The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-06-16
WEED PULLERs ON A STRIKE
Change Their Minds After They Have
Been Paid.

Topeka is in the throes of another
strikei Not the kind which the news
crowd at Washburn park yesterday,
but a labor disturbance.
Fifteen boys who have been en-
ployed by the firm of Sessions &
Leach, farmers by proxy, wedding
onions, formed a Weed Pullers' union
last night and struck.
Encouraged by their success as
agriculturists last year, Charles H.
the Kansas City Journal, and J. S.
Leach, of the Kansas City Star, en-
barked on still larger farming oper-
atoms this year. They have a sys-
tenn by which they do none of the
work, but they rake in the profits.
Among their other agricultural op-
erations this year they are raising six
acres of onions. These onions have to
be weeded. They are drilled in rows
about six inches apart and a quarter
of mile long. To do this wedding
the firm of Sessions &, Leach has been
employing from twenty to twenty-five
boys
To start with the boys were paid
fifty cents day, but a THAT rate they
semeed to be so careful in their work
that at the en- dof days work they
were close to the beginning. There
fore the employers changed to piece
work They stopped paying by the
day but offered ten cents a row for
wedding. This was all right with the
| The boys got over the ground with
remarkable rapidly but they went so
fast that they found it difficult to dis
tinguish between weeds and onions.
This brought on trouble with the
superintendent of the weed pullers'
division in the works of Sessions &
Leach, and that was the directc cause
! of the strike. The superintendent in
| sisted that the weed Dullers be more
careful of the onions. The boys allege
| that he was extreme in his exhOrta-
| lions. Therefore a Weed Pullers'
| union was formed yesterday and last
night the union struck to enforce a
/ demand for new rules governing the
superintendent.
They secured their time" and came
over from north of Soldier creek last
night in a body. The employers had
ust returned from covering themselves
/ with glory and the soil of Washburn
! field. Leach brought the glory and
| Sessions the soil. The members of
! the union informed the employers of
their strike and demanded payment
for their time forthwith. They were
| accommodated.
/ One member of the union was miss
ing when the payment was made but
another boy impersonated him and
drew his money. Mr.. Leach, who is
| treasurer of the firm. did not kno wthe
| boys apart and he paid over the money
without question. This morning the
boy who was really entitled to it show
ed up at the state house and demanded
payment. He proved his identity and
that he was not present at the payment
last evening, so Leach had to pay $110
over again.
BY the time the boys got their money
some of them decided that they were
tired of striking and would like to go
to work again this morning. Two of
them got a note from Sessions & Leach
directed to the superintendent stating
that the bearers would go to work
again. but the applications of the 9th
ers were rejected. One Of the boys
whose applications were rejected was
the one who instigated the strike, but
he executed a stroke of financiering
bought the note which had been given
to the other boys, and showed up this
morning for work. The superintendent
however, instituted a lockout on his
account against all strikers.
I'VE still have six boys at work, .
said Mr.. Leach today. THAT is enough
to keep our motive power going al
right and we do not expect to be ever
Inconvenience"
The strike has not yet reached the
state labor bureau. When Lee John
son hears of it. it is expected that ne
will call Sessions & Leach down. The
latter is trying to suppress the news Of
the strike.
Coxherd Renorninated.
KapSoz Cftv Mo Tuna 1e-Wil1iar n