The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1927-04-21
Coal Mine Lockout Still
Drags Along
(Conti1llled fronl Paae on

Continued from Page 0ae)
companies in the United States, as
intended by the Federal Trade Act and
as specifically directed by resolution
of Congress in 1919.
The federal supreme court, with
only Justice McReynolds dissenting,
has refused to enjoin the commission
from carrying out that instruction. 1t
has ordered the % companies led by
the Claire Furnace CO., and really
representing the steel and coal trusts,
to deliver to the commission the in
formation required-provided the At
torney General shall approve the
questions asked by the commission.
May Disclose Robbery.
On its face the decision looks like
victory for the people. 1t may lead
to discovery by the unorganized steel
workers, for instance, as to how much
they have contributed to the $200,000,-
900 stock dividend just distributed.
The wage figures, if the commission
ever secures them, should show how
steel workers and coal miners are
exploited.
But there's a catch in the decision.
The fact that Chief Justice Taft de-
livered it may already have aroused
suspicious as to that. The court has
ruled that the coal and steel and allied
companies started their fight against
giving up their cost-figures at the
wrong point. 1t tells them that in
stead Of enjoining the Federal Trade
Commission when that body an
nounced it's request for detailed in
formation, the companies should have
waited and let the Attorney General
censor the questions of the commits
sion first.
Won't Ask Too Much
It appears that the supreme court
thinks the attorney generals office
will begin the safeguarding of the
interests of the steel manufacturers
and coal barons. Under the law, it is
his business to exercise discretion as
to which question, formulated by the
commission, are pertinent and law
full" to the proposed investigation.
Then he is supposed to defend the
commission against any attempt of
the companies to avoid answering the
revised list of questions.
Won't Hurt Trusts
If Attorney General Sargent, who
was the village lawyer for the COM
munity of Ludlow, Vermont, has the
intelligence and mental energy need
ed Tor this job Of improving the
weapons ofsthe Federal Trade Com
mission against the steel and coal
trusts, nobody has ever yet seen him
display those qualities.
His record in the Department of
Justice is one of inaction and con-
fessed ignorance of virtually every
thing under his jurisdiction. His ten
denotes are reactionary and his rev.
erence for millionaires is painful. 1t
is to tbs 1pan that the Taft decision
tells thy steel trust and the coal mag
mates they must devote some atten-
ton.
Steel Trust Obstinate
This attempt by the commission to
get at the truth of production costs
of coal and steel was started in the
days when Victor Murdoch and the
late William Colver were dominating
members of that body, and when they
were completing their famous investi-
cation of the meat packing monopoly.
1t came just before the steel strike
promoted by the American Federation
of Labor committee which was di-
rected by w. z. Foster. The steel
trust resisted the effort of the gov
eminent to learn its production costs,
at the moment when it was preparing
to crush the strike.
1t still defies the power Of organ
lied labor, and this decision merely
postpones the day of its test of power
against the Congress of the United
States.