The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-11-24
CONTRACTORS SIDE.
Say That Mr.. johnson Is Work
ing for Reelection.

1t is stated on good authority that La
Dor Commissioner w. L. A. Johnson has
started his campaign against municipal
contractors in Topeka for the Dur pose
of helping out his chances of reelection
to the office of commissioner at the Feb
ruary meeting of the society of labor
This information does not come from
the contractors, but from a union man
closely associated with Mr.. johnson.
The fight which Mr.. Johnson is max
ing to compel contractors to obey the
law has several rather peculiar features
One is that Mr.. Johnson has struck his
blow just at the close of the season,
when nearly all the municipal work is
completed. The raise of Is cents a day
which the common labOrer get on some
jobs will not amount to much People
are asking why Mr.. Johnson did not
enforce the law last year and year be-
fore when contractors were paying only
$1.20 instead of S135 and $1-b0. and why
he did not enforce the law during the
past summer, when the city was spend
ing 100000 on contract work
The unions are backing Mr.. Johnson
in his fight. and the evidence upon
which he is acting was furnished by
cured Jobs under the contractors who
are now being called to time.
Several of the contractors who were
served with notices are denying the
charge that they are paying less than
$3.50 per day. Ramsey & Son assert
that they have been paying that scale
on all municipal contracts, and on the
West Sixth avenue work for the county.
Wall & Hanley, who are building the
Washburn college sewer, pay all the
men who work down in the bitches $50
for eight hours work They have a few
boys of Is or 16 and old men of feeble
strength who do light shoveling on the
surface who get smaller wages. The
law does not make any distinctions
however, and the result will be that
these boys and old men will be turned
off. They are not worth 81 so a day to
any employer, but they are glad to get
employment for less rather than be idle
Apparently the fight is directed mainly
at Maxwell, who is doing some grading
on Clay between Eighth and Tenth This
job is almost completed, and it would
not pay Maxwell to make any fight
against the proposed 81 50 scale.
| The effort of Mr.. Johnson to enforce
the law will therefore be of very little
value to the laborers but it will make
Mr.. Johnson more popular with the union
! labor organizations in whose hands he
must rest his case for reelection.
The contractors say that Johnson is not
working to upbuild the general indus
trial conditions of the state and assist
all laborers but that he fights the battles
of organized labor and strives to crush
out the so-called ''scabs." This is only
natural, however, as under the present
| system of election, Mr.. johnson is the
representative of organized labor
Mr.. johnson said today:
THE party who furnished me The lnfor.
nation that Ramsey & Son are paying
/ less than the legal rate for laborers was
evidently misinformed. He confused Mr.
! Ramsey'S contra ct with some other work
which is being done by another party. I
am anxious to secure informant ton of VIOLA
tons of the eight hour law and will strive
municipal contract. Violations of this law
are sometimes covered up because of the
conditional upon their keeping the amour
| of their wages secret