Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1922-04-14
r. MILAN c RoRrgTs

Chairman, A. +. Of l. Legislative
Committee.
international Laher News Service)
Washington. D. C.-After more
than three years of the most dis
graceful propaganda against the
hopes and aspirations of the wage
earners Of our country the Chambers
Of Commerce, the National AsSocia-
ton Of Manufacturers and the Asso-
ciaied Employers of indianapolis,
Inc. and every other labor batting
individual and group of people Of the
United States have finally awakened
10 the fact that their efforts have
been unavailing. Labor has scored
important victory after victory not
only in protecting its interests in in
iustrs. but in legislation in Congress
and state legislatures.
The New York, Rhode Island, Nir-
GINA. Missouri and louisiana legisla-
lures have refused to pass legislation
10 tie men and women to their jobs.
The bills presented were as drastic as
any laws in force in the fifteenth and
sixteenth centuries. The only diff
ference was in the punishment pro-
yided for their violation. While 800
years ago the punishment for asking
for better wages and working eondi-
tons was the pillory or the cutting
off of an ear, and even death for
those who became too insistent, the
bills in the legislatures mentioned
provided fines and Imprisonment.
ALiberality in punishment" those
who advocated the proposed laws
II Ill. oil hat
needed to gain proper support.
A compulsory labor and anti-strike
bill was presented in the New York
legislature. 1t provided that if either
the employers or employees had a
grievance they could not confer to-
gether but would have to write letters
to each other. If an agreement could
not be reached through letter-writing
then the controversy would have to be
taken into the Supreme Court. where
decision as TO the merits of the case
would be made. Wages and hours
would be determined by judge-made
law.
President Gompers appeared against
the bill. His was the most compre-
hensive denunciation of compulsory
labor laws ever heard i'm that State
House. Matthew Vol, Vice-presideni
of the American Federation of Labor
presented legal brief upon compul.
sorry labor, or involuntary servitude
i'm opposition to the bill. So effective
were the addresses that the bill was
killed by the committee. OF twelve
bills introduced in the New York leg
islature against Labor eleven were
l. ss. ha kat a.
of the Governor to sign or veto. The
latter provides for double employ
ment agency fees for actors and ac'
tresses.
An attempt was made to secure the
passage of two bills in the Rhode
Island legislature that were mos
sweeping anti-labor measures. One
provided for the compulsory incor'
poration of trade unions and they
would have to secure charters from
the state TO do business in Rhode Is,
land. II also provided that any trade
union could be sued and "the per
sonal and real estate of any member
could be attached through the exer
else of such suit" The other was ,
cold FLOODED law prohibiting strikes
Any body Of persons consisting O
three or more which caused, abettet
or made efforts toward any strike
boycott or industrial trouble agains
the business Of any Rhode Island citi
zen, or induced any person or persons
| to engage in any such activities
would be punished by a fine of S10t
| for each offense.
When President Gompers learned
Al A t-<ai
he Immediately circulated the 20;
central bodies and local unions II
Rhode Island, pointing out the dan
gers of such proposed laws and urg
ing that every effort be made to brint
about their defeat. Lawrence A
Grace, Secretary of the Rhode Islam,
State Federation of Labor, and vii
liam ]. Guest, President of the Provi
dence Central Federated Union, an,
their associates, Immediately proceed
ed to enter protest against the bills
Their author agreed to have the bill
killed in committee and promise,
! that he would not let any enemy o
labor again deceive him into intro
| ducing anti-labor bills.
| Most gratifying reports have beel
made by the officers of the Missouri
State Federation of Labor. They cal
| attention to the defeat of two mos
vicious bills. One of them was terme'
the Spanish lnquisition" and tn
other was known as the "anti-union
bill. The Spanish Inquisition" bil
provided that any prosecuting attor
ney by merely fling statement tina
he believed crime had been com
mitted under the law 1t would be
come the duty of justice Of tn
peace to issue subpoenas to any per
sons named to appear and testif.
1t also vested in any justice OF tn
peace all the powers of grand jury
If any person directly or indirectl
made known to anyone the fact tina
he had testified before a justice @
the peace while he was acting as
"grand jury" he would be fined $40
and given three months i'm Jail.
The "anti-union" bill prohibite
strikes. Not only were these tw
bills defeated but a child labor La
that had been declared invalid by tn
State Supreme Court was re-enacte,
A workmen's compensation law wa
passed, which President X. +. Woos
of the Missouri State Federation Q
|, Labor, contends is one of the beS
that has yet been enacted by tn
forty-one states having these laws.
The conspiracy to repeal all law
protecting women in industry was do
feated in Virginia. A so-calle
woman's bill of rights" was pr,
scented to the legislature of that stat
President Gompers was appealed Z
and in telegram to be used befoi
the committee holding hearings 0
the measure declared il was DANCE