The Waterbury Democrat., 1946-12-03

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 when he flnlslied, Lewis bowed from the waist toward the bench, turned, removed his glasses, ana walked to his seat.
 Lewis made lt plain that the fight Is only just beginning, Re said ooldsborouehs ruling against the union on applications of the law was a matter flor legal counsel to appralse and evaluate" further, pre-. sumabiy on appeal.
 The defense had chance this morning Co present witnesses, but declined to do 50. It relied solely on legal arguments and motions In It's unsuccessful attempt to win acc quittaf
 Lewis began his statement by saying the history of the injunction in relation Go labor disputes before iei2 was "a sordld one" That was recognized. he continued, when Congress passed the Clayton Anti- Trust Act and in 1899 passed the Norris-Laouarria Anti-Tnjunction Act.
 "The latter act, in simple Ian. guage which any intelligent person can understand, says no court can issue an injunction in any labor dispute. a" Lewis said.
 The United Mine Workers are in dispute over working conditions in the mines, which in our position spells nothing else but a labor dis. pute. Our miners work at the op- orators order nine hours a day, six days a week"
 Gives Views on Case
 Lewis said the disputes over work ing conditions were not settled and that the union was convinced that it's contract with the Government had been preached. He said that the current case could be interpre- ted "as nothing else but a labor dispute"
 He recalled that on Oct. 2l the UNIV. had asked for negotiating conferences with the Government and said the outstanding issue was "the deadly, brutal, 54-hour work week underground"
 Twenty-Five days later. he said, the union notified Secretary of fn- terior J. A. Krug that the contract was terminated as Of Nov. %.
 The agents of the Government. In what we believed constituted a violation of both the Clayton Act and the Norris-La Guardia Act. ap- piled for a restraining order with out notice and without hearing, Lewis said.
 Refers Co Constitution
 This court has now ruled that the Clayton and Norris-LaGu acts do not apply. That is a matter for legal counsel to appraise and evaluate.
 But above all is a Federal Con- stitution binding on all. That Con- stitution applies even to the miners. "
 He referred 70 constitutional guarantees of freedom of speech, freedom of the press and assembly. and the constitutional prohibition on involuntary servitude."
 Your injunction. sir. I respect fully submit. deprives the miners of these constitutional rights, !" Lewis told Goldsborough.
 Refuses to Acquiesce
 He then cited a resolution adopt ed by the A.F.L at its 1929 convep- ton denouncing the use Of injunc- tions in labor disputes. That pro- nouncement. he said. is still the po- Hey of the A.FL.
 we are now confronted with a restraining order issued by this court he said. Most respectfully, must state that considerations that led to the disregard of this coercive and <all-embracing restrain ing order have not changed. On the contrary, recent events have greatly and acutely enhanced our initial conviction"
 |. Lewis said that as the president of the UNIV. and a president of the A.FL, he could not "ac- quiesce in what must be rudely de- scribed as a recrudescence of Gov ernment by injunction"
 Nor can I adopt a course which inevitably will be a betrayal of their (the VnionsD constitutional rights, he added.
 Bows to Judge
 ''The mine workers have not ceased to work in defiance of their Government.
 without intending any personal disrespect to this court. I must stand on these freedoms and rights"
 Lewis then bowed to Goldsbor- ough and returned to his seat.
 Goldsborough sat silent. He put his glasses on and of and looked about him.
 Lewis had read from a typed manuscript. delivering his words slowly and forcefully.
 During this pause a deputy U. s. marshal took a seat in the witness box for some unexplained reason.
 AuuWuMGGS NGustt
 An aide handed a document to Goldsbcrough and he wrote on it with a pen. Then he spoke.
 'The verdict in the case of the United States of America vs. The United Mine Workers of America Is that the United Mine Workers of America is found guilty" he said. He also announced that Lewis as an individual was found guilty.
 Tn the matter of sentence in the case of John L. Lewis for contempt, the judge continued. 'it may be somewhat unusual but the court would like the views of the counsel for the Government and for the de- fense as to what their views are and what the sentence should be-"
 Goldsbprough. suggested that if there were no objections, the attor- neys should have until 10 A. M. to- morrow to express their views. At- A. N-. ~aA