The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1922-09-02
LABOR AROUSED
OVER GRANTING
OF INJUNCTION
Government by Injunction"
Says Gompers, Bitterly.
Leaders Declare Order of Court
Cannot Be Enforced.
COUNTRY LACKING IN JAILS
No Place to Hold Prisoners If
Order Is Carried Out.
Insist Efforts to Make Strike
Effective Will Go On.
COUNTRY LACKING IN JAILS

Washington, Sept. 2-Tho the
American Federation OF Labor has no
power to call strikes, according to its
president, Samuel Gompers, its execu-
tive council next Saturday will be
asked to review appeals and demands
from hundreds of local unions" for
the institution of a general strike to
support the fight of railroad unions
now on strike.
These appeals have come to me
from all over the country, from those
who imagine that I have the power. or
that the federation has power, to call
a general strike Mr.. Gempers said.
''.rhey have been in the form OF reso-
lutions passed by trade union councils,
or by local unions or editorials in Ia
Dor periodicals.
"The executive council will be asked
to consider, altho it cannot take ac-
ton to call a strike"
The resolutions and demands, Mr..
Gompers declared. indicated state of
mind in labor circles more inflamed
than ever before and he considered
them important to that extent 1t was
said that most of them came to the
federation headquarters before the
federal court restraining order was is
sued yesterday in Chicago.
Washington, Sept. 2.-Infiamed and
aroused by the most drastic restraint
order ever issued by court in an in
dustrial dispute, organized labor today
projected the menacing shadow of a
general strike across the country in
answer to what Samuel Gompers bit
terly and eontemptuously described as
government by injunction"
From being merely a strike of some
100000 railway shopmen, endanger-
ing the transportation of the country
the issue has now been magnified to
the point where it threatens to affect
mess and industry. labor leaders pri-
vately declared today.
The executive council of the Ameri-
can Federation of Labor, representing
between 100000 al 4,000, 900 work
ers, will meet in the national capital
one week from today in what prom
ises to be the most momentous gath
ering of labor leaders witnessed in
years. While the council has not the
power to call a general strike itself.
it is the governing body of the fedora
ton and its advice usually is taken by
the rank and file of the federation.
Can Recommend Only
The council will decide whether to
recommend" a general strike to the
hundreds of unions that make up the
American Federation of Labor.
If the meeting were tomorrow in
stead OF next Week. II Is prODaDlo thaG
a recommendation for an immediate
general strike would go forward, so
hot is the present temper of the ma
tional officials over the Chicago in
junction proceedings. Whether these
tempers will cool off before next week,
remains to be seen, but it was appar-
ent today that the Daugherty injunc-
tion has solidified the sentiment of all
labor leaders behind the shopmen
Gompers, William H. Johnston,
president of the striking International
Association of Machinists, and other
labor spokesman. asserted today that
the Daugherty injunction is not en-
forceable. All the jails of the coun-
try would not hold the prisoners If
the courts order is literally inter-
preted and even partially enforced. 1t
was said Some government officials
were of the same opinion.
Strike to Go On.
They were confident, however, in
asserting that the strike of the rail-
way shopmen will go on, regardless of
the Injunction. How this is to be ac-
compIished they did not say. The
terms of the courts order not only
ties up the funds of the shop crafts,
but 1t also prohibits expressly the is
suance of any orders by the heads of
the six shop crafts.
It is known that when the strike
started on July 1. the shop craft lead
ers had made plans for "headless