The advocate., 1895-01-09

Ans SyBA6m VI AchRABk gDOHhNha LOT
work has been largely abolished In England
the public authorities employing and supeFin.
tending their own labor and buying their own
materials. In this way, the contractor and
his profits are eliminated; an eight hour wOPk
day has been established: and experience has
demonstrated that superior WOFkmanshiD
with better materials result without IA.
creased expense. This reform has been one OF
the standing and principal demands Of labor
in this country for twenty years yet II seems
to ave secured q acant recognition. Per.
hsps this is due TO the fact that labor OrRani-
cations eschew politics; but whatever the
course may be, the reform has never reached
this state. II the board OF public works Is 10
be continued 10 ahould directly employ labor
for all public buildings and In all public
works. Only few contractors would beincon-
venlenced and much needed reform would
be Introduced; the Idle la0orer5 OF Kansas
would be employed to do the public work OF
Kansas, and no laborers need be imported.
As the majority OF the present house, and
the incoming administration were elected
largely by the votes OF Worklngm9n, and as
che majority Of the senator's Is understood TO
be favorable to such Legislation. IL Is hoped
that some such measures as WOrkingmen have
so long demanded may be enacted into laws
at this session.
In concluding this chapter it may be re.
marked that misapprehension seems to
exist rs to the true design OF the office OF
commissioner OF labor statistics It was not
intended that the commissioner should be
labor Organization, nor that any labor organi-
Zaton should control tt or dictate the ap-
p0intment OF its CHIEF 1t Is bureau OF labor
statistics not OF the statistics OF organized
labor alone. These explanations may not be-
polite but they are true,
MINERS AND MINING.
The act of the last legislature concerning
the screening OF coal and the payment OF wages
20 miners has been declared unconstitutional
hV a nlakFlNk and ia
ignored. The ground upon which 10 was de-
clared invalid was that 1t was "class legsla-
tiOn." Though the same objection applies
with equal force TO our mechanic lien laws,
and many other statutes, and certainly ap-
plies to our laws meant 20 secure the lives OF
miners from premature ex loSlons and bad
ventilation.
As this law thus overthrown is seriously i'm
portant TO the miners OF the state, and deslr-
Ing TO protect the interests OF every class. the
executive retained Mr. Helm, OF Wichita, %
assist the county attorney, and paid for his
services ON the contingent fund The case
has been appealed, and the legislature should
make provisions for having the validity OF the
law settled by the supreme court at public ex-
pense.
The miners complain OF the ComDetltlon OF
the penltentiaFy mine, and claim that II helps
to reduce the wages OF free labor; and also OF
che more serious competition OF railroad
mines
The executive bespe0ks a careful consldera.
tlon OF the report OF the mine Inspector be-
cause, being himself a miner his report may
be regarded as vOiGlng the opinions OF the
miners as TO needed legislation.
THE COAL STRIKE.
The act OF the last legislature concerning
the screening OF coal was not. by IT'S terms, %
take effect TIL September /, 1898; but the gen.
or rus operators could not endure the delay,
and decided TO put 1t into operation 40 the
hARinntmR OF aummAF Thew tnndeFaH n
the miners. months In advance. new scale OF
wages 20 take away the benefits the new law
was designed to confer. In short they en-
tered into D conspiracy to overthrow and
nulliiy . law OF the state. In deposltions nOW
on fls In the Unlted States circuit court at
Fort Scott, operators admitted, under oath,
that the deliberate object OF the cOnspiratOR3
In rendering the new scale OF wages when they
did was TO provoke the miners to strike. Hav-
ing accomplished this purpose, the operators
OF Cherokee and Crawford counties proceeded
| to erect private forts, garrisoned with con-
scIencelesS mobs armed with Winchester
| rides. intended TO commit murder 10 resisting
mere t5espasSes upon lands; an Offen|e Ahich,
under the statutes, constitutes manslaughter.
Men assembled for such an unlawful pur oso
| to the number OF three or more constitute an
unlawful assembly-a rlOtous body; and when
armed Rs those we're, constitute q dangerous
mob. and menace the peace of the community.
AS was to have been expected, these lawle5s
desperadoes were not long in finding COW
eGed occasion for using the weapons which
had been put into their hands, and an excit-
| ing ARRAY occurred. The executive sought TO
obtain accurate information as 10 the situ&
tiOn Of affairs, and determined to refuse miii-
4 tRPy aid TO corp FatlOns engaged In On armed
revolt against the law OF che state and deter.
mined, also, that the only forts on Kansas soil
should be those erected bV the constituted au-
thorltles OF the state or Of the general govern
ment. He also entertained the opinion that
systematic and premedtated murder was not
the proper method OF testing either the valid
lty or the propFiety OF legislative act, and
that prtvatelwSr carried on by armed bodies In
time Of peace In the proximity OF communt.
ties Of peaceful citizens should not be tOler-
ate as Q mode Of settling controversies be-
tween woFklnRmen and their employers
Entertaining these notions, the executive
0Fdagad fha nakiOoa1 UuaFd IN hOld itsplf In