Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1921-04-26
LABOR IS WORRIED
OVER DECISION Of
SUPREME COURT
BY RALPH BARTON
Ueased Wire Service to The Journal.)
Copyright, 1927

WASHINGTON, Apr. 23.-Leaders
of organized labor, it became known
today, are much concerned over
what they consider the anti-labor
possibilities of the decision of the
United States supreme court in the
Ball rent law case, which upholds
law passed by congress for the
District Of Columbia and similar
rental laws in certain states for the
protection Of tenants.
Although the decision, so far as
ly gratifying to labor, there is a
feeling in some quarters that it may
establish a precedent that will be
used to labor's detriment. 1t is not,
of course, for a moment believed
that the decision incorporates any
thing in the way of a Joker" or
that the present court would seek
to interpret the case against labor.
The feeling among these labor
men, comparatively few in number
who have as yet given the matter
serious thought, is, however, that
the decision upholds the right of
eminent domain and the police power
as supreme in public emergencies
and that this supremacy extends
even to the point of fixing prices
If rental values can be fixed, it is
the contention of these labor lead
ers, it might later be held by the
well. The combination of the rent
law decision with that which was
handed down in the famous Duplex
case recently, involving the Clay
ton act, has directed their attention
particularly to the situation.
In the Duplex case, the court ap-
parently gave little consideration to
the wording of the Clayton act that
article of commerce" Samuel Com
pers and his associates made
bitter fight to have that wording
incorporated in the act. and consid
cred that they had won a great vic
tory when they finally succeeded.
from the point of view of organized
labor, as one of the greatest re-
verses the labor movement has met
IN a decade or more, practically
placed legal ban on the use by
labor of the sympathetic strike or
Fureseth, president of the Seaman's
union, was considered by labor men
one of the foremost authorities on
constitutional law in the labor move
ment, held at the time that the clause
providing that labor is not COM
was the real crux of the situation
but Shat this clause had been ig-
nored by the court in its decision,
If the practical effect OF. the Du-
pick decision was to nul1ify that
wording in the Clayton act, and if
labor is to be treated as a commod-
ity, the rent law decision night
very we'll, it is contended, be mad
the basis for the fixing of wages
wherever public emergency" could
be invoked. 1t IS this feature of the
decision that IS giving executives
concern and the full text of the
decision Will be studied carefully.
it is expected: by experts among
the federation officials or by outside
counsel.
Labor's recently announced inten-
ton to disregard certain judicial
mandates aroused much interest and
a great deal of opposition through
out the country. The rent law de-
cision, if it is made the preceden+
for fixing wages. would, labor men
contend. lead practically to a con-
ever much the fact might be camou-
flaged. A reactionary judge in
lower court might assume powers,
following the reasoning advanced in
the majority opinion in this case;
that would be highly detrimental
to organized labor.
Officials of the rent commission
doubt that the decision would be
used in a way to Cypress labor, and
union officers hope naturally enough
that this view Is correct. Moth
ing, however. will be taken for
granted, and if it appears that the
scope of the decision might be ex-
tended to cover wages presumably
legislation would be sought that
would make such an extension i'm
possible.