The Topeka state journal., 1919-12-06
Fly In Ointment of Kansas Coal
Production Today.
Gas Shutdown Would Cause
More Suffering in State.
MAY WORK CREWS ON SUNDAY
Necessity of Fuel Production
May Bring 7-Day Schedule. I.
Evidence Today That Unions
Have Tapped Information.

There is fly in the ointment of
the Kansas coal production campaign
which called for several hurried con-
ferences, in Governor Aliens office
during the lunch hour and early af-
ternoon. The Wichita Gas company
threatens to shut off its supply in
Wichita-Governor Aliens home town
and several other distributing cities
In southern Kansas.
Conference calls were sent thru the
state mouse by Clyde NJ. Reed. private
secretary to Governor Allen. following
telephone conversations with his chief
in Ptttsburg- r. J. Hopkins attorney
general, and Fred s. jackson. attor-
ney Tor the public utilities commits
sion, were called for discussions with
Secretary Reed. No announcement as
10 the course OF the state in its ef-
Tort to protect gas supplies, had been
made late this afternoon
Gas company officials at Wichita
are not at all pleased with Interim
! rates during the pendency of gas liti-
CATION in Judge Booths court in Min.
neapolfs. The Doherty interests which
own the Wichita plant. have threat
eneo 10 cut OF supplies unless rates
are Increased. In view of the coal
strike situation, any effort to enforce
the gas decree would cause much suf-
fering and distress in the various
| towns supplied by the company. 1t
is probable the state will send repre-
~
confer with Judge Booth relative to
the threatened action. The matter is
said to have been discussed at length
today during telephone conversations
Reed.
Leaks" to Unions.
! Evidences OF '1eaks" in .couon1unics-
! ton service between Pittsburg and
Topeka are being investigated this
afternoon. 1t is asserted that conf
| Dental information of the state has
reached mine worker union heads.
/ May Work on Sunday
! Governor Aliens volunteer army
may dig coal Sunday. Fuel consump-
ton and the necessity of keeping warm
! isn't measured by the days OF tf.e
week and the Kansas executive and
state receivers may keep the men on
And to date it has frequently looked
! as tho nothing short of court action
could Keep the men from the pits The
| governor will stay on the job at least
another week.
Sunday work is expected to be de-
termined entirely by the spirit of the
men But the army of volunteers
which went to the coal fields went to
get coal and the observance of union
i, hours, birthdays, holidays and Sun
days means little if anything in their
busy lives. During the last few DAYS
Governor Allen has on several occa-
sfons indicated that the men would
work full seven days each week
Work in the Pittsburg fields Sum
day means shipment of fuel 10 a
number of suffering towns. 1t means
warmth for some home or hospital
where the real pinch of the fuel strike
Is being felt in sickness and suffering.
A Full Day Today.
Usually the union workers leave the
mines Saturday noon. Today VIII be
fg Q~n feA to,
be observed very much as other days
Of the week are observed. A large
I number of the men who have been
i unable TO work full time have frankly
expressed their displeasure. The real
/ happy volunteers are the men who
have been ON the job full time. And
the spirit which has marked the first
six days of operation is expected to be
in evidence Sunday. In fact many men
have already asked permission to
spend the day in the pit.
These chaps are simply knocking
the spots off the production records
of the regular miners" Governor Al
len said in a telephone message to To-
peka and in praise of his men. Then
in talk with Clyde NJ Reed. his pri-
lclear that he will not hurry back to
Topeka.
Allen TO Stay.
"Ask Mrs. Alien to send me some
tlinens-and by all means get a stenog-
| rapher right AWAY man stenogs
rapher-a regular Glutton for work
some fellow who is just busting to
break the coal strike and who can take
dictation and smash typewriter like
all get out. I don't know when / will
get home I am going TO stay right
here for at least another week"
Conditions are improving every
hour. the governor declared. There is
4 a suspicion in the mining district that
possibly the electrical workers union
may have received some word from
the Howat organization. The electri-
clans have failed to wire the pits
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