Evening star., 1950-03-06
irresponsible Unions
Forecast as Result Of
UMW's Acquitta|
Failure to Get Facts
On "FIoeront Defiance"
Of Injunction Seen
By Davfd Laurence

By Davfd Laurence
II the Republicans in Congress
pass up their opportunity to OBJ
tain a full-fiedged Congressional
investigation of the failure Of tht
Justice Department to gather thu
facts on the fragrant defiance of 9
court injunction last week, they
are much more weakened a!
politicians than the country i'm.
agines. To check up on the eff.
ency of the executive departments
is the duty of the opposition part,
in the legislative branch of tn,
Government.
1t is well known that the Fed.
eral Bureau of Investigation doe.
not enter into enforcement of in.
functions or court orders unles.
explicitly ordered to do so. 1t i.
also well known that the FBI il
a rather efficient instrument fol
the detection of law violations anc
can get testimony and evidence II
it really sets out to do the job.
Letter Quoted.
Senator Taft, Republican, o1
Ohio, says he sent to the Justice
Department afidavits from in.
dividual miners as to how the
court injunction was circum-
vented. Lots of other people sent
in evidence and signed theil
names and addresses. Here is q
letter received by this correspond
ent postmarked Johnstown, Pa.
dated February %:
Il am a coal miner who is
suffering because of John L. Lewis
arrogance. He is the one who is
causing all the trouble with his
signals to the miners. After first
Injunction was issued and miners
ordered to go to work, he did not
send telegram to all the Local
unions. But we got word OF mouth
from one of his gang not to &c
back to work. We got the second
telegram, but since he has been
giving so many winks and signals
he has the miners so confused
that they lost the meaning OF his
signals, and so they don't know
what to do. Just imagine he sends
the telegram to 60 back to work
and before the local holds tht
meeting to pass on it his hench'
men will 60 among miners ane
tell them to vote not to accept
the telegram which means not tt
60 to work. Then they blame the
miners for this action. He Is moi
for the miners. He is for himself
and his gang and he should pay
for the misery he caused the
miners.
yours,
"A MINER.
"P PS.-Sorry for not signing my
name-you know what would hap
pen to me-"
Past Obedience Cited
This is supposed to be Tree
America and we tell the Russians
every day how much freedom is
enjoyed. Tales of violence and
intimidation at the mines are
regularly reported in the press,
Even though it is a violation OF
the injunction for two or more
persons to conspire to refrain
from going back to work as Or
dered, there have been instances
in which entire local unions have
met and decided not to obey the
Injunction. Surely the Justice De-
partment could last week have
read the newspapers and found
out where the meetings were held
and gotten evidence Of the man.
ner in which the court injunction
was flouted.
Testimony before the Senate
Judiciary Committee two weeks
ago given by Jesse v. Sullivan
secretary of the West Virginia
Coal Association, says:
I'm the single year Of 194s
there were 27 weeks when Lewis
ordered the miners to cease work
entirely, work three days or work
two days per week. The miner.
responded 27 times to the will o1
Lewis. In recent days when the
court ordered Mr.. Lewis to have
his miners resume work, it seem.
strange that they suddenly failee
to repond to his orders, wher
previously under prior order.
some 27 times they responded Il
his orders with obeisance and ce.
lerity."
If the decision by Judge Keecf
that no evidence was presented tt
him showing collusion to violate
the injunction is not reversed b,
the Supreme Cortland it ma,
be dismissed as a moot" case be.
cause the strike is settled - i
means that no union hereafter
can be held responsible for thu
acts of members engaging in wild.
cat strikes. 1t means that nj
union can be held responsible nov
for the signature of its officers OF
Q ACKNOWLEDGEMENT contract. Ir.
responsibility in a democracy ane
contempt for court orders car
lead only to lawlessness.
Reproduction Rights Reserved.)