The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1902-05-10
W. |. A. JOHNSON
TAKES A HAND
State Labor Commissioner
Calls on Hostile Contractors.
ASKS THEM TO ARBlTRATE
And viii Address Them at
Official Meeting Sunday.

State Labor Commissioner W L. A
Johnson of Topeka is in the city and is
taking a hand in the carpenters strike
Yesterday afternoon he went TO see sew
eral Of the contractors and was success
( ful in getting the contractors 10 agree 10
call a meeting OF the Wichita Master
Builders association for next Tuesday
evening. when the labor commissioner viii
address them and tell them the strikers
side Of the matter, and it is probable that
/ the contractors will appoint a committee
/ OF five 10 confer with the committee from
the union. and the commissioner nFmly
4 believes that when this committee meets
{ and chooses its other disiaterested men,
I Der and gets down 70 business the strike
Will be settled before the last OF next
week. and il viii be settled satisfactorily
( 10 both sides In speaking OF the strike
/ last night Mr.. Johnson said TO a reporter
for the Eagle:
: "The appointment Of that committee by
the union was wise move. Now the
4 contractors must appoint a like commit
tee or make public some reason for not
doing so. and if they cannot make
mighty good reason IL VIII show that they
do not want 10 end this strike as much
as they are trying 10 make believe.
In know this strike is doing an injury
/ 70 the carpenters. the contractors and the
+ business men generally. and the quicker
* is ended the better 1t Will be for al
/ concerned.
Z went TO the contractors this evening
and had a talk with some Of them and
told them what the carpenters wanted
and at last I succeeded in having them
/ call a meeting for next Tuesday evening.
when I will come here and make an ad-
dress. and I believe that the outcome Of
this meeting Will be the appointment Of
q committee from the contractors TO con
fer with the carpenters committee, and
as soon as this is done I feel sure that
the strike viii be ended.
Il have found in ny talks with the con-
tractors that they do not fully under
stand the unions demands. and 1 have
also learned that the carpenters DO not
understand the contra tors position.
believe that it is ignorance Of the import
Of the questions involved that is keep
ing this strike on. The men are holding
out as they should and so are the con-
J tractors. That is commendable in both
but il is far better that they come 10 a
settlement as soon as possible. The car
penters cannot enforce all their demands
az once. Let them give in on some points
and get all the contractors TO sign up fol
one year. Then let them keep talking VI
when they are ready TO make another
years agreement they can tell the con
tractors what they want, and the con
tractors will by this time understand then
and there viii be no more trouble between
them
Il was learned last night that the con
tractors who have agreed 70 the unior
demands are getting worried over the ct
titude OF the other contractors They
want all the contractors 10 sign the agree
ment The union contractors are afraic
that the others viii fight the union al
this year and that il viii mean less bust
ness for them, for if some of the contrac
tors employ only non-uni0n men they car
underbid the others. and then there i
likely 70 be a crash between the contrac
tors and labor troubles of q more seri
Gus nature for the word was passet
around yesterday that some Of the othe
unions would so out on the hostile con
tractors if they went 10 undertaking
the union builders.
There have been no more contractor
signed the carpenter demands, although
intention N doing so. Last night the car
penters held meeting Al their headquar
tiers at 126 East Second street and talke'
over the situation. J. Thornburg. tn
walking delegate. made an interesting
talk, as did several other members Of tn
union. and the members seemed 70 fee
better when the thing was over. as the,
felt that from the present outlook III
strike would soon be at an end. and the.
would be working fun time again.