New-York tribune., 1920-01-27
400 Kansas
Miners Strike.
Defying Law
WaIk-Out Is Protest. Against
New Industrial Court
Act, which Was Opposed
Bitterly by the Union

Special Correspondence
TOPEKA, Kan. Jan. 26.-Four hun
dred miners went on strike in the Pitts
burg district this morning in defiance
Of the newly enacted Industrial Court
law. The strike is a protest against
the action of the Legislature. and as
such, is regarded by officials as q plain
and premeditatcd violation of the new
law and a challenge to the state.
"The miners have forced the issue
and Kansas is ready to meet it," Gov
ernor Allen said. at is now up to us
to establish the sovereignty of the
state Of Kansas and determine which
is the bigger, the state or the miners
union"
Immediately upon receipt Of news of
the strike, Governor Allen and W. L.
Higgins, Clyde Reed and George Wark,
the members of the court, went into
conference. Although the court has
not yet been organized to operate a it
became legally established with the
publication of the new law in the Of
ficial state paper Saturday.
Ready to Issue Warrants
The Governor sent Richard J. Hop
kins, Attorney General, to Pittshurg
this afternoon. to proceed to the en-
forcement of the criminal sections of
the Industrial Court laW. The court
itself has nothing to do with the en-
forcement Of the criminal laws. I'm
der the new statute, every miner who
went out can be prosecuted for a mis-
demeanor for conspiracy to delay
hinder and prevent the continuous op-
Grafton" of an essential industry. The
leaders who urged the men to go on
the protest strikes. if any, are also
liable to prosecution for committing
felonies.
The Attorney General got in touch
with the county attorney of Crawford
County this afternoon and directed him
to have the list of the names of the
men in the mines who went on strike
ready by tonight, so that the warrants
can be issued as fast as the names can
be inserted
Special Correspondence
PITTSBURG, Kan, Jan. 26.-Alex.
ander Howat, virtually declared tc-
day that a state Of war existed between
the labor unions of Kansas, partcu-
larry the coal miners, and the new
Industrial Court law of Kansas. The
miners will be asked to leave Kansas
Asked concerning the strike of 400
miners in protest against the indus
trial court law, Howat refused to make
statement. He said that he would
have to obtain more definite nforma :
tion concerning the walk-out of the
miners before he would discuss it.
T1niOu Ia ResautfuI
mot only the Kansas miners, but
organized labor generally resents this
piece Of legislation" Howat said, re-
Ierring to the industrial court law
"Our international organization stands
with US in this fight"
Howat said that national publicity
would be given to request that
wherever convenient the coal miners
would leave Kansas and stay away rs
long as the industrial court law is in
effect, and miners outside of Kansas
will be warned to remain away from
the state.
Howat's words to-day were the first
that he has uttered for publication
since his return to Kansas from In
dianapolis after having spent night
in jail by order Of Judge Anderson.
Reports tonight did not show any
increase in the number of idle miners
over the 400 who walked out this morn
ing.