Atlanta tri-weekly journal. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1920-19??, 1922-09-26
DEATH BLOW SEEN
i, FOR ALL BIC UNIONS
IN RAIL INJUNCTION
Country : Wide Temporary
Injunction Asked by At
torney General Is Granted
by Judge .WiIkerSon

CHICAGO, Sept. 24.-Holding the
railway shopmen's strike a conspira.
cy in restraint of trade, interference
OF interstate commerce and carriage
or the mails, because where minds
meet together on such a purpose a
conspiracy is existing without ever,
a word being spoken" Judge James
III. Wilkerson, in United States dis
. trict court today, sustained the gov
ernment's- plea for a countrywide
temporary injunction against striK.
ing railroad crafts.
The decision was hailed as one of
the most significant for law and or.
der ever read into the records of the
judiciary by Attorney General
Daugherty and Assistant Attorney
General Mclaughlin, who presented
the governments case. Donald r.
Richberg, of counsel for the shop
men, said he would take an appeal
at once from the ruling.
While the decision was interpreted
as holding in effect that the strikers
were accountable for acts of vio-
lence, whether these acts were COM
mitted by the strikers or not, its
exact form will be argued before
Judge Wilkerson next Monday. pen
ding which he continued in effect
the present restraining order.
The restraining order granted the
government is expected to prohibit
strikers from: Interfering with op-
Grafton, repairs and employment on
the roads. Conspiring to interfere
Lettering or trespassing On the
railway property. Attempting to in
duce road employees to quit, or to
prevent persons from seeking en-
ployment with the roads. Picketing.
Harming employees or would-be EN-
ployes, or visiting their homes. Hin
dering transportation. Encouraging
or directing employees (union mem
bers of others) to stop work or others
to refrain from seeking work. Is
suing instructions or public state
ments which might have same Ell
feet. Using union funds for pur-
pose TO be enjoincd as above.
In statement tonight Mr.. Rich
berg said he interpreted the decision
as a death blow to all big unions, be-
cause it will render them powerless,
nationally, if it IS upheld by the
higher courts.
THE decision, as I interpret it,
nlaan<.--that-t he-nniens- will be liable
= for any unlawful act committed in
connection with union strike, re-
CARELESS Of who commits it, he
said.
THAT means that there can be
no national strikes. When there
IS a national strike with thousands
of men involved there are bound to
be some acts which technically
would be in violation of this injunc-
ton. Since the unions would be
held responsible for these acts, they
could not call a strike without
eventually having all their leaders
in JAIL
Mr.. Richberg said that an appeal
would be taken regardless of the
technical form the temporary to be
Issued Monday takes, and asserted
his intention CT calling 3. M. Jewell
shop crafts leader, and other strik-
ers' officials in an effort to prove that
the shop crafts organization had. no
connection withN Any unlawful acts.
I S. M. Bolton, head of the western
= division of the Association of Rail.
way Executives. said that while he
had not carefully read the decision
as yet, he believed it to be quite
right and just" Other railroad ex-
ecutives refused to comment on the
decision, declaring it to be a matter
between TIE government and tho
shop crafts unloIf m which the rail-
roads were not directly concerned.