The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1920-02-12
The Kansas Experiment in
Strike Prevention.


cal thing which conservatives the
country over have been talking Of do
TO savs the Nebraska State Journal
(Ind Rep) 1T has made it crime
10 promote or participate in a strike
In certain industries which are named
as essential. In place OF the strike, the
law sets up an industrial court with
power to dictate wages and working
conditions in the industries named.
These include industries dealing in food,
clothing, fuel and transportation. II
is now a crime In Kansas TO organize
road, or, apparently, In a clothing fac
tory, on farm, or in a clothing or
grocery store
This sweeping innovation was orlgl-
| mated by Gov, Henry ]. Allen, whose
own paper, the Wichita Beacon (Ind.)
remarks that although this project has
considerable opposition from organized
labor now, It is freely predicted that
champion in a few years" for:
Hitherto the worker has had no
court where be could go with his griey-
ance. The dispute was settled on the
basis of force. and In many cases, nota-
ply the steel strike, it developed that
the employer had the greater power OF
endurance. Henceforth, however, in
Kansas at least, the laborer is going to
get a square deal"
Labors first answer was to call a
| strike IN Pittsburg, Kan. but when
| Gov. Allen announced that he would
enforce the new law. and sent state
strike leaders decided not to make an
Immediate test Of the issue and ordered
the men back to work. AS yet, there
Tore, the law Is untried.
The Wichita Eagle Qnd.) Is not so
sure, Of the efficacy of the law as its
rival. Kansas Is entering upon an ex-
pertinent 1t says, "fraught with all
the uncertainties incident to attempts
| TO enforce antilabor legislation. Howatt
| Ga union LEADER is calling upon coal
| miners to leave Kansas, and the gov
ernor indicates that he will not at.
| tempt to punish miners who wish to
leave, At the outset Of the fight, Kan
sas coal consumers will begin to con-
| slider and weigh" The Topeka Capital
| tRep.( on the Other hand, thinks that
public opinion has now become the
| law of the state" though 1t admits that
! the outcome of the experiment is "du-
bious' Right in the heart of the min
| Qnd.) thinks it probable that the court
alike"
THE eyes OF the nation are focused
| on Kansas" the Kansas City Post
| Qnd.) declares, foreseeing IAN increase
of industrial unrest as a result of the
| courts operation" which may over
flow the boundaries of Kansas and visit
! more and more affliction upon the adj
| Joining states and even those beyond"
| but the Star (1nd.) of the same city
| believes that the new law protects
| the miners" since the strike "injures
| the worker as well as the employer and
tended to provide a. means by which
the miners can get justice without re-
| sorting to the strike"
| Remoter states seem willing that the
| experiment, If tried, should be tried In
| Kansas. This thought finds expression
| IN the Spokane Spokesman Review Qnd.
Rep 9lar..t rotor,,,. =, ,.t .. - n,.,h ~.
| and Kansas Is as good a state as can
be found In the union for starting a
new, era Of Industrial peace and JUS
tice," Nl r.
The San Antonio Light (Ind) COM
mends the statute as affording the
against special interests and the Salt
Lake Telegram 0nd) believes at will
receive the hearty Endorsement of the
general public. whose interests, toe
long overlooked, are just as much al
stake in the average industrial dispute
cerned," 1t Is "predicated on the idea
that the public must live" submits the
ST. Louis Post Dispatch (Dem.) and the
Detroit News 0nd.) calls it IAN evident
| effort to protect the interests of the
public" So, too, the Minneapolis Jour
nal Gnd. Rep) thinks the industrial
courts will be 1.-THE public's agents in
preventing strikes and lockouts and ir
smoothing the pathway of industria
progress"
We are reminded. however, by thu
New York Evening Post CInd.) that:
I Compulsory arbitration In the one
country whsre 1t has been tried out or
a success. The Australian commits
sioner III this country has recently de-
clared that voluntary negotiation be
tween employers and workers Is coming
back to Its own and it is generally be
leved that before long the whole o
the compulsory system will disappear
Australia speaks from the ex
perience Of repeated devastating strikes
under compulsory arbitration"
The Fargo Courier News (Nonparti
san league) doubts the possibility o
falling whole classes Of citizens" TIL
Dayton News (Dem.), while hoping tina
1t will furnish a solution of the indus
be found inadequate and too auto
cratic" kansas has decided to gal
labor" in the opinion of the MinNeap
oils Daily News GndD. which adds:
, THE Kansas law will fail And 70
the same reasons that similar Law
failed in Canada. The Canadian In
dustrial disputes act provided for com
pulsory arbitration and forbadeNstrike
pending decisions of the arbitration
r courts. 1t has never succeeded in pre-
: venting strikes. Governor Allie
will find that he can not and he wi
not try to put considerable porto
! of the population In jail all at once.
kaI oh, I lAr
Rep says. compelling men to work /
, big problem.l'
= The logic of this program" de
clares the Springfield Republican (Ind
. "is a venture in state socialism" an
| "as an experiment in dealing with tn
The Baltimore News Ind.) fears tina
: with the industrial courts "empowere
> to fix wages, hours and conditions {
work, providing only for fair retur