The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-05-27
arrest 40 FUR
PICKETS;; JUDGE
RELEASES them
UphOIds Picketing in
Decision
Especial to The Daily Worker

NEW YORK, May rs. - For the
third successive Monday, a group of
more than 80 striking fur workers
were arrested this morning while they
we're plcketing the shops in the fur
manufacturing district.
This morning the total number Of
arrests was 40 and the strikers were
arraigned in Jefferson market court
on a charge of disorderly conduct.
After hearing all the testimony in the
cases, Judge Brodsky dismissed the
workers stating that they were com.
hitting no unlawful act in peacefully
picketing their shops.
The Judges Views.
I'm the strike between capital and
labor now being waged," said Judge
Brodsky, great care must be taken
that no outside influence should enter
which will coerce one side or the
other. While capital is entitled to
it's full sway and swing, so is labor en-
titled to certain rights. One of the
rights, under our law, is to strike
peacefully, to be sure, but strike
nevertheless.
"Picketing is lawful and proper,
and there is nothing in the testimony
here which would indicate that any
of the defendants committed any Of
tense other than walking up and down
the streets, or congregating, if at all,
for but a few moments to talk to one
another. No unlawful acts of any
kind have been shown to have been
committed by any Of these defendants,
and interference by the police under
such circumstances would amount to
coercion against the laboring element,
who are entitled to every protection
in the desire that they have to better
their condition in their laboring oc-
equations. / therefore discharge the
defendants in each Of the cases"
Designers Support Striks.
The general strike committee rey
ceived today the following resolution
passed at a meeting of foremen and
designers:
I'VE, the foremen and designers of
the fur industry, now on strike, pledge
our solidarity with all the fur work
ers. We hereby, express our full con-
fidence in the general strike commit
tee.
I'VE endorse the attitude of our
conference committee in its demand
that a 40-hour week must be accepted
by the manufacturers as a basis for
I a settlement. We are confident that
the determination of the strikers and
the sincere efforts of the general
strike committee will result in the
ultimate victory for the strikers"
Assail Samuels.
Resenting a statement of Samuel
N. Samuels. president of the Asso-
ciated Fur Manufacturers, Inc, which
was published this morning in one Of
the Jewish papers, a number of fur
shops held meetings today and passed
resolutions of protest.
Mr.. Samuels statement declared
that the striking furriers had been
forced against their will to sign the
ballot endorsing the demand for the
40-hour week, and he also charged
that the union was employing gang
sters, especially on the picket commit
tee, to keep its members in subjec-
ton.
All Mr.. Samuels' charges were
categorically denied by the various
groups of fur strikers, and statements
to this effect were signed by commit
tees of the workers and forwarded to
the general strike committee. One of
these came from the Weckstein Shop
of 1893 Seventh avenue, which is the
largest shop in the trade, employing
at the height of the season about $50
workers.