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EMPIRE TO LAUNCHM/ITS DEFENSE TODAYyL-rLabor Board Host* Case and At-1 ^torncys Soy Hearing May End forThin Week. baiti*fitna.e-i-5rlo0502to Fred C. Pratt, general superin-tie;a-:e,isteide-sshu.olV-ofedit-he^r-ofofoldhoi;D33,tormeinVQ\Shwibelt;86AW1 ye iW i Defense testimony will start today in the Empire District Electric sta Company labor board hearing. The ing labor board rested its case yester-gn^ day after less than four days of jnc 0 testimony and the hearing was ro- *j e cessed yesterday afternoon to give *}lt;ii the Empire District time to prepare its evidence. Attorneys said the hearing may bo concluded this week.h | Only brief testimony was presented yesterday by the Joplin local of n | the electrical workers* union, A, F.of L. affiliate, before the union’s 0- case was rested by Gibson Langs-a dale, attorney.Motion Is Denied.16 In renting the government’s case, Henry Foster, jr., of labor board a* counsel reserved the right to take 3r the deposition of D. B. Stephens, a claimant, who lives In Spokane, r» | Wash., but said it is not his intention to take such deposition,In behalf of the Empire District, f ’ | A. E. Spencer, jr., made vigorous protest against permitting Stephens* deposition to be taken after £ the company presents its testimony, contending that under all rules of evidence the plaintiff is required to present all of Its evidence in chief ^ before the defendant is called upon ie to present Its defense. Spencer moved that Stephens' claim be dismissed, but his motion was denied by Trial Examiner Charles Persons.SOIiffanThkiljiAsiyatemlt;Wselt;prlt;FctecprPlECOIlagdiiancoluiPliinBeCOHitalbaM3deJ.anw*be;inOthaatatendent of the Empire District, was 0f\ the labor board’s final witness. He 11. gave statistical evidence relative to the company’s production and dis-er j trlbution of power in the Tri-State district*[re | Pratt testified that the .only purpose for which the company em-le, I ployed Pinkerton detectives in 1935,)r. 1936 and 1937 was to investigate ik I bombings of company transmission lines during mine strike disturb-ia I ances and to investigate wire thefts id in an effort to apprehend the e-l thieves.He specifically denied that the Lt-| detectives were ever employed to as investigate or spy upon union ac-tivities and declared that no re-sr ports on union activities were ever V. I made to him.In cross-examination, Pratt said S. I that the company’s policy always rej has been one of compliance with the national labor relations act. He 11- declared that at no time did heever instruct foremen, superintendents or other officials to interfere | with union activities.r-( Pratt said he never asked any employe to resign from the union, never received any such resignations or copies, and that he had not discussed “breaking up'* the union with any supervisory employe or other official.The witness also testified the company has never maintained any rigid policy with regard to seniority rules in the hiring, firing, laying off or transferring of employes.W. J. Cox, international union organizer who signed the complaint against the Empire District before the* regional director of the labor board in Kansas City, was the only union witness. . ^Cox identified as exhibits corre-| m spondence between the company and the Kansas City labor board office relative to negotiations for. settlement of the dispute, beginning j ^ last October. Cox said that there were a series of conferences between himself and Empire District officials and attorneys relative to the dispute, held in an effort to avoid a labor board hearing.The Empire District yesterday produced, and the labor boardintroduced in evidence by stipulation carbon copies and other copies of resignations by employes from the electrical workers* union which were in the possession of the company. Previous testimony had been that several employes who wrote out resignations from the union sent copies to the company.ial-ofedI*oflUtillfe.dn)00/e-J.BC-rdJoplin Men's Brother Dies,
Newspaper Details
Joplin Globe
Joplin, Missouri, US
Thu, Jun 02, 1938
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Joplin P.
MO, USA 10 Jul 2023
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