The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-08-10
Open Clash Between Labor In
terests is Imminent.
Organizer Walker Throws Down
Gage of Battle.
JOHNSON THE CAUSE.
Labor Secretary Charged With
Making Trouble.
Trying to Create Sentiment
Against Proposed Federation.

| 1t Is becoming evident that the meet
ling to be held in Topeka next week
for the purpose of organizing a state
federation of labor may be anything
but a love feast.
In fact, it is apparent that there Is
likely to be serious clash. between the
state federation and the state bureau
of labor and industry, of which w. L.
A. Johnson is the head. 1t may be
that the organization of the new labor
union movement in Kansas will have
the effect of splitting the union labor
interests of the state wide open rather
than cementing them together.
National Organizer Walker of Wich-
tia. the man who is getting up the
movement for the state federation of
labor, under the direction of Samuel
Gompers OF the national federation,
has given out a statement in which he
declares that representatives of the
being sent about over the state by
Labor Commissioner Johnson for the
purpose of interfering with the work
of organizing the state federation.
"It is a fact" said Mr.. Walker, that
a prominent state official and some of
his assistants. all of whom are en-
ployes and on salary by the state Of
Kansas. have been travelling over the
state curing the past week 1n1Sr6Dr6-
senting the objects and purposes of the
state federation of labor movement.
They are smarting under the LASH of
public condemnation for the lack of
disch arging their duties in the depart
ment in which they are in.
However. our Kansas state fedora
ton of labor is being organized upon
recognized trade union lines, under the
instructions of such ETnen as Samuel
Gompers. John Mitchell and. William
D. Huber. and. 1t stands to reason that
the moveme mt Ks sgoingsto be made "a
big success, the SdisgE4fRf1ers md poll
ticians 60 the coutraEH n otwN hstand-
ing ~ = -
This Statement off Mr. walker is
equivalentfro aAdeclaFaNon Of war on
the state society of 1abbr and isfdus-
trv and it wf4fsno douht4be- RECEIVED in
that spirit by the officers OF. the. state
to ORGANIZE their fight,Nin seeretsH not
in public for apparently the dera-
ton of labor has decided that the state
society ofslabor and Industry must be
put out of buSinesse
The officers of the state society of
labor and industry deny emphaticalIy
that they are trying to interfere with
the organization of the state fedora
sympathy with the movement.
THE only reason L can see for this
attack of Walker" said one of the
officers of the labor commissioners
once, Is IndI w dlhGE represents a
lot of fellows who have been trying to
get a job in the state society of labor
for some time and have failed. Now
they expect to get all the jobs there
are in this state federation movement.
and they figure that the only way they
can hold their power is to destroy the
society of labor. If they keep on this
way their federation will be failure
They will find that they can not poison
the minds of the laboring men of Kan
sas against the state society of labor
and industry by such methods. 1t will
hurt the federation rather than us to
have such methods used. For my part
1 have always talked and worked for
the federation of labor"
The meeting for the organization of
the state federation will take place on
next Monday. Mr.. Walker is expected
to arrive in Topeka on Sunday, and
will take up his headquarters at the
Mr.. Walker says that there
will probably be $50 delegates at the
and that it will be the big
gest labor convention ever held In
Kansas. He says that the sessions
may last until Thursday or Friday of
next week.