Perth Amboy evening news., 1922-06-20

the employers from breaking q
contract which had been entered IN
to with the union and was so slngu-
larly successful that it was houSh
labor might undertake to make fire.
quent use of the weapon so often
used against it. However, union
leaders are so vehemently opposed
to the injunction in indsutrial dis
putes that it seems they will not
seek to use it even when II might
be to their advantage.
Jolts From the Supreme Court
First of a series of jolts which la
Dor received in the supreme court
of the United states was the decl-
sion holding the secondary boycott
to be Illegal. That was not regard
ed as vital to the u of the work
ers, but nevertheless it was a defeat.
Then came the decision declaring
the new child labor law to be I'M
constitutional. The unions had
fought long tot get some kind of a
law regulating or a~bolishinS child
labor, and their hopes in that direc-
ton have now been twice blasted
by the highest court in the land.
The more recent decision of the
supreme court in the Coronado Case
is the most signal defeat h a labor
has met with, however. Under that
decision the liability of the unions
to be prosecuted for restraint or
interstate commerce in violation
of the Sherman Antitrust law has
been established, whereas the lead
ers of labor have always believed
and had reason to believe, that they
and their organizations were I'M
mune from any such attacks. There
was a crumb of comfort for the UNI
ion in the decision for II set ASIDE
a judgment against the
which costs and fees 10
some 100000. and n OF the
Mine Workers to that
which had been tied up by the low
er court, will eventually he released.
The full force and effect OF TINS
decision may not be known for some
time-no until it a been inter-
preted and applied by the courts IN
other cases. On the face OF 1t,
however. it appears that n union
that calls a strike that can be al
legged or shown to be a conspiracy
in restraint of interstate commerce
may be subjected TO an attack sim
liar to the proceedings in the Cor
onAdo Case.
Senator LaFollette. of Wisconsin.
criticised the decision in this case
in a Vigorous public statement IN
which he directed no little part OF
his caustic remarks at Chief Justice
William Howard Taft. Mr.. TAFT. 1t
is interesting to recall, was one OF
the Joint chairman of the National
War Labor Board during the war
and in that position vas
generally regarded as eminently
fair to labor.
While the Coronado Coal Com
pany decision sets aside the money
Judgment rendered against the de-
fendants," said Senator LaFollette,
cit is the most ominous in what II
foreshadows for the future of union
labor in this country"
In these dark hours labor is in a
peculiar position. Nothing would
be so helpful TO its cause as a return
of General business and Industrial
prosperity, while if it resiSts the ag-
gressions that are made against II
conditions are created that neces-
| essarily retard that return more or
less. Workers can drive their best
bargains with capital when bust
ness is booming and when the de-
mand for labor equals or exceed
the supply. Some of the radicals
among them may not realize this
but the conservative leaders are
keenly alive TO the fact that II IL
! safe to say that al this time no
group of men in the country Is pull
ing harder for the return OF Old
! General Prosperity.
For this reason it is quite possible
hat some of the strikes now on
and threatened may not be car
ried as far as has been predicted
Interligent labor does not want 70
| obstruct unnecessarily the GeneraT'
progress.