LABOUR BOYCOTT.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 737, 9 February 1910, Page 5

LABOUR BOYCOTT.

DAMAGES AGAINST UNIONISTS PERSONALLY.

A JTDDQMUNT.FOB £38,000. By Telegraph-Press Aesociation-Ooliyriziit

. (Rec. February .8, 3.30 p.m.) : New York, February 8. At Dahbury, a hat-manufacturing centro in Coijnecticut, 241 members of the Hi\t'inakers' "Union were ordered ,by the Court to pay X 38.000. for boycotting a iirm which rofused to deal with, unionist factories. . .■.-'.",. ... ..-, '. ..■■ . .

The decision in this case, definitely makes trade' unionists financially .responsible, for the acts' of their officers. ~

BOYCOTTERS' LIABILITIES,

.If tho above decision is good, a labour union :boycott- in tbe -United States now ' involves ■■ not only liability to imprisonment tin: the part.of,thb leaders if they disobey , the Court's order/ but also personal- financial responsibility on the part of.the members of the ■ union for damage incurred by tho firm boycotted.' ■ •'! TKe sentences -of imprisonment pronounced on December 23, 1908, on' Messrs. Gompers, John.Mitchell, and Frank Mor.rison, officers' of the American Federation of Labour, were confirmed recently :by-'the United States-District Court ; of ' -v. ,l; :.\ ; -'.'' .; The case, which .is regarded as one of supreme importance in the relations between -.capital and labour, arises out of a ■ boycott pronounced by the Ifetal Polish.ers' Union against the' Bucks Stove Range Company. An injunction was obtained by the company restraining tho Federa•tidn of Labour from prosecuting tho boycott.- The federation appealed, and pending the appeal the Labour lenders continued to publish-the company's name under their famous "We Don t Patronise" heading, or black list' in- the "Federationist.": i-,..- '■'■■:'.-.•-.■■ '•-: ,' -'-':■

I'pr this contempt of,court Mr. Gompers was : -sentenced to 'one year, ; . Mr'; Mitchell to nine months, and 'Mr.' Morrison .to •, eix ~ months' 'imprisonment.: The decision of. the United States District Court of Appeal differs from' the original in. the courteous .character of, the lan-: guage employed/towards the defendants, who are this time described in the verdict as "three ■ distinßuished citizens, ■ leaders of-a groat cause for the improvement and uplifting,of their- fellow men.' .with a larger following probably than' ever ' was' marshalled. under a single leadership in any philanthropic movement." ■' , • : The deoision," the courts verdict proceeds, -whether, just or unjust, - must bo' olJeyei, and, therefore, the sontences must stand. Tho.;Labour, leaders'-. will now carry the case to. the Supreme" Court of the- United 'States, remaining' on' bail pending, the final:.decision. .• ; V . ':