. Ruder agreed to do
what he could and for that purpose
called upon Mr.. Wood, but reported
back that Mr. Wood said there was
nothing to discuss. The committee
knowing if they returned to the shop
with report such as that, that the
molders would again lay down their
tools and quit To avoid this they
waited around until long after quitting
time, until all the men had gone to
their homes, 50 that they could get
their coats which were in the shop.
The next morning, Thursday, it was
decided unless the company sent for
the committee during that day, to hold
a special meeting that night to decide
upon some definite action. No call
coming from the company during the
day, the molders met that night IN
Trades Council hall After hearing the
report of the committee it was de
cided to give the company until 8
o'clock the next morning to receive
the committee and adjusted matters.
Mr. Wood, upon being notified Of
the action taken by the molders, and
realizing that they meant business,
agreed to receive the committee. The
committee called promptly, but Mr..
Wood, in order to let them know and
feel that he could do it, compelled them
to wait half hour before allowing
them to be admitted and presented to
his lordship The committee remained
in the office until just before the noon
hour and all thought from this that
everything was being satisfactorily
adjusted but they reported that all
they received from Mr. Wood was a
nice bawling out and a lecture on in
gratitude.
All the union and fair molders i'm
mediately packed their tools and de-
parted, saying, I'VE will never return
until the Niles foundry is made a un-
ion shop" And we might add that
every man, with the exception of two,
has kept that vow The men immedi-
ately picketed the shop and it was I'M
possible for the company to induce
molders to go to work in the plant.
The company then began to carry
out plans which no doubt had been
prepared long before, for the bust
ing" of the iron molders' union The
Atlas Hotel, since become famous as
the miles White Elephant" was pur-
chased at an enormous cost and filled
up with bunch of the real article of
non-unionists and men secured, so
some of them claim, by misrepresen-
tation on the part of the company's
representatives The pickets, always
on the job, night and day, wet or dry,
hot or cold, persuaded so many of the
knights of the road to leave the city,
that the company just couldn't keep
a running force going. They then re-
sorted to the courts,
On September 14th of last year, up
on application of the Niles -Bement-
Pond Co., Judge Safer of the U. S.
District Court at Columbus, granted
a temporary restraining order against
the molders interfering with the Niles
employees. Later hearing the case on
its merits, in Cincinnati, Judge Safer
granted and made permanent what is
conceded one of the most sweeping in
functions ever granted against labor
anywhere He enjoined Molders' Un.
ion No. 68 ct al, from interfering
with the Niles employees whatever.
The "et al' seemed to cover every
man, woman and child in the city, their
uncles, aunts and grandmothers. Any
one who went near or looked at the
Niles plant was liable for contempt
of court if any of the guards or scabs
complained. And the union molders-
they didn't dare look at the plant from
the west bank of the Miami river
Judge Safer said the union men
might approach those working and re-
quest them to stay off the job, but
must not use violence Sure not. But
if union man should attempt to ap-
proach one of the workers and he
claimed the union man threatened