Great Falls daily tribune. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1895-1921, 1919-11-01
LABOR OFFICIALS
PROTEST COURT
ACTION IN STRIKE
Palmer Tells Gompers
\ Injunction Is Aimed
/ Against Leaders.
government WANTS TO
SET WALKOUT ADR|FT

Washington, Oct. 31.-Railroad union
officials comforting late today with At
torney General Palmer. entered no pro-
test against the injunction issued ia In
tlinnapolis against the calling off Of the
coal strike and rendered the good offices
Of their organizations in attempting to
arrange a settlement of the strike.
The attorney general told the rail
road union chiefs, as well as Samuel
Gompers, president of the American Fed
eration Of Labor. with whom be conferred
after the meeting with the railroad men.
that he did not believe it would be neces-
sary to use any other power than the
courts TO protect the government.
A. r. /. Alone Protests.
Officials Of the Federation Of Labor
protested to the attorney general against
the action of the government in obtain
ing an Injunction in the coal strike.
Samuel Gompers. president of the fed
Grafton. did not accompany the delega-
tion, but an engagement was made for
him and he saw the attorney general
later
The federation officials declared the in
junction violated the rights Of union
labor and indicated that the coal miners
would have their support in anv fight
brought to dissolve the injunction. Mr..
Palmer reiterated that the government
was proceeding solely against one union
which, he declared, was trying to violate
the law. He said the right to strike was
not involved.
1t is understood that there has been
no change in the policy of the govern
ment as a result of the representations
of the union men.
President Ready to Act
Mr.. Gompers, Secretary Morrison and
Matthew VOL, vice president Of the
American Federation Of Labor, confer
red with Mr. Palmer for an hour and a
half. but they declined to make any
statement Mr.. Gompers said he might
have something to say later
The representatives of the four rail-
road brotherhoods who accompanied the
A II. l.. delegation. included Warren
S. Stone. grand chief of the engineers.
conductors.
Mr.. Palmer said he told the union
men that they were at liberty to say
to either side in the strike that the
president was ready TO act Immediate
~ to have the controversy settled
amicably whenever the strike was called
off
A. r. L. Attitude Preferred
President Gompers and other officials
of the American Federation of Labor
are said. however. to have urged their
views on the matter of the injunction
in their conference with the attorney
general.
II explained the necessity for the ac-
ton Mr. Palmer said .and the manner
in which this case must be differentiat-
ed on its facts from all other cases ID
which injunctions have been used. / have
been opposed, and the administration has
been opposed. to government injunction,
whereby employers might use the pro-
cesses of the courts on an ex-parte hear
ing to force their employees into submis
sion.
U. S. Taking Paralysis Cure.
This is the government itself, using
its own courts, TO protect itself from
paralysis. 1t is not an injunction obtain
ed by employers. not for the benefit of
employers, not to settle the controversy.
but to save the people Of the entire
country from disaster. 1t does not af-
feet the right of man to work when
he pleases."
In this connection Mr.. Palmer ex-
planned that the petition for injunction
as prepared by the government seeks
10 restrain the officers of the United
Mine Workers from doing anything in
furtherance of the strike order.
Continued on Page Two)