coal trade bulletin - Clpdigital.org

56 THE COAL TRADE BULLETIN.
LABOR UNIONS COME UNDER SHERMAN
LAW AND MUST OBEY IT IS DECISION
OF UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS
IN DANBURY HATTERS CASE.
The United States court of appeals at New York
Dec. 18 decided the famous Danbury hatters' case
in favor of D. F. Loewe, the plaintiff, and against
the ITnited Hatters of North America. The court
affirmed a judgment in favor of Mr. Loewe and
against the hatters' organization for $252,130.
With interest and costs the judgment now
amounts to $272,000. At the first trial held in
1909. the plaintiff obtained a judgment for $232,-
240.
Sustaining the second judgment. Judge Coxe
declared that it was no longer debatable "that the
anti-trust act is applicable to such combinations
as are alleged in the complaint," and that the act
made no distinctions between classes of combinations
or individuals. The court held that it had
been clearly established that the plaintiffs were
engaged in an interstate business and that the defendants
are members of a trades union, and affiliated
with the American Federation of Labor, "one
of the objects of the latter organization being to
assist its members in any 'justifiable boycott' and
with financial help in the event of a strike or
lockout."
It was shown at the trial that in March, 1901,
the United Hatters had resolved to unionize the
factory of the plaintiffs and that Mr. Loewe had
been informed by the union officials that the hatters
"would resort to the usual methods," in case
their plan should meet with opposition. On
July 6, 1902, the plaintiff's employes were directed
to go on strik3, and it is claimed that almost immediately
a boycott was established. The plaintiffs
assert that this measure "converted a profit
of $27,000 in 1910 into losses, ranging from $17,-
000 in 1902 to $3,000 in 1904.
Judge Coxe said in conclusion of his finding:
"No one disputes the proposition that labor
unions are lawful. All must admit that they are
not only lawful but highly beneficial when legally
and fairly conducted, but like all other combinations,
irrespective of their objects and purposes
they must obey the law."
MISSOURI COAL OUTPUT FOR 1912 SHOWS
LARGEST PRODUCTION IN THE STATES
HISTORY.
Commissioner John T. Fitzpatrick of the bureau
of labor statistics of Missouri, in a bulletin entitled
"Missouri's Visible Coal Supply, the Yearly
Output," says:
The 1912 output of Missouri amounted to 4,339,-
856 short tons, consisting of 4,322,116 tons of
bituminous, 14,157 tons of block, and 3,583 tons
of cannel coal, valued at $7,633,S64. It was the
highest production of any single year dating from
1S40, when extensive mining of coal for commercial
purposes commenced in Missouri. This
was an increase of 503,749 tons, or 13.13 per cent.
in quantity and of $1,030,798, or 15.61 per cent.
in value over 1911, when the production amounted
to 3,836,107 short tons, valued at $6,603,066. Prior
to 1912 the largest production of coal in Missouri
was in 1903, when it amounted to $4,238,586 tons,
about 100,000 less than that of 1912.
Coal niining in Missouri in 1912 gave employment
to 9,704 men, who worked an average of
206 days, compared with 10,259 men and 182 days
in 1911. The rate of production per man is low,
being 477 tons for the year and 2.17 tons for
each day in 1912, and 374 tons for the year and
2.05 tons per day in 1911.
In 1912, of the 4,339,856 tons of coal mined in
Missouri 3,SOS,332 tons were shipped from the
producing counties; 432,051 tons were used in
local trade and 99,437 tons were consumed at the
mines for steam and heating purposes.
Information furnished Superintendent of Statistics
A. T. Edmonston for use in the coal bulletin
is that 20 men were killed in Missouri coal
mines in 1912, as compared to eight in 1911.
Sixteen of the fatalities occurred underground.
The death rate per 1,000 employes was 2.06, as
compared to .8 in 1911.
Macon county holds first rank for its quantity
and value for coal mined in Missouri in 1912,
the output being 818,170 tons and the value
$1,251,755. The surplus shipped was 779,358 tons.
Lafayette county mined 749,598 tons, worth $1,-
454.965, and shipped a surplus of 683,283 tons.
Blair county produced 593,667 tons, worth $965,-
8S0, and shipped to outside markets, chiefly in
the state, 565,015 tons. Randolph county mined
483,903 tons, worth $7S1,919, and shipped 448,450
tons. Other producing counties are: Audrain,
Benton, Bates, Bonne, Callaway, Dade, Henry,
Linn, Putnam, Ray, Caldwell, Cass, Clay, Moniteau,
Platte, Schuyler, Sullivan and Vernon.
The coal of Callaway county brought more per
ton than did any of the other Missouri producing
counties, the average price for the year being
$2.46; then came Lafayette county with $2.29
per ton and Audrain county with $2.22. Counties
with over one thousand working coal miners are
Lafayette, Macon and Randolph.
Fire was discovered in the old Echo mine of the
Monongahela River Consolidated Coal & Coke Co.,
near Fayette City, Pa., Jan, 1, and for a short
time it was feared the flames might communicate
with the Tremont mine, but they were confined
to about 500 feet of the Echo mine, and were put
out in a few days.