The Indianapolis times., 1929-03-12
DRASTIC LEGAL
CURB MUz.zL.ES
MINERS union
Judge Hay Order Virtually
Bans All Meetings by
Labor Men.
BITTER FIGHT FORECAST
Session Even to Attempt to
Influence Workers Is
Forbidden.

AN ulJuIlCGlOn WHICH IlaLly pro-
hibits union members from even
holding a meeting for the purpose
of persuading miners not to go to
work in a. nonunion mine has been
issued by an indianapolis superior
judge, Linn D. Hay.
Labor leaders and attorneys
throughout the country today be-
gan searching study of the tenn
porary restraining order issued
against the United Mine Workers
of America, on March 8.
Labor leaders who have studied
the innumerable injunctions by
judges which we're exhibited at
hearings before the United States
senate during the inquiry into the
labor injunction question say that
Judge Hays injunction goes to
limit of restriction not hitherto even
approached.
Mine worker attorneys are plan
ming q vigorous protest against the
temporary restraining order when
the hearing to make it an injunc-
ton is held by Judge Hay March Is.
Judge Fixes Pay Scale
Several months ago Edward ..
Logsdon, president of the Knox
Consolidated Coal Company, had
himself appointed receiver for his
own company in Judge Hays court.
He followed this with representa-
tions that the mine could not be
operated prof1tably on the union
scale, which has a basic wage of
SIS to $3.50 a day.
He succeeded in getting from
Judge Hay an order fixing a wage
scale, the basic figure of which is
SIS day.
Some of the miners deserted the
union and went back to work in the
Knox Consolidated mines near
Bicknell. Subsequently, minor dis
orders were reported. Affidavits
presented by Logsdon's agents
showed several instances, they
claimed, where nonunion miners
were threatened, one instance where
man was seized by the arm, and
another case where a brick was
hurled through window.
On March the receiver petit
toned for the restraining order, de-
claring there was imminent danger
of injury or loss of life among his
employees. There was no hearing
of the unions side. The union gets
its Glance when the injunction
hearing is held.
Hayes Issues Injunction
Judge Hay promptly issued the in
junction, in the form asked by the
receivers 5 attorneys.
In addition to all the usual acts
prohibited hy labor restraining
order, such as direct intimidation of
nonunion workers, damage to prop
erty, interference with shipments
and the like, this restraining order
includes paragraph which reads in
part:
From gathering or holding meet
ingS IN the city of Bicknell or in
the city of Vincennes, Ind, for the
actual OF apparent purpose of in
timideting OF creating fear in the
minds of any employees Of said re-
ceiver, or persons desiring to work
for said receiver, or for the pur-
pose of coercing any of such en-
ployes to cease work for said re-
ceiver, or from preventing any per-
son who desires to work for said
receiver from doing so at the wage
scale and upon the terms and con-
ditions as prescribed by the orders
Of this court, or for the purpose of
coercing or persuading or attempt
ing to coerce or persuade any per-
son to break or not to make any
employment contract with said re-
ceiver."
Loitering Is Banned
The order goes so far as to even
prohibit the union members named
from gathering or lettering in
groups or crowds not only about or
near the Knox company's property,
but also upon. along or about any
public road, railroad, railroad sta
ton or miners train or place of any
kind near to said mines or said
properties in the hands of said re-
ceiver's agents or employees of said
receiver in going to and from work
wherever located ="
Labor leaders pointed out that if
this order becomes ar established
precedent, it will be impossible for
a union to have a meeting during
a strike without being in contempt
of court because the only real pur-
pose of a gathering during a strike
is to discuss means of peacefully
persueding union mer refrain