GUILTY OF CONTEMPT

Chronicle (Levin), 4 December 1946, Page 5

GUILTY OF CONTEMPT

Press Assn.-

Verdict In Lewis Case MINERS SEEK THE1R R1GHTS

By Telegraph ,

-Copyrighi

Received Wednesday, 12.15 p.m. WASHINGTON, Dec. 3. Judge Goldsborough found John L. Lewis and the United Mine Workers guilty of contempt. Senvence will oe pronounced tumorrow. Defence rested without giving evidence. The Judge ordered a tliirty minute rocess and when the. court resumed announced the verdict. Lewis asked and was granted leave oO make a statement. Lewis said that the history of iabour injunctions before 1932 was a sordid one, which was recognised a'hen Congress passed the Clayton Anti-trust Act and Morris-La Guardia an ti -injunction Act. Lewis, mentioning the "deadly and brutal fifty-four hour week in the American coal mines," said that United Mine Workers had been mipelled to announce the termination of its contract with the Government. Thereafter the Government, in violation of the MorrisLa Guardia Act, asked for a restraining order, which was granted "without notice and without hearinag." Lewis denounced this "coercive and all-embracing restraining order." Speaking as president of the United Mine Workers' Association and vice-president of the American Federation of Labour with 8,000,000 members, Lewis protested against "this ugly recrudescence of the Government by injunction." Continuing, Lewis said: "Your injunction, Sir, deprives the miners of their constitutional rights of freedom of speech, freedom of Press, freedom of assembly anrl freedom from involuntary servilude. The miners and I stand upon these constitutional rights as American citizens. The miners are law abiding and God-fearing citizens, and only asserted their rights as citizens."