Evening star., 1922-06-17
LABOR CONDEMNS
CORONADO OPINION
Holding of Unions Open to
Suit in Strikes Called
Law Reversal.
Gy the Associa ted Press.

CINCINNATI. Ohio. June liza
bor's Interpretation of the Supreme
Court decision in the celebrated Coro-
nado coal case holding international
unions subject to damage suits under
the sherman antitrust law. was pre-
sented today to the American Fedora
tion of Labor convention here by the
federations executive council, composed
OF lis eleven officers.
THE Supreme court cannot crush
the labor movement without endan-
geriug the foundations of society,
declared the report. THE workers
will not accept slavery. Therefore
they will not accept that which makes
slavery either likely or possible. lneS
will find way to preserve those ND
critics which they have and to gain
more as time passes"
No means for overcoming the decl-
sion was suggested by the council be-
cause of the creation by the conNen-
tion of a special policy committee for
this purpose.
Organizations of farmers and other
unincorporated associations of indl-
vidualS were said by the council 10
face the same plight as the trade
unions. Every organized unit, the
council asserted. was made liable as
such for whatever acts may be done
bv individual members or groups in
violation of law.
Called Law Reversal.
Chief Justice Taft. who wrote the
Coronado decision, was said by the
council to have been purely gratui-
Gus by including ruling ''in antici-
lation of future cases and the court S
occurrence in the opinion was de-
srribed as an "unwarranted act The
decision. council added. was predlcat-
cd on ancient and outlawed Britlsh
court findings, and resulted in re-
of hi tel and
trees in the United States.
Justice Taft by his subtle interpre-
tstion and construction. the report
said, has directly charged that trade
unions are combinations or conspiracies
in restraint of trade, because 1t is only
by this presumption and legal assump-
ton that he can justify the declara-
.tion that they are associations embraced
In the terms of the Sherman and Clay
ton acts Section of the Clayton act,
construed by the report as exempting
Ia Dor unions from the antitrust laws.
was declared TO have been passed by
Congress Ito rectify the wrong done
by the Supreme Court in the famous
Danbury hatters' case.
"t.vidently. the Supreme Court does
not intend TO be bound" the report
aided. ''by the legal enactments of
Congress.
No Action Taken.
1.-The Supreme Court" the report
concluded, has not only rendered de-
cision which goes beyond any previous
decision of that tribunal in its antag-
onism and opposition to labor. but 1t
has rendered such a decision when un-
der the law and the practices hitherto
obtaining its decision should have been
exactly the reverse
No action was taken on the report
except to refer it to the special COM
mittee and with only half days work
ahead of it the convention centered
attention on proposed changes in the
federation's constitution and laws. Out
standing among the changes was the
proposal for holding the federation's S
convention in October rather than June.
Opponents of the change said the June
meeting was necessary so that organ
ized labor might determine upon its
part in political campaigns