The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-02-06
WHY The DELAY?
State Society of Labor Wants
School of Mines.
Condemn Delay in Starting the
Building.

The feature Of the second days ses-
sion of the State Society of Labor
and Industry was the address this af-
ternoon by A. A. Graham on Needed
Legislation and How to Get It." Mr.
Graham urged organization. patience
and persistent efforts. His address
showed familiarity with the ways of
legislatures and the meanings Of legal
lore. There was large attendance at
the afternoon session in Representa-
tive hall.
The morning session today was devo-
ted to reports of committees and the
reading of resolutions. Nearly every
union labor organization in the state
had sent in resolutions that it wanted
Endorsement by the state body. One Of
the important resolutions was the one
cOndemning the delay on the part of
the university regents in establishing
the school Of mines at Weir Civ This
resolution endorsed the mandamus suit
now pending in the supreme court to
compel the regents to establish the
school at once, and it urged a speedy
trial of the suit.
There were probably 100 delegates
present at the morning business ses-
sion and they were kept until 1880 to
hear the reading of all the resolutions
A half dozen or so young women werc
present in their capacity as representa-
tives of their unions.
The morning session proceeded with
out debate or differences Of opinion.
The state meetings of the association
have not always been SO harmonious
as the sessions this year.
The Resolutions.
At the afternoon session the fol-
lowing resolutions are sure to be re-
ported in by the committee for debate
and vote on their passage:
Regarding safety appliances on rail-
roads.
Relative to the printing of school
books by the state printer.
Regulating the hours Of labor for
To regulate The hours of labor of
children, prohibiting those under IS
from working more than eight hours
per day
Ii. opposition to caucuses.
Relative TO passage of full crew
bill'' defeated at the last legislature.
In favor Of the referendum and re-
call; womens suffrage, etc
johnson Is Questioned
w. L. A. johnson, former state
labor commissioner, was the man I'M
der the gun at the first days session
of the State Society of Labor and
Industry. Mr.. Johnson, however, was
not on trial or resting under charges.
but he came forward voluntarily to
answer any and all questions that
might be put to him by the one
hundred or more delegates present on
labor problems. It is his business to
know about these matters and to an
swer them. He served for twelve
years as state labor commissioner
and is now arbitrator between capi-
tai and labor for five western states.
There was one out of the forty ques-
tions asked that Mr.. johnson did not
try to answer and that was the one
seeking information as to why Owen
Doyle, state labor commissioner. re-
fused TO allow needy men to work for
the city for low wages in order to
keen the wolf from the door. He
turned that question over to Mr.. Doyle,
who explained his stand by declaring
that the low wages paid made a bad
precedent for city prices to day labor.
But Mr.. Doyle did not take into con
sideration that this work was not
needed by the city at the time, but