The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1920-10-29

| employers WHO are Contributing 10
the State Safety, Medical Aid and
Industrial Insurance funds would
condone the action of these gentle
men if they were confronted with
unimpeachable testimony to show
that the interest and activity in ac-
cident prevention work of j. s.
Kloebcr, Chairman and John ".
Pace, Secretary were looked upon
only as a sideline to their regular
vocations.
The question is asked - "What
part did j. S. Kloeber play in the
disruption of the Minimum Wage
Commission ?" According to the cx-
pose made recently in the public
press all indications points that he
was "the prime instigator of the
conspiracy" and the expense incur
erd in the performance of this heroic
act was charged to the fund of the
State Safety Board to which the
workmen and employers contribute
equally.
The question is asked-"Has ]. S.
Klober absented himself from his
office two-thirds of the time on
work other than state duty?" This
question is answered in the affirma-
tive. From September, 1919, to
the time this statement was written
he was absent from the office 273
days; about two-thirds of this time
was spent between political gums
shoeing and ranching in the Yakima
Valley. To be more specific and ac-
curate | will show that from Au-
gust Goth, 1920, to October 22d,
1920, he was at Olympia only three
days out of SO, the rest of the time
was spent in looking after his own
the theoretical secretary of the
board, he has been more concerned
about his fish business in British
Columbia, during his incumbency in
office, than in the affairs of the
State Safety Board 1t is very OBJ
vious to the average mind that
both of these gentlemen have been
drawing their salary under the guise
of promoting safety work, in reality
they We're using their official posi-
tons only as stepping stones for
personal ACKNOWLEDGMENT.
You ask to be informed regarding
the friction that exists among the
several important departments at
Olympia and who is responsible for
the discord and general wrangling.
Ever since J. S. Kloeber was ap-
pointed to fill out the unexpired
term Of Hon. Alex Poison (Which
expired last May) on the Medical
Aid and Safety Board, we have had
more or less friction in some of
these departments, due principally to
Kloeber's lustful craving for power
and selfish desire to dominate the
other departments. He has written
maligning letters to some of the
prominent employers of the State
about the Industrial Insurance Com
mission, wherein he charged them
with inefficiency and the awarding of
too much money to injured Workmen
from the accident fund; the result
of which would have terminated in
fistic combat were it not for the
fact that j. S. Kloeber humbly apol-
oglzed to the commission for his
treacherous and unwarranted con-
duct. He has not only interferred
and seriously hampered the Pure
Food Law Department, the Minimum
Wage, Industrial Insurance, and the
Labor Commissioners Department,
but he has also striven to automati-
cally dominate the State Safety
Board and its subordinate branches.
In fact he has all the characteristics
of an biblical sycophant. He loves
to be surrounded by lowly satellites
and spineless flatterers. Woe be
to those that have the audacity
to question the infallible wisdom of
the gentleman that put the capital
"E" in ego.
"The question is also asked wheth-
er or not Mr.. Younger has accepted
money from the Employers Associa-
ton to defray the expenses of the
State and Federal Labor Board Con-
vention." 1t is matter of record
that Mr.. Younger has accepted
$4,000 from the Employers Associa-
ton to entertain the labor boards
and commissioners at Seattle, last
July. However, this question may
be answered more accurately by Mr..
Younger, if he so desires. 1t is
generally conceded among prominent
labor men of the state that the
State Labor Commissioners Depart
ment has been very largely prosti-
tuted to further the interest of big
business and that never before was
this department so useless and detri-
mental to the working men and wo-
men. of the state of Washington as
they find it now.
"The question is also asked wheth-
er or not state employees are travel
ing about the state at the expense
of the state doing political work
for Governor Hart" l cannot an
swer for any department outside of
the State Safety Board, and with
one exception | am prepared to state
that the field force subject to our
supervision are not taking any part
in politics, although my attention
was directed to one inspector who
was taken out of his own inspectorial
district and placed in the Roslyn-
Gle Elum field for two weeks pre-
ceding the primaries. 1t was charged
that he was there working in the
interest of Governor Hart. While
the State Safety Board is paying
part of this mans salary, never-the-
less he is subject to the supervision
and control of Mr.. Younger's De-
partment. This is a matter Mr..
Younger can answer more accurately.
| was also approached to assign rea-
sons why one of the field workers of
the Industrial Insurance Commission
was travelling with Mr.. Copeland
through the state and addressing po-
litical meetings in behalf of Cover
nor Hart. In this case, as in the
former, l informed my quizzers that
this man was not working under our
1aOartnapt