The Wisconsin tobacco reporter. (Edgerton, Wis.) 1877-1950, 1921-11-04
STOPS UN|ONIZING
IN WEST VIRGINIA
Judge Grants Injunction Against
Workers Organization.
RESTRAINT OF TRADE SEEN
Says Evidence Shows a Cor 7ation,
or Plot, Between the United Mine
Workers and Operators of the
Central Field.

Indianapolis, Nov IAN injunction
directed at stopping the United Mine
Workers of America from efforts to
uniOnize the Williamson coal field in
West Virginia, where miners have
been on strike for more than a year,
was issued by Federal Judge Anderson
on the ground that che union was
seeking to restrain trade.
The court did not deny the right of
workers to organize, but held the min
ers' efforts in West Virginia were in
furtherance of a conspiracy with oper-
atOrs in organized union fields to shut
off the competition of the nonunion
mined coal In discussing with cOun-
sci the text of the order, Judge An
dersOn said he would not enjoin
peaceful efforts of the union to or
game West Virginia
Further in the discussion, the judge
said: II am holding the effort to
unionize West Virginia is unlawful in
itself because it is an effort to sup
press competition" The judge also
said he would enjOin the "check-off''
system of operators deducting union
dues from miners wages.
Can Enjoin Unlawful Acts.
In statement of reasons for issu-
ing the order made before he began
the discussion of the text of the order,
Judge Anderson said:
"This court cannot police West Vir-
ginia, nor does it hold that the
United Mine Workers. union is itself
an unlawful organization, nor will it
in any way attempt to curtail it's law
full activities; but it can enjOin the
unlawful activities of the parties here
in Indiana, who are here now under
the jurisdiction of this court and
temporary injunction to that effect
will be issued"
Judge Anderson, preceding dis
cussiOn of the text of the injunction,
which was asked by the Borderland
Coal corporation and 60 other operators
of the West Virginia field, made a
statement in which he said:
"The bill AYERS and the proof shows
a combination and working arrange
ment-a conspiracy between the
United Mine Workers of America and
the coal operators in the so-called CEN
trail competitive field, to destroy what
some of the conspirators call the
vicious competition of the West Vir-
ginia mines
"The bituminOus coal fields of the
United States are already unionized
except a portion of West Virginia
and a small section of the southwest
ern part of the country, and an effort
to uniOnize the West Virginia mines
is part of an effort to monOpolize all
the coal industry in the United States.
Organize to Raise Prices.
"The method agreed upon and adopt
ed by the conspirators to thus destroy
competition was to organize or union
ize the West Virginia field These
West Virginia operators desire to run
their mines on a nOnunion. basis.
"The effort on the part Of the de-
PENDANTS to unionize these mines, and
thus compel the operators to unwill-
ingly run upon the union basis, would
result either in the suppression of
this nOnuniOn mining altogether or
would put such restrictions on it as
to accomplish the objects of the con-
spiratOrs, namely, raise the price of
the West Virginia product so that it
could not compete with the so-called
competitive field.
"The attempt to do this was con-
tinued for some time by the usual in
cidents of violence and exhibitions of
force, and matters progressed until a
state of war existed in West Virginia
which the state government was I'M
able to put down, and upon the call
of the state authorities the President
of the United States declared martial
law, sent federal troops into West Vir-
ginia and restored order.
1.-THE evidence shows that members
of the mine workers union pur-
chased firearms and ammunition and
otherwise financed the violent activi-
ties in behalf of the unionizing forces
in West Virginia.
'The evidence clearly shows that
the mine operators know-at least
they know nOw-that this money thus
contributed by them through the
'check-off' system is used in this I'M
lawful manner. 1t therefore follows
that the use of such money should be
eniOined, and the carrying on of tha
'check-OH system as a means for rails
ING il should likewise be enioined