Sioux County pioneer. (Fort Yates, Sioux County, N.D.) 1914-1929, 1922-06-29

head of the railroad employees depart
ment of the American Federation Of
Labor. says: 1.-THE new wages do not
permit minimum living wage. and
they are wholly at variance with this
saving wage championed by President
Harding and Secretary of Labor
Davis" Mr.. Jewell and other union
chiefs who were in conference in Gin
cinnati predicted that unions with
membership Of 100000 would vote TO
strike.
Just as in the last previous wage de-
cision by the board, the three labor
members dissented, and this time they
were especially vigorous IN their dis
senting opinion.
While the rulings OF the railway la
Dor board are professedly being made
quite without regard to the rulings of
the interstate commerce committee in
the matter of rates, the two cannot be
disconnected in the public mind, ana
the railway executives also couple
| them, naturally.
T Union labor received what 1t con.
- siders another body blow last
week in the decision of the United
States Supreme court in the Colorado
ccal mine case. The United Mine
| Workers of America and certain in
| dividuals had appealed from deci-
I; sion by the United States District
court of Arkansas, approved by the
| Circuit Court Of Appeals, holding them
guilty of violating the Sherman anti
| trust act during strike in 1914, and
J imposing damages of 100000, which
was trebled under the antitrust law.
The opinion of the United States Su-
preme court, read by Chief Justice
Taft. in effect sets aside the damages,
finding the acts which caused the de-
struction of property were not melted
for the purpose of restraining inter-
state commerce. But the court also
held that labor organizations, even
though not incorporated, are not only
suable, but are amenable to the Sher-
man antitrust law, and under it may
be prosecuted for restraint of inter-
state commerce.
Samuel Gompers, as might be ex-
pected, denounced this decision bitter
~, saying that it set precedent under
which capital "can impose any condi-
ton on the working people of the coun-
try, and they would not dare resist"
He declared he believed congress and
the people Of the United States would
repudiate the ruling, and continued:
"The court has, for the first time in
the history of federal legislation, laid
down the principle that voluntary
corporation is liable for damages by
any act of one or group of it's men,
bers, no matter how far unrelated
they may be in distance or supervi-
sion."
Unless it is nullified by congression-
al legislation, this decision of the
highest court in the land will power
fully and widely affect the future rela-
tiQns OF union organizations with en-
ployers and with the general public.
u RIT1SH, italian and Belgian mem.
! - bers of the reparations commits.
sion voted to enlarge the international
committee Of bankers that was trying
to adjust Germany's financial affairs
and to permit it to make its own in
quiry into Germany's capacity to pay,
: ignoring the London schedule. Amer
ica's unofficial delegate, Roland w.
Boyden, though he could not vote,
stated that he considered the repara:
lions demanded $$33, 900, OOO, 600 to be
too high. Frances representative,
however, voted In the negative This.
created tense situation, for although
unanimous vote Is necessary for the
reparations commission to reduce the
sum demanded from Germany, until
! 1925 only majority vote Is needed to
give Germany partial or full mora
torium. ~
The bankers, recognizing that una
nimity does not exist among the nations
4 that would be expected to participate
+ IN the immense loans they were plan
ming for Germany, decided to give up
4 all idea Of an international loan, and
so reported to the reparations commits
sion. Il.
Premier Poincare and President MIL
lerand -who, 1t may be said, are
\ backed up completely by their govern
4 ment- asked a special meeting Of the
commission, and to It the statement
was made that France denied the right
Of other allies to reduce the French
claim on Germany since the amount
Of reparations has been fixed and ap-
I portioned; and that the French gov-
! eminent would not consider reduction
aof the reparations unless the war
debts were reduced proporti onately.
The latter proposition, Of course,
would put the matter up to the United
T States, which up to the present has
!. shown no dlspositi Hon to scale down the
& vast amounts owed her BY other "a.
lions. Meanwhile there hangs over
4 Europe the menace Of indepe lent az
ton By France against aerhai q
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