The Connecticut labor news., 1923-06-08

1 OI tIliS lfdlH WTOIe 10 the general
 manager of the railroad expressing their appreciation of the work of the i train crew.
 Your secretary opposed many oth- l CT pieces of legislation introduced in 1 the legislature, such as the Clandes- tine Bill which would require, if passed, any labor union in the state to file a. roster of their membership
 with the Secretary of State. This bill was successfully defeated
 | @The strike of the shopmen on the New York, New Haven & Hartford ] Railroad has been in effect since July Ist, last year, and has attracted more i sympathetic support from the Federa- | ton than any other controversy of like nature in years because of the principle involved This strike affects approximately $500 men; many of these men have been in the employ
 of the railroad for years. Your sec< retary has placed his services at the
 disposal of the officers in charge and has never failed to cooperate to the
 fullest extent whenever called upon At the close of the political campaign last fall the officials of the railroad caused to have arrested and indicted for melting riot, General Organizer
 Schleifer of the International Asso-
 ciation of Machinists. He was held in
 the New Haven county jail under
 bond of $45,ooo. Your secretary was
 requested by State Business Agent
 Hotchkiss of the Machinists to assist
 in securing the release of Mr. Schlei-
 fer, which 1 agreed and prevailed up-
 on the committee in charge to en-
 C9 of
 and Spellacy of Hartford to defend
 the accfsed. These attorneys agreed
 to defend Organizer Schleifer and
 your. secretary co-operated with the
 attorneys with the result that the bond required for MT Sch1eifer's re- lease was reduced from $45,ooo to SIo,ooo, as follows: S5,ooo in the New London court and $5,ooo in the New Haven court The Federal judge paroled MT Schleifer in the custody of his attorneys. On securing the re- lease of the accused we thereupon proceeded to build our case. The case went to trial in the police court of New Haven first and lasted several weeks in which the state was unable to produce any testimony other than that submitted by two paid railroad detectives, who admitted on the wit ness stand that they had been direct ed to follow Mr. Schleifer for the purpose if possible, of gathering sufficient damaging information against him to cause his arrest. On he contrary the defense placed be- -ore the court the testimony of 30 citizens of New Haven who had at ended the meeting on the day in which the organizer was charged with having made a speech melting riot. n spite of the fact that the state was lnable to break down the evidence
 submitted by the defense, the judge in he lower court found the defendant guilty beyond reasonable question # doubt and held the accused for the
 uperior court. The attorneys then 'egan preparation for the trial in New London. The judge in New london also held Mr. Sch1eifer for he superior court in that county. Be ore the case went to trial in the uperior court in New Haven the awyers for the accused discovered hat in their opinion there was no law
 n the statute books of Connecticut T which the accused was guilty of iolating and thereupon moved that he case be dismissed. After present 1g their arguments in support of 1elT motion, Judge WeDD or the Su- erior court after a delay of a few avs for consideration of the facts resented, granted the motion of Att orneys S1ade and Spellacy and dis 1issed the case The judge said in is finding that there was no law in in which Mr. Schleifer ad violated and further said that if imilar cases were to be dealt with he laws of the state would have to e amended Following the judges
 nding the states attorney of New Iaven county lost no time in appeal ng to the judiciary committee of the 1eneral Assembly to raise bill in heir committee covering this matter. The states attorney of New Haven
 ounty also appealed against the de-
 ision of the Superior court judge to he supreme court and the case will