The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-12-31
The POindexter Bill
Shackles Millions
BY LAURENCE TODD


were voted upon the wrists of 3,000,-
600 railroad employees and hundreds
of thousands perhaps millions 49,
of workers in harbor, terminal and
water transportation, when the SEN
ate on Thursday passed without a
record vote the Poindexter bill pro-
hiblting strikes and strike agitation
in the railroad and allied industries.
Only half dozen senators
were present when the bill came
up, on the calendar, and it was
run through the legislative mill
without a word of discussion.
PolndeXter had assured a legisla-
tive agent of the railroad brother
hoods earlier in the week that he did
not intend to take the anti-strike bill
up this session. However, some
months ago he gave them notice that
he would put it through as soon as
congress resumed work in December.
Brotherhood men intimated
that the action of the senate in
declaring war upon the railroad
workers in this provocative fash
ion was more significant of reck-
less responsibility than any
thing yet put on the statute
books since the old guard came
back to power.
Andrew Furuseth, president of the
international Seamen's union, was
not certain that the bill applies to
sailors, since they are not under the
provisions of the interstate commerce
act; however, the section of the
Poindexter bill which prohibits
threats or menace of any kind"
against persons employed in "any
means or agency of such commerce."
might apply to seamen as it applies
to workers in locomotive shops or
possibly coal mines serving railroads.
The bill makes it felony, punish
able by $4,000 fine and 10 years i'm
prlsonment, for any person to at
tempt to persuade or advise any en-
ploye of an interstate carrier under
the interstate commerce act to quit
his employment-whether the at
tempt be made by word of mouth or
by printed or written message or
otherwise-"with intent to obstruct,
hinder, delay or prevent the move
ment of commodities in commerce
with foreign nations or among the
several states"
Section 2, makes it a felony pun
ishable by $4,000 fine and Is years
Imprisonment for anyone, with the
same obstructive intent, to seek by
force or violence or by threats or
menace Of any kind" to prevent any
person from working Sin the produc-
ton, care, maintenance or operation
of any means or agency" of such
commerce.
The committee report pre-
scented by Poindexter explains
that this would apply to loco
motive works and possibly to
coal mines producing coal for
railroads use, and to other in
dustries maintaining the railroad
industry.
Section 3 makes it felony pun
sable by $4,000 fine and 10 years
Imprisonment for anyone, with OBJ
structive intent, to injure, disable or
destroy any car, bridge, track, ship
OF "'any other means or agency of
such commerce." or advise or per-
suade others to do so.
oeClloI IiletheS IL unlawful anu
punishable by $500 fine and six
months Imprisonment for two or
more employees of common carrier
subject to the wage tribunal of the
federal act, to center into any COM
bination or agreement with the in
,ent substantially to hinder, restrain,
or prevent the operation of trains or
other facilities of transportation for
he movement of commodities or per-
sons in interstate commerce, or
substantially to hinder,
restrain or prevent the operation of
trains or other facilities of transpor-
alton" as the result of such an I'M
1erstanding or purpose.
In its report, the senate commit
tee on interstate commerce says of
The purpose of this bill: "In fact,
he destruction, by any means, of
railroad transportation would lead to
he suffering and death of large por-
lions of the population, causing revo-
luton and necessitating the re-estab-
lishment of our social state upon a
different and inferior basis"
At the bottom of the measure
At the bottom of the measure
is blandly tackled on a section
which says that Nothing in this
act shall be taken to deny to any
individual the right to quit his
employment for any reason"
But if any of the 100000 rail-
road workers agrees with any other
railroad worker to quit his job, as
means of forcing a living rate of
wages by temporary "hindering" the
operation of train, he may be jailed
and fined.
Railroad lobbyists were de-
lighted with the days work.
Coming so soon after the cleo
ticn, they took the cOmplaisant
mood of the old guard senators
to indicate that "the sky will be
the limit" to anti-labOr legisla-
ton for the coming two years.
LaFollette, on the other hand, ex.
poets to make the old guard reverse
itself and explain that the bill was
passed through mistake" Fear of
LaFollette is greater under a Re-
publican regime than under the DEM
ocratic, since he has power to create
division in the ranks of the ruling
majority.