The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1920-01-17
Kansas Houses Lose No Time on
Industrial Bills.
Conference Now Must Iron Out
the Differences.
MANY AMENDMENTS ARE IN
Senate and House New PrOVi-
siOns to Measure.
Senate Votes SO to 5 and House
Favored Bill 1O4 to z.

Two widely different Industrial
court bills were passed late Friday
afternoon by th- senate and house.
Three hours after the senate had
rushed the Judiciary committees sub
stitute bill to final passage, the house
plunged into the hasty consideration
of a dozen remaining sections of the
measure and pushed the bill to third
reading. On final roll call before adj
journment the much amended house
bill was passed 104 to Z.
Earlier in the afternoon the house
had scoffed at the senate resolution
fixing time for adjournment of the
special session. Someone suggested
that the house would be able to adj
journ several days ahead of the time
fixed by the senate measure. Every
one laughed. But the house member
was a prophet. A few hours after the
senate had stopped work, the house
was ready to take up unfinished bust
ness and was preparing to clean decks
and return to the folks at home.
Freeman of Wyandotte and Harvey
of Clark inserted two vital amend
ments into the labor court bill a short
time before the measure passed the
house. Freeman's measure provides
that no contracts shall be made on
BEHALF of employer and employe which
shall provide for a closed shop and
exclude non-union labor. 1t is re-
garded as the hardest slap at union
lied labor in the entire bill 1t went
thru with a whoop.
The Freeman provision makes null
and void the established contracts en-
plOyed in the coal mine districts. I'm
der these contracts labor union inter-
ests were able to direct the workers in
the mines. They could force employ
ment of an individual or might force
his discharge. Nor could the en-
NV nj frf
non-union workers. In that event the
entire union walked out. Freenan's
amendment blocks this course.
b Approve All Contracts.
Under the Harvey amendment-se-
cured thru bitter fights and almost
tears in the burning debate-every
contract between labor and employer
must be approved by the Industrial
court before it is operative. The Har-
vey measure goes hand in hand with
the Freeman amendment to prevent
closed shop agreements and domina-
ton of any labor organization in any
class of industry.
In view of the fact that the senate
had adjourned, it was impossible for
the house to message its action to the
upper legislative body. 50 appoint
ment of conference committee MEM
bers is delayed until the senate con-
VeneS.
The house bill goes to the confer
ence with the Freeman and Harvey
amendments incorporated-also the
Simpson and McDermott amendments.
The Simpson provision covers regula-
ton of profits and prices by everyone
from manufacturer to retailer and is
a veritable nti-profiteering act incor-
porated in the new court measure.
McDermott's amendment makes illegal
sympathy strikes. Practically all of
the senate judiciary committee amend
17oa INF IN lan Gin fnArr-
porated in specific or general terms in
the house bill.
Only Seven Against 1t.
Only seven house members voted
against the bill on final passage. They
were: Amos, Shawnee county; Cox,
Butler county; Disch. Labette county;
Harvey, Clark county; Miller, Chero-
kee county; Mulroy, Ellis county; and
Yount, Cherokee county. Amos, Disch,
Harvey, and Yount are Republicans.
Cox, Miller and Mulroy are Demo-
Gratis.
Senate in Quick Work.
After the Democrats failed in an
attempt to inject an amendment into
the bill providing for election of court
officers, the senate lost little time in
passing the measure exactly as it
emerged from the judiciary committee
room at 1920 o'clock in the morning.
| Senator Francis G. Price moved that
an emergency be declared and the bill
| placed on third reading. The motion
| carried.
That was at $3.50 o'clock in the
afternoon. At o'clock the reading
clerk had completed reading the bill.
+ At 1920 the bill was passed. Several
senators desired to explain their votes.
| Others were anxious to catch after
| noon trains for their home towns.
/ Those with explanations to offer were
! obliged to vote last and give the home
sick solons an opportunity to reach
the railroad stations before train time.
The vote was 80 for and against
passage. Montee of Crawford, Re-
| publican: Sparks of Cherokee. Demo-
crat; Nighswonger of Sedgwick, Dem
ocrat; Delaney of Doniphan, Repub-
lican, and Keene of Bourbon, Repub-
lican, were upper house members vot-
| ing against the measure. Malone of
Rawlins, who led the losing fight for
the elective amendment lined up with
the majority on the final vote and
| voted for the court hill