The Lake County times. [volume] (Hammond, Ind.) 1906-1933, 1921-04-22
Boycott Case
VIII Last
Much Longer
Pickets Testify in Hearing
to Obtain Temporary
Court Injunction

Hearing on the temporary lhJAhS-
tion asked in the department store
boycott case now being tried in the
Hammond superior court VIII extend
we'll into next week a. the earliest &C
cordinG to attorneys interested. Four
days have already been consumed and
the defense estimates that it will prob
ably take two more days TO get the
rest of their evidence IN
Attorneys for the defendants finish
cd their work Of fling motions TO
strike out certain parts Of the ami
davits submitted. yesterday afternoon
and began calling their own witnesses
T \ Taylor Of Terre Haute, presi-
dent 81 the Indiana Federation Of
Labor was the hrst witness called by
tho defendants lie told Of the con
nectIon between the state and ma
tional organization the manner Of rep
resentstion and then traced tho or
gauization back through the Central
Labor Union Of the cities and counties
to the various union locals OF the dif-
ferent crafts.
President +. F. Baker Of the Retail
Clerks international Protective Asso-
citation Of the United states $40
Canada was tho next witness. He was
called to Hammond when the local or
ganization informed him that a break
had occurred between the union and
the department etore managers when
the latter refused to sign tho new
agreement. Mr.. Baker visited some of
the store managers and was informed
he said. that they could not discuss
the matter with him as 1t IN the
hands OF tho Merchants Association Fl
which Lyman B. Whitezel was presi-
dent
4 conference with Mr. Whitezel re-
suited only In tho information that the
employers had decided not to treat
with any representative OF labor or
ganizations. Later meeting was held
at the court house which had been
called BY Frank Walsh. a mediator or
the Department Of La.bar. which was
attended By representative of the
clerks and managers. Nothing came
Of this meeting further than a repeti-
ton Of the employers assertion that
they would not consider any negotia-
tions looking toward this unionization
81 the help in their stores.
Neither witness would confirm the
statement IN the plaintiffs affidavit
that Mr.. Baker had said that the only
way the stores could do business was
On the closed shop plan.
This morning a number OF the girls
who have been doing picket duty were
called to testify They had been en-
ployed In the stores and the majority
Of them were members of the clerks
union prior TO the date OF the calling
Of the strike. They told OF the In
structions which had been given reIa-
tive TO the manner in which the picket
ing was To be done. They were to car
~ the unfair" cards. walk back and
forth along the outer edge or the side
walks in front Of the three stores
Their instructions were TO stop no
one and TO avoid as much az possible
conversation with everybody They
were to watch the people who entered
the stores and whenever a person
wearing a union button was seen en-
terfng. his name was to be reported to
headquarters providing his identity
was known to the pickets. No atten-
uon was to be paid to persons not
wearing union buttons Of women, even
II known to be wives 81 union mem
bers, they said
Only one girl had any idea what was
done with the names reported 10 the
officials She said the person reported
was visited by a committee and had
the purposes Of the strike explained rs
him The wages paid pickets were sf2
week at tho opening ar the strike
Later this was increased to SIS but
has since been cut to $3.50 They
worked two or three hours daily IT
picket duty
Time Of coming to work was point
sought because the bill Of the plain
tins stated that the girls no longer
patrolled the streets before the store
employees came 10 work and general1v-
left before they came from tn stores IN
the evening. The testimony or several
of the witnesses was that during the
frst few months they reported at labSr
headquarters at 8 o'clock in the morn
ing and went to their beats at $40
o'clock They said they frequently
were on the streets at noon when help
was leaving or entering the stores.
Others testified that the rules h.d
been relaxed lately and the pickets
were not required to be on dutv nnttI
2 o'clock. They said they freouentrv
worked on Saturday evenings.