The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-03-18

HanIon and State Labor Commissioner
Mcbride held conference with Craw
ford about the moving picture booth
that was removed because of its dam
gerous- condition. He stated that
news item of this was carried in the
Topeka State Journal ON the afternoon
before the official reports were pub
lished.
Read the Article.
The articles in which the condition
of the booth was given as stated by
the officials was read TO the jury.
Both city and state officials were
quoted as saying that If show was
given on the day before the official
reports were published the CrawfG:Gs
would be to hla ule e Anything hap
pened. The officials stated they had
warned the Crawf"rds and haG gone
all they couls to ,-rufcCt the public.
On cross cX:.;-t.c:.tiCr counsel for
the plaintiffs kei MANY questions
about the details OF TIE publication
reports--abOut the hour waen the ar
ticie WAS written and aboEt the chang
ing Of the headlines.
Counsel for the plaintiffs asked Mr..
NacLennan if he made any distinction
in publishing news and he said he
tried not to do so. He said that it was
very often necessary to publish articles
his friends did not want published.
Counsel for the plaintiffs asked Mr..
Ma cLennan if it was not a fact that
the Crawfords had paid him more
than $4,000 fer advertising.
The witness said he had not figured
it up. Counsel pressed the question
and Mr.. MacLennan said:
We'll, if 1 got that much out of
them they got more out of me. They
vertising had not paid them"
Asked if he did not know that the
publication of the article would hurt
the plaintiffs the witness stated that
all violations of law tend to hurt the
violators. He said it was not the pub
LEGATION that hurt the parties but the
facts about the conditions of the opera
house.
Asked if he afterwards ascertained
if the opera house had been fixed to
the satisfaction of the authorities Mr..
MacLennan said he was certain the
State Journal had published the fact
that repairs had been made.
Continued in next edition.l
Tells of Labor Troubles.
C. o. Tresner, chief clerk to the state
labor commissioner and candidate for
commissioner of parks and public prop
erty at the coming city election. was ON
the stand about an hour late Monday
aft ,rnoon. and in his cross-examination
go into details of the labor troubles at the
| Crawford theaters in Topeka The lawyers
tempted to compel Tresner to admit the
labor organizations were conducting a
strike. but the witness stated, reiterated
and repeated many times that it was not
a strike the part of the theaters en-
ployes. but lockout on the part of the
Crawfords. He explained that it could be
considered nothing but a lockout because
the Crawfords refused to pay the union
scale
Attorneys for the plaintiffs attempted to
have the witness state that threats had
been made against business men who
I r,
boycott tactics were being practiced, but
Tresner denied these things most en-
no threats had ever been made against
! any one and that instead of trying to
boycott business men he attempted to talk
to them and make them friendly to the
! cause of the employees. He stated that in
80 per cent of the cases. or more, he was
were right in their demand
| The attorneys in asking questions re-
| ferred to a previous witness as an l. w W:
and asked Tresner if there was any spirit
of Bolshevism in this picket business"
There is not on my part" Tresner re-
do you fine members of your union who
go into the Crawford theaters?" the wit
ness was asked.
Union Men Don't Attend.
Eve do not have to fine men-they
| don't go in there" the witness answered.
| He then explained that some of the other
locals fine their men who attend the Craw-
| ford theaters and some do not. He said
| his organization did not have a fine against
| a single one of its men.
| On redirect examination Tresner stated
| that the differences existing between the
| CrawfOrds and the theater employees are the
| result of a disagreement over the wage
| scale of moving picture operators. He said
every other theater in the city agreed to
/ pay the new scale of $2S week for opera
| tors when it was put into effect but that
| the CrawfordS refused to pay more than
SIS He said the Crawfords told them
| if they would not work for this other op-
| orators would be employed.
|
Ibenz to Represent Chile.
Santiago, March 17.-Senor Ibenz,
! Chilean minister to France, will be