Fitzgerald leader enterprise and press. (Fitzgerald, Ben Hill County, Ga.) 1921-1964, 1921-04-19

William Schley Howard OF Deca-
tur, former United States Congress
man, declared the strikers on the At
lanta, Birmingham and Atlantic to
be wholly within their rights in the
wage controversy and that he would
carry an appeal from the United
States district courts to the supreme
court IF necessary to establish their
rights.
Extracts From Speech of Hon. VIII
liam Schley Howard, At Grand OPP
era House, Fitzgerald, Ga, April
18th, 1921.
We passed what is known as the
Adamson Law. We passed it by mu-
tual consecutive did that In the
Adamson act we NOT only stipulated
the hours of service but we went fur
Their and stipulated the pay that those
men should receive for six months
That act was attacked, the Supreme
Court of the United States in the case
of Wilson VS. New 1t was decided
that the act was constitutional and
it may do whatever it saw fit to do in
the way OF regulating interstate COM
merce Now | say when these mis-
understandings come about people
take sides. 1t is natural for folks to
take sides and when they take sides,
the are going to talk and lot of
times people talk when they don't
know what they are talking. accused
my wife that one time, only once,
(applause)
Now what is theory and what is
law. Way back yonder in 1883 men
were not well organized and capital
was in incipiency of organization and
finally capital closed commerce in
cobination-gigantic in proportion
they absolutely controlled and on the
other hand the only asset the indus
tries had was brain and muscle as
against the capital. These men sought
to protect themselves against unjust
discrimination, therefore out of that
situation sprung To-Day the most sig
nificant organization of mankind, the
coming together of men for the pro-
lection of their homes, their children,
and their principle. Why worm will
attempt to protect itself if you seek
to crush it with your foot. I have yet
to find in nature that the Great Max
Ter of all creatures did not give il some
instrument by which to protect itself.
First Anti-Strike Law
Congress saw this coming in 1888
and we passed law, kno IN as an act
sought to establish Board of Media
ton, the chairman of Interstate Com
merce Commission and the Commits
sioner of Labor In 1897 the Erdman
act was substituted or fthe tn act of
1883 carrying with it practically the
same provisions. So in 1918 there was
passed the Newland's act that you
have heard so much about, a breathing
spell so to speak.
If there was a controversy under
the provisions of the Newlands Act,
which my partner and myself in our
humble and inefficient manner sought
to maintain before the court the other
day, the constitutionality of that act,
the court practically said to US, and
said to representative Of the national
Government, who was especially des-
ignated by Attorney General to APP
pear as counsel of the Government of
the United States to protect the in
tegrty of the act-The Judge practi-
cally said to us that we were wasting
our time arguing that act as he had
no doubt about the constitutionality
of that act.
| Road Ignorant of Law
The Birmingham Trust & Savings
Co, and the A. B. & A. after discus
sion did not know there was such
law on EARTH, and | will attribute it
to their ignorance of the law, but it is
mighty hard to make me believe that
RUDE Arnold ignorant about any
thing, did not know that you and
were paying taxes to sustain the laws
that require you to live by and me to
live by. which sad that beofre you
could reduce wages as Receiver that
you had to give these men 20 days
notice of the proposed reduction and
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