The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-12-30
Union Head Says Building
Trust Is Formed Here.
To Eliminate Union Men From
Building Trade.
UNIONS IN DEFENSIVE FIGHT
War Chest Being Raised To
Fight Open Shop.
Further Developments Expected
at Meeting Tonight.

rct only are the contractors and
master builders of Topeka conspiring
together to force an open shop
which means the elimination of unions
and union men from the building trade
of Topeka, but there is an actual
building trust in the city, with its
members fixing prices, according to
p. VI. Montgomery, secretary Of the
Building Trades council.
Organization Is Loose.
There exists in Topeka a laborers'
organization which has been recog-
nized by some of the contractors of
the city. 1t is rather loosely organized
and Is not supported by the council,
Montgomery said. Some of the con-
tractors who recognized and paid its
wage scale. have been compelled to
drop the scale, on penalty of being
fined by their own organization,
Montgomery declared.
Labor union officials today declared
that the imminent open sEOp war in
Topeka is being forced by the contrac-
tors and the master builders, whose
object is to compel an open shop.
which will mean the elimination of
union men from the building trades of
the city.
Up to Master Builders.
The responsibility for the opening
of the fight which occurred when
tradesmen walked out on the con-
struction of the Jewish synagogue at
Fifth and Harrison streets, when nom
union men employed by Louis Van
Dorp, metal worker were put on the
Job. is put flatly up to the master
builders by p. NJ. Montgomery, secre-
tary of the building trades council.
which includes all the building trades
mir az
ship of some 1000 mechanics of all
trades.
Contractors, Montgomery charged,
want to force the fight. and ror that
reason deliberately chose thS syha-
Gogue job. on which George Senne is
the general contractor, as the opening
wedge.
Were Looking for Trouble.
The contractors knew that there
would be a walkout if the nonunIon
men were put to work, Montgomery
said. and they are looking for trou-
blc.''
MONTGOMERY denied that the pre-
vious walkouts on the Buchanan
school and the Trinity church, wh1ch
happened when men employed in Van
Dorp's open shop were put to work,
were settled on a technical1ty ana pc
cause the unions were afraid to bring
the matter to a showdown.
Strikes Worked Hardship.
II can prove that Van Dorp's shop
was declared unfair after both the
contracts were let to him, by the MIN
l1tes of the council meeting" Mont
gomery said today. THE settlement
in both cases was made because the
strikes were working hardships on fair
general contractors who were in no
way to blame. and not because OF any
technical lity. as was said yesterday"
The trade unions are fighting pure
ly on the defensive. Montgomery de-
clared He asserted that there is
combination of the contractors and
master builders which means to put
the unions out of business, and that
they have chosen Senne and Senne's
jobs. and Van Dorp and Van Dorp's
workmen, as the pretext for the fight
Raise War Chest.
But the unions altho they are on
the defensive. are no less in earnest
about the fight. A council of defense
made up of the executive COM
mittees OF fifty-five unions in Topeka
was formed more than month ago,
and war chest is being raised by vol
untary assessment of the membership
of every union in the city, to fight the
open shop principle to the end.
Il don't think that it will come to
general strike" Montgomery de-
clared today. Il think there will be
settlement before we come to that
point"
VIII Meet Tonight.
There will be developments in the
situation tonight when the Trades
Council meets at Labor hall. 1t would
be decided then whether Senne would
he declared unfair and the union men
working for him would walk out,
Montgomery said. The meeting of the
council tonight will be a closed ses-
sion and only union men will be ad-
mitted he said.
''As far as the man who has been
working for Van Dorp for thirty-five
years is concerned" said Montgomery,
there is no fight being made on him
at all In fact he was presented with
complimentary card of membership
in the union, and when the rest of the
union men were called out of the shop
last summer. and Van Dorp was de-
clared unfair. this man was expressly
informed that he didn't have to come
out of the shop if he did not want to-"
To See 1t To Finish.
Both sides are apparently deter
mined to see the question thru to
settlement at the present time. Mont
gomery asserted that it is not alone
the building trades which are inter-
ested in the fighting. THE Santa Fe
shop men are with us" he said