Evening star., 1950-03-08
Law Seen Damaged
More Than Economy
ByLewis' Victory
System Of Enforcement
And Labor Regulation
Lost by Court Ruling
By David Laurence

By David La,crence
A survey of the wreckage
strewn by John L. Lewis and the
mine workers union shows much
more serious damage to the fabric
Of law and order than to the Ma
tion's economy.
What was lost in dollars and
cents by the mine owners and by
the miners and the disinterested
public is not as great as the injury
done to the whole system of law
enforcement as we'll as to the field
of labor management regulation
by law.
For from now on all union
officers have precedent en-
couraging them to defy court in
functions and court orders merely
by claiming that the individual
members act spontaneously and
not by concerted decisions.
John Lewis readily gave up the
clause in the contract declaring
that his members would mine coal
only when liable and willing" This
clause became superfuous the
moment Judge Keech's decision
was rendered. Wildcat strikes and
so-called unauthorized" work
stoppages now can be undertaken
apparently without fear Of the
orders of a court which hereto
fore would have been expected to
secure compliance with its orders
to desist from violation of con-
tract law or the provisions of
the Taft-Hartley Act.
Evidence Suppressed.
What is worse is the way the
administration here, unchecked
thus far by Congress, has sup
pressed evidence showing how the
courts injunction was flouted by
4 conspiracy inside the miners
union. Thousands of words of
affidavits told the Justice Depart
ment attorneys plainly how the
mine unions held local meetings
throughout the coal fields several
days in advance of the expected
issuance of a court injunction
and how, by word-of mouth ar
rangements, the plan was engi-
neered to disregard the kilograms
sent by their own officers at the
behest of the court.
Now John L. Lewis boasts in the
newsreels shown in the moving
picture theaters throughout the
Nation this week that his union
"discredited the Taft-Hartley
abomination" by which he means,
OF course. the injunction provis-
ions that constitute it's teeth. He
Is right-the union has discredited
not only the law but the whole
system of enforcement of the ord
ers of the Federal courts of
America.
The State courts have also been
damaged in prestige. Although
many suits have been filed al
1eging a violation of laws govern
ing restraint of trade by means
Of the three-day week and other
controls over production, the
operators, as a condition toward
getting the Lewis signature on the
contract. were compelled to agree
to drop all such suits and, in
effect, withhold from the State
authorities any evidence to prove
law violations. Thus is economic
duress used to break down the
proper functioning of State courts.
Gains New Influence.
Most important is the new in
huence which Mr.. Lewis gains
over the whole labor movement.
Though not in the AFL or CIO,
he has begun to dominate them
both. He offers ST million to
Walter Reuther's auto workers,
sends back the $500,000 which
Philip Murray's steel workers sent
him and revives his idea of
mutual aid pact for defense"
whereby the hundreds of millions
OF dollars amassed from workers
dues shall be used to buy legis-
lation and influence the election of
those who will do the bidding of
union groups. Mr.. Lewis frankly
admits. in a recently published
biography, that he paid $500, 900
to the Roosevelt administration
to buy the passage of the Wagner
Labor Relations Law.
Mr.. Lewis also has led the way
to something else-far more sig
nif1cant. He is the first labor
leader to achieve for his union
two-to-one control of the trustees
Of q big pension fund involving
shortly about $500 million of mon
ey. Other union leaders will de-
mand the same thing now.
Mr.. Lewis bids fair by his chal-
lenges to make a last supreme
effort to bring about a. dictator
ship by means of a working al
lance among the big unions. The
other leaders may be jealous of
him, but he has demonstrated to
the rank and file that he is bigger
than Presidents or Congresses
haN>vNeA -