Important Decisions

Important Decisions Made by St. Louis Judge Relative to Capital and Labor.

St. Louis, Dec. 24. - "Capitalists have a right to do as they please with their money, so long as they do not become public charges.

"A man without capital may labor or refuse to labor, so long as he keeps out of the poorhouse.

"Capitalists have the right to combine capital in productive enterprises and by lawful competition drive individual producers and small ones out of business.

"Laborers and artisans have the right to form unions and fight this competition of capitalists by lawful means."

This statement of the right of combination on the part of capital and labor was handed down by Judge C. C. Bland of the court of appeals yesterday in a decision in favor of Joseph E. I Walsh, who sought an injunction to prevent members of the Master Plumbers' association from combining in the refusal to sell him supplies because ha was not a member.

Judges Barclay and Good concurred in the decision, which was a reversal of a decision in Judge Woods' court.

The appellate court, while holding that the association should be restrained, as Walsh asked, refused to dissolve the organization, as he had requested. It was stated that the association was a lawful one.