The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-02-28
HERINGTON UNIONS ANSWER
Boycott on d. i. Lamb as Individuals,
Not as an Organization.

Not as an organization.
Editor Topeka State Journal:
! Referring to an article that ap-
peared in your paper February IA,
| headed, Lamb a Martyr" we, the
Herington Central Labor union, would
ask you to kindly make the following
corrections:
Under this heading you state that
Mr.. Lamb is the victim of one of the
most bitter boycotts ever enforced in
Kansas; also that labor interests here
have directed a ban on his store. This
is not true as the Harrington Central
Labor union, embracing twelve unions,
has taken no action whatever against
Mr.. Lamb, either personally, finan-
cially or in any other way. Any per-
son or persons who have stopped
trading at Lambs store have done it
as individuals and not at the request
of any labor body.
Another statement in this article,
which we take exception to is, Almost
every train to Topeka and Wichita.
thru Harrington, is loaded with wives of
railroad men and other employees who
enjoy railroad pass privileges This
statement is very misleading, as it i'm
plies that more people are leaSing this
town and going to other towns to buy
goods than did before Mr.. Lamb voted
for the Industrial court bill, and this
is not true. 1t is true that quite a few
people go to Topeka and Wichita to
buy goods but they Rave been doing
that for the past six or seven years.
If Mr.. Lamb and a few more of the
merchants of this town would sefi
their goods at the same prices that
| the merchants in Topeka and Wichita
sell their goods. there would not be so
many go out of town to do their buy
ing. Also. in regard to this statement
of so many people riding passes, upon
checking'up the records at the round
house. We found that the number of
passes issued during January and Feb
ruary, 1920, is practically the same as
was issued during January and Feb
ruary, 1919.
In this article it is also stated that
Lamb came to Topeka with an open
mind as regards the industrial court
bill. We wish to inform YOU that be-
fore Mr.. Lamb left Harrington for To
peka in discussing this bill with GER
tain members of the Harrington Cen
trail Labor union, he stated that he had
! an amendment in mind, to the effect
that when labor dispute arose, it
| should be taken to the industrial court
and if no settlement reached, GER
| tain time should elapse and then be
taken up the second time, and still if
no settlement reached it should be
taken up the third time, and if no set
Element reached then, the men would
( have the privilege of striking. This
amendment he said he was going to
offer, but he did not keep his word,
and never offered the amendment
He also told members of the Harrington
Central Labor union that he would not
vote for the bill but would vote
against it. This would seem to indi-
! cate very clearly that Mr.. Lamb did
not go to Topeka with an open mind.
! This article also states that Mr.
, Lambs store had been the first in
town to uuioniZe and give recognition
] to a clerks union. This article is very
misleading as it gives your readers the
| impression that Lambs clerks are or
| gained, while the truth Of,the matter
! is, they were organized several years
ago and then disbanded, and today Mr..
Lambs clerks are not organized.
Also the article stated that Lamb
had supported the railroad unions in