Indiana daily times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1914-1922, 1922-06-19
GOVERN MENT.
HASPOWERFUL
new WEAPON
Railroad Strike May
Be Met by Ruling
of Court.
EMERGENCY is MET

Special to Indiana Daily Times
and Philadelphia Public Ledger.
WASHINGTON, June 19.-The Gov
eminent has a powerful new weapon
with which to fight the railroad strike,
now being threatened by the leaders of
more than one million railroad employees
If the railroad labor board does not with
draw wage reductions recently decided
against seven unions.
Formed for the hand Of the attorney
general and applicable TO an emergency
which might arise should the transpor-
tation system Of the country be crippled
OF stopped. is the Supreme Courts re
cent decision in the Coronado Coal Com
pany case, which Chief Justice Tafts
opinion held labor unions liable to
prosecution under the Sherman anti
trust law.
OFFICIALS HAVE
DISCUSSED STRIKE.
Although the government is making
no apparent preparations to meet the
threatened walkout Of the membership Of
the seven railroad unions hit by the wage
cuts, it IS known that officials have dis
cusSed the Coronado discussion and the
use to which it might be put in case of
strike. The denunciation of the decision
and the court by Samuel Gompers. presi-
den tot the American Federation of La
Dor, and other labor leaders also has led
observers Of the industrial situation TO
conclude that labor takes much the same
view and is convinced that decision can
be interpreted as a direct attempt to out
law the nationwide railroad strike. A
tie-up of transportation would at once
interfere with interstate commerce and
O concerted strike Of railroad men, it
might be argued, would constitute a
conspiracy to interfere with interstate
commerce and, therefore, 4 violation Of
antitrust law.
Attorney General Daugherty is known
to have canvassed the law thoroughly
year ago when q railroad walkOut was
threatened as the result Of the decision
of the railroad labor board, and con-
WINGED himself competent authority ex
listed for drastic Federal action under j
decision made in CIeveIand's Admins
tratiOn covering the strike riots in Chi
cago. At that time all sections of the
Government turned TO the Department Of
Justice for action, and that department
doubtless will be expected 10 move in
the present instance should the threat
Of walkout materialize.
The laissez faire attitude Of Washing
ton OfficialdOm toward the threat, how
ever, is due 10 the recurrence OF these
"strikes" with every development of the
railroad wage situation. There have
been so many threats in recent years
and no actual strikes that officials are
inclined to put the pronOuncements down
in the same category with the cry Of
wolf"
CONGRESS Is NOT
LIKELY TO BE STIRRED.
Congress, it Is pointed out. is not likely
to be stirred as it has been in connection
with the coal strike. 4 railroad walk
out would be action against q properly
constituted governmental agency - the
railroad labor board, and not against the
operators Of the railroad. A congress
sional investigation is not likely. Only
legislation amending the Esch -CumminS
transportation act abolishing the board
apparently would appeaSe the railroad
unions, and such action can not be eX-
pected by or even considered by the
present Congress.
Il was stated at the White House re-
Gently, in answer to a question as to
whether the President would urge addi-
tonal rate cuts on the Interstate Com
nerce Commission as the result Of the
wage reductions, the President had never
sent but one message to the commits
sion or the board. That message was
that both organizations had the fullest
confidence Of the executive and would
be backed to the fullest extent Of his
powers.