The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-04-14
UNIONS SAY NO.
Don't Want Theatres Open ON
Sunday.
BARRIERS Lead Off by Passing
Resolutions.
CONSIDER 1T FURTHER
Question Taken Before the
Trades Council.
Mayor Billiard Says He Will
Stand by His Guns.

If what members of the Industrial
council say is true organized labor is
to block the open Sunday movement
The BARRIERS union took the initiative
last night by passing a resolution op-
posing the movement.
The unions 90 not take their position
because of church 1eanings or moral
inclinations but because the Crawford
interests have. it is said, refused to
recognize a local formed by stage
hands and said to be a member of the
International Stage Employees union.
Labor will not object to the opening of
the moving picture shows, nor will its
objections continue should the Craw-
ford interests grant the demands of
the new local, according to 1. Gilberg,
moving spirit in the controversy.
I'VE expect to fight the Sunday
opening of theaters on account of the
position taken by the Crawfords with
regard to the union formed by certain
stage hands employed by them" de-
clares Gilberg. AT a meeting of the
BARRIERS union last night the demands
of the new body were endorsed. The
Industrial council is with them in
their fight. Labor is not in this open
political views but because the Craw-
fords have not treated their stage
hands right.
Picture Shows o. X.
AS lar dS the moving picture SIlOMS
are concerned we have no fight on
them. We have no objection to their
opening"
"a short time ago the Industrial
council sent a committee to wait upon
Mr.. Roy Crawford and present the de-
mands of the stage hands to him and
see if some settlement could not be
secured. This committee consisted of
L. Kerl, from bakers union, G. A.
Johnson, a printer, F. P. Woodruff, a
painter, and Mr.. Gyzer, member of
the bakers local This committee call
ed on Mr.. Crawford but he refused to
treat with them. The only thing left
for labor to do is to fight"
President E. c. >harp oe the Indus
trial council said when asked about the
matter: I'VE are not making any
moves on the political checker board.
What we are trying to do is protect
union people,
Secretary W. NJ. Amos, of the coun-
ell declared that the body had taken
no action in the matter beyond the
appointment of committee to see
the Crawfords.
In discussing the position he has TAX
en- with regard to the union, Roy
Crawford said when seen today: ''I
am very much surprised that any
thing has come up with regard to this
the Industrial Council should have
taken it up. The whole matter is
simply this, I discharged a number
of worthless stagehands recently. I
doing their work and for other
causes.
Not Opposed to Unions
LAS to my position with regard to
unions 1 want to say that 1 employ
union orchestras in all my houses The
majority of the stage hands in the So
called union launched here are boys.
They are irresponsible. Talk about
recognizing unions. why these boys
have no union. They have only a
provisional charter which is liable to
be revoked at any time. An example
of what they will attempt came to |
light the other night, when THE
Flower of the Ranch was playing at
the Grand. Several of these boys tried |
to get the union men working in the |
show to quit. OF course, these men |
refused to leave their work. They
could do nothing else as the local !
hands did not have a real union. If |
the boys had been members of the |
International in fact, these men would |
have had to come out.
II employ union men in my thea |
ters. 1 have nothing against the un- |
ions. Had the stage hands local been |
truly union, there would be diff |
working men. with something at stake |
and characters for attending to busi- !
ness is one thing and a lot of irres- |
ponsible boys is another"
Billiard Retains Position.
When informed this morning of the
Z
Billiard said: Nothing can change my !
position in regard to this Sunday |
closing or opening business. AS 1 |
have already stated everything opens |
or closes. I will not stand for any |
straddling. I am going to open the |
theaters and give the poor man a
chance, or I'll close this town tight.
/ said in my platform I would enforce
the laws. I shall keep my word. The |
law shall be enforced against all. No
class enforcement goes. 1t was re-
ported to me this morning that union
ths theaters. This fact will not in
fiuence me in the least. am for un-
ion labor as a man, but as mayor of
this city 1 am for all the people.
Sunday should be day when peo-
pie enjoy themselves. I like to see
folks smile and be happy and 1 am
going to make Sunday a day when the
poor man can smile and have a good
time with his family. The poor peo-
pie have some rights and am going
to see that they get them"
'I Am a LiberaT'-MiIIer
Commissioner H. P. Miller feels the
same way the mayor does about the
open Sunday matter. Il am a Hber-
al said the commissioner TODAY 'sI
am real glad 1 am. 1 stand for open
theaters on Sunday. 1 am just so
liberal I think a man has a right to
worship God in any way he desires.
am just so liberal I think its not
wrong for a man to spend Sunday in f.
any amusement that is clean. 1 be-
1ieve people should be allowed to do
what they want to SO long as they in
lure no one. These people who are
always screaming, Close the theaters
it's not moral to allow them to rum
go to Vinewood 1 notice. If a rich
man has right to go to a show on /