The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-05
ALLEN GIVES A
STINCING SLAP
TO Rail UNIONS
Most Bitter Arraignment- of
Labor by an Official.
Charges Coercion in Attempt to
Control Government.
AN ATTACK ON The LEADERS
''They Live OFF Exploitation of
Labor Controversies
Public Has No Rights They Are
Bound to Respect.
In ATTACK ON The LEADERS
''They Live OFF Exploitation of
Labor Controversies"


tive session this afternoon preliminary
TO the reading of his message, Cover
nor Allen delivered an Indictment of
the four railroad brotherhoods which
is perhaps the most bitter arraign-
ment of labor by a public official since
passage of the federal Adamson act.
He charged the brotherhoods with an
attempt to control government thru
coercion and with having initiated
the present insane notion that an or
ganized minority is greater govern
ment ITSELF
The governor charged that labor
itself is not expressing it's views on
pending legislation. Rather the legis-
lature is hearing the expression of
, professional labor officials who live
off the exploitation of labor contro-
versies." He asserted that leadership
in the fight in Kansas is directed by
the railroad brotherhoods which are
but partially affected by the BILL
Victory over government was OBJ
tanned thru the Adamson bill, the gov
ernor declared, while these leaders
held their stop watches on congress-
labor leaders that the general public
had no rights which labor was bound
to respect"
A WaIIop to Labor
In his speech the governor reviewed
the coal mine strike. He criticized
mine operators for operating mines
but a portion of the time. Then the
waters came down from Laddore. He
handed organized labor a wallop such
as has not been delivered by a public
man in a public document or speech
in many moons. He told of 364 strikes
in separate mines from April, 1916, to
December 81. 1913. He said strikers
air7a1 o
and lost $1.006.454.41 in aggregate
time losses for id1eness. An average
of IL strikes 9 month occurred. The
miners organization collected from
workers $157 900 in benefit funds for
strikes and other industrial warfare.
Most of the miners. if left to their
own judgment, would prefer the pres
ent law to needless idleness, the gov
ernor asserted. The court would pro-
tect them in an honest individual de-
sire to work.
But" he added, "the miners are
not being left to form their own judg-
ment in this matter. They are being
urged by lot of professional labor
! officials who live off the exploitation
of labor controversies, who fight this
| legislation because they realize that,
with its enactment, their peculiarly
radical type of leadership will be un-
necessary"
From all over this state" said he,
| there is coming a flood of protest
| from various union bodies who are not
concerned in this bill. who do not be-
| Ilong to the essential industries affected
by it and who have made absolutely
no study of the plan. but who are be-
1 ing urged by professional labor lead
ers to save the day.
! Blow at Brotherhoods.
The governor explained that. at the
present time. those mc~+ active in
leading the fight against the bill are
( the officials of the four railway broth
erhoods.
"These gentlemen" said Governor
Allen. ''who constitute the aristocracy
of organized labor, have less real con-
| Germ in the proposed bill than any of
the other essential industries touched
| by the bill, because of the Interstate
character of their employment. New
| ertheless, they are leading this fight
because of the orders they have re-
/ ceiVed from their national leaders
that no legislation, making unneces-
sary for organized labor to use the
club of the strike, is to be permitted
These men established the first sad
record in the United States of govern
ment by coercion. They initiated the
present insane notion that an organ
| lied minority is greater than govern
ment itself when they brought about,
by intimidation, the enactment of the
| Adamson law. This victory over gov
held their stop watches on congress.
gave rise to the belief on the part of
the more radical labor leaders that the
general public had no rights which Ia
Dor was bound to respect. These
leaders have now come to Kansas IN
the hope that they may. by reminding
1.-The legislative members of the political
power of their organization, secure
from intimidated legislators the same
sort of victory in Kansas they forced
in Washington. I have feeling that
these enthusiastic promoters of indus
trial warfare upon the public under
| estimate the ansas spirit
cit is my belief that when the legis-
Iation proposed in the industrial court
bill has operated in this state for a
} year, its best friends will be the fair
minded members of union labor. who
desire a cessation of useless strife and
! ask nothing more than a justSconsid-
Grafton of their rights I believe that
the type of union labor that desires a
; fair and impartial adjudication Of its
| difficulties in an honest tribunal is in
a majority in this state and will be
glad, when they understand the sit
uation, to substitute a just and right
eous tribunal for the expensive leader
ship of radical agitatorS-