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Show THE SEARCHLIGHT Edmonds Faces Labor Charges (Continued from page publicity and undercover work, herded them into what is ‘“What-Sunday-School-Did-For-Me’’ politely called an ‘‘Independent’’ union. The A. F. of L. fought back. It never did take kindly to the idea of turning the other cheek. It slapped a boycott on Clyde’s hen fruit. Clyde answered with an action for damages in the State courts. He managed to tie up the bank accounts and real estate of the members of the butchers’ union, with whom the poultry workers had been affiliated. But on re-hearing before another judge, the judgment was reversed. Clyde carried the case to the State Supreme Court, but made little headway. Finally it was withdrawn and dismissed. In the meantime Clyde fixed up a deal with the Farm Bureau crowd to pass some legislation that not only would put a crimp in his particular adversaries, but would begin to take collective bargaining apart. He managed pretty well in the House, where careless union to the kind he gets in the Searchhght. men had permitted Clyde’s Farm Bureau stooges to take control. But he lost in the Senate, and was obliged to resort to his old tricks and plots instead of slashing at the unions head-on. One of his confidential heutenants was— and is—Tracy R. Welling, a Farm Bureau schemer. Testimony at the hearing disclosed that Clyde had tried to have Tracy named as the third man in an arbitration case arising from a labor dispute with his employees. But his employees knew Clyde. And they knew that Clyde knew Tracy. They had become familiar with loaded dice, and naturally didn’t want to give Clyde two out of three men to start. Working for Clyde for a few years brings a certain amount of sophistication. One of the principal charges against Jacobson was that he reads the Searchhight* and has supplied it with certain authentic information relating to attempts of Edmonds to break against to prefer charges «Somebody ought He, too, reads the Searchlight—is a stuClyde. he is a subscriber, and Indeed dious reader. of tears into his copy avidly to the exclusion all else whenever he gets it. prefers Clyde bargaining. collecive down 1) Clyde’s attorney, Harry D. Pugsley, whose stature appears to be limited to legal first aid, brought out on cross examination that Jacob- son gave his information to the Searchlight because no other publication in Utah would use it—the dailies, Jacobson said, were tied up with business and would not give the workers a break. Testimony disclosed that Clyde had summoned his employees into an impromptu union meeting at which he read a story from the Searchlight**, about himself and his Association. He urged that the employee who had made the facts in the Searchlight available for publication should be thrown out of the Company union—a step preliminary to discharge. A substantial volume of testimony was introduced which tended to show that Edmonds is an inveterate foe of labor unions, and loses no opportunity to connive with like-minded persons in schemes directed against collective bargaining. Jacobson’s complaint alleging that his discharge was made because of his union activity was strongly supported. The testimony may be summarized as follows: Ist. union That, and as a first creating a step in undermining hostile attitude the among its members directed against the A. F. of L., Edmonds’ stooges in the poultry workers local waged a vigorous campaign against paying dues into the A. F. of L. 2nd. ATED Hugh Edmonds with the was then R. Barnes—who (Continued **During the smug superiority, would sue the shown to have president leaned on told strongly following meeting, his the toward with employees for advised he would be unable to vice was accurate—if he had union, Ed- page) Clyde, Searchlight of COOPER- damages, an air of that he but was collect. His adany, and even though Pugsley gave it to him. Truth is still an an adequate defense in libel actions brought against newspapers that refuse to be cowed in the face of pillaging wealth. |