The Mankato free press., 1922-06-09
THIS Is DECISION FEDERAL
SUPREME BODY
CASE OF MINEWORKERS
Unions Not Exempt From Pros
ecution Under Anti -Sher-
man Act.
Especial to The Free Press ]

not order the strike or ratify it
and that they should not have
been made parties to the suit.
The lower federal courts had
awarded the Coronado and eight
other coal companies treble
damages amounting to $500, 900
against the United Mine Work
ers of America and district un-
ion Number 21. The damages
were held to have resulted from
the acts Of union miners, on the
ground that the acts were
part of a conspiracy to restrain
interstate shipments of coal.
Discussing the details of the
the evidence showed the VIo7
lance was purely a union attack
under the guidance of the dis
trict officers of the union.
Somerset, Pa, June 5-Judse
Berkeley in common pleas
court here today decided that
striking miners had not Violat-
ed the injunction granted to
the Quemahoning Coal COM
pany by congreeatins in the
vicinity of the company's mines
where non union miners are
employed.
Richmond, Va, June 5.-CoaI
seized by railroads while in
transit during the war must be
compensated for on the basis
CT the loss to the owner be-
cause of the confiscation and
not on the basis of the cost Of
on the trains, the United
- - @G
held today in an opinion an
nounced by Judge Martin A.
Knapp in which Judge c. A.
Woods concurred.
Washington. D. c., June 5.-LaboI
organizations are not exempt from
prosecution under the Sherman anti
trust law, the supreme court today
announced. The court delivered
such an opinion in the celebrated
Coronado coal case, one of the most
important pieces of labor litigation
ever to come before the nation s
highest tribunal.
The court held that labor organi-
cations can be held liable for pro-
perty and other damages caused
by the acts of members during
strikes. The decision was delivered
by Chief Justice Taft The case
was brought by the United Mine
Workers OF America against the
Coronado and other coal companies,
arising out of the Arkansas strikes
Of 1914.
History of Case.
The Coronado Case" was the
name applied to one of the most fa-
nous proceedings to reach the su-
preme court within recent years. Its
fame arose not only from the long
period it remained on the docket
but from its importance, involving
as it did the question of whether
organized labor as represented In
the United Mine Workers of America
could be prosecuted under the Sher
man Anti Trust Law for restraint OF
interstate commerce resulting from
strikes.
The Coronado and Associated coal
companies of Arkansas instituted IN
the United States District Court for
Arkansas civil proceedings against
the United Mine Workers to recover
treble damages under the Sherman
act for property losses suffered by
them during a strike in the Arkan
sas coal field in 1914. The coal
companies alleged that the United
Mine Workers had unlawfully con
spired to suppress non union com
petition, and that the destruction OF
the property had been resorted to-
with attendant restraint of inter
state commerce, to accomplish that
end The decision of the court dis
missing the suit was set aside by
the United States circuit court OF
appeals for the eighth circuit, and
in the same court, on second trial
h6
jury found that the destruction OF
the mine property, was due, to q
conspiracy to prevent the mining ol
coal by non union labor, and had
resulted in a restraint of interstate
commerce. The jury placed actuaI
damages of 100000. which were
trebeled by the court under the
Sherman law. The ward, affirmed
by the circuit court of appeals, was
brought to the supreme court by
the labor unions on the ground that
being incorporated they could not be
sued.
Claim Of Arkansas Mine o~ners
The conspiracy was alleged by
been an outgrowth of the standard
wage scale and hours Of labor con
ferences held by labor leaders and
the mine operators in the centra
competitive field, beginning in 1898
during which the union miners had
impressed upon them the Importance
of removing the competition of non
union mines. II was asserted thai
the operators at these conferences
emphasized that. unless the compe-
tition was removed wage scale anc
hours Of labor agreements could moi
be maintained. Union labor was
called upon at these meetings, II
was said, to formulate a policy fol
reducing the competition, and an
nounced that the non union mines
would be unioniZed or closed.
This decision by the United Mine
Workers constituted a. conspiracy
It w:s charged. which became un-
leaders to suppress non union com
petition failed to unionize the mines
and resulted in acts of violence
which caused a restraint of inter
state commerce.
Union leaders throughout the
proceedings asserted that Label
Unions had been declared by the
CLAYTON act to be exempt from pros
ecution as illegal combinations OF
conspiracies in restrain of trade.
They insisted that ii was legitimate
for them to remove non union com
netition when possible by strike:
aimed to extend their organization
If they had been guilty In 1914 o.
an unlawful conspiracy under th,
Sherman law, the suit against then
had been improperly brought, the!
asserted, because the coal operators
of the central competitive field haC