The Parisian. (Paris, Tenn.) 1907-1962, 1920-03-12
SHOPMEN AT WORK
PENDING HEARING
OF CASE TONIGHT
Chancellor Ross Comes To Paris Fri
day Night To Hear Petition of
Shopmen for Injunction.
WOULD SUSPEND ORDER
COUNTY BOARD HEALTH
Insist No Small Pox Cases Have Ever
Been in Any of Their Families;
None Exposed To Same.

Insisting that "no small pox has
ever been in any of their families,
and that none of them have been ex-
posed to small pox", the employees Of
the Louisville & Nashville local
rail road shops have petitioned Chan
cellor J. W. Ross of the Chancery
Court for an injunction prohibiting
the county board of health from re-
straining employees of the shops from
their work without vaccination cer-
| tifcate showing they have either had
small pox or have been vaccinated in
the last five years.
The petition will be heard here to-
night, Friday, when Chancellor Ross
Twill preside. 1t seems to have grown
out of an order issued by the county
board of health prohibiting employees
from entering upon their duties with
out such vaccination certificate re-
ferred to above, and this order fol-
lowed previous bulletin advice issued
on February goth to the effect that
should three more cases of small pox
develop thereafter in the families of
men in the shops said certificate
would thereafter be demanded, etc.
The latter order delivered in the
form of bulletin on February 29th,
stating that three more cases had
appeared, and making the showing of
certificates effective March End. The
matter thereafter hung fire for sever
al days and on last Monday, follow
ing notice from the county board of
health that men showing up for
work without vaccination certificates
would be arrested, the shop men walk
ed out, leaving their work and asked
Circuit Judge Harwood for an order
restraining the board from carrying
out the provisions of the order Be-
ing outside the authority of the cir
cult court, Judge Harwood referred
the petitioners to the Chancery
Court. The matter was taken to
Jackson Monday night, and Chancel-
lor Ross announced he would hear
the argument in Paris on tonight,
4 Friday.
II Lewis & Rhodes represent the
complainants, and Bryant & Bryant
represent the defendants, the county
board of health.
Defendants Deny Allegations.
| Answering the bill of complaint of
the shop men, the county board of
health, among other things declares
that there have been cases of small
pox within the families of employees
Of the railroad shops and insists that
prior to the order issued by the
board of health on February goth
that there were nine specific cases.
The answer also sets forth the names
of the three individuals it is claimed
developed small pox subsequent
thereto, and which brought forth an
insistence upon the compliance Of
the vaccination requirements The
board Of health insists that they have
acted in the utmost good faith in
undertaking the restriction and sup
preston of small pox in the county;
that they have tried to do their duty
without fear or favor" The latter
being in answer to the allegations
in the shop mems bill that the order
of the board in "unwarranted, UNI
reasonable, oppressive and ruinous."
1t is also insisted that same is not the
act of the county health board, but
the act only of the county health Of
fieer. The allegation is fully denied
in the answer to the bill
The conclusion of the bill of COM
plant of the shop men prays "that an
injunction be granted, restraining the
defendants, or any of them, and all
other parties from interfering with
their labor, and their rights to labor
! at the shops in their daily avocations,
, and that your Honor declare and hold
that the order hereto attached, and
the notice placed at the shops this
morning, is unwarrantea and not eff
fective, and that your Honor declare
upon final hearing that this order was
indicative, oppressive and unwar~
ranted, and void for the reason that
it was never authorized by the county
! board of health as body. And that
they have such other, further and
n general relief as they be entitled to
l. at the hearing"
l. Following the filing of the petition
e for injunction Monday evening, the
l. shopmen returned to work Tuesday
Il morning pending the final hearing or
n today, when Chancellor Ross will an.
nounce his decision.