The Topeka state journal., 1921-11-12
Industrial Court to Make No
Move in Strike Situation.
VIII Assure Protection to Men
Who Want to Work.
STATEMENT BY GOVERNOR
Says HOWat and Lewis Must
Settle the Row.
Funds From Illinois Miners
Does Not Change Case.

So far as the Industrial court and
the state of Kansas are concerned, no
effort will be made to maintain pro-
duction of coal in the Pittsburg field.
with continuance of the strike nor to
restore trade territory lost by the pro-
ducers The loss of business is a bit
of bad luck which the producers must
take care of themselves.
Should the mining situation become
a menace, the state will interfere. 1t
will assure protection to men who
want to work. In event there is a
public necessity for the output from
the field, the state will again take
over the mines and operate them
Those were the situations in the
mine strike as outlined today in a for
NAL statement by Governor Allen. 1t
followed a conference with Judge
John H. Crawford of the industrial
court. Governor Allen, in a newspa-
per conference, Immediately following
issuance of the statement, flatly re-
fused to place an Interpretation on
any of his formal remarks. His state
ment holds tenaciously to the former
attitude of the state-that the idle
ness of miners in the Pittsburg field is
row which Howat and Lewis must
settle-that the state and her indus
trial court law are not concerned
The fact that Illinois miners, backed
by the Harrington leadership, have
pledged $50, 900 a month for the fight
in the Pittsburg district doesn't
change conditions in the least, the
governor asserted.
Up to Lewis and Howat.
In his statement today the governor
said:
The battle is still between John L. Lewis
and Alexander Howat. For the time be-
ing, the states difficulties with Alexander
Howat are over. We are. not particularly
outcome of the fight between Lewis and
Howat or the new angle which has entered
the contest by the arrival of Harrington
portant battle between the radical and
conservative forces in. the miners organize
tion.
There are now over 200 carloads of coal
in the Pittsburg district that cannot be
marketed, SO that the shutdown of those
mines that are affected by the refusal of
Howats followers to work has not en-
dangered the supply of coal, has not
threatened the welfare of the public. There
Is no prospect that 1t Will threaten it,
because the mines which are yet IN oper-
alton down there are producing more coal
than the public will buy. The question of
marketing this coal Is a problem for oper-
ators-a problem of meeting competition.
The state will not interfere in this quar-
is not menaced and so long as no man who
wishes to work is denied the right. The
state will protect any men who desire to
work If at any time the shutdown be-
comes menace to the public the state will
take over the mines and operate them.
What good Harrington and Howat ex-
pect to gain by encouraging several thou
sand miners to remain in idleness while
Howat is in jail is difficult to conceive.
1t does not affect the Industrial court in
any way. The future of the industrial
court is now in the hands of the supreme
court of the United States. If the su-
preme court holds the present law to be
constitutional then Alexander Howat has
in addition to the sentence he is already
serving, another year to remain in jail.
Judge w. L. Higgins, presiding
judge of the industrial court, was not
called into conference with the COVER
nor when the statement was made
Judge Higgins himself made a state
ment to the effect that the Kansas
miners were playing the game for the
Illinois operators.
"As I understand it." he said, this
$4,000 would be 81 month for each
Illinois miner If the Illinois miners,
at such small expense, can keep the
body of Kansas miners idle, it will be
good investment for the Illinois
miners. Work ought to be steady in
Illinois SO long as the miners of KAN
ready market here so long as present
conditions can be maintained"
Statement by Howe.
William Howe, secretary of the state
federation of labor, issued a state
ment declaring that action of the Illi-
nois miners made certain a final
Knockout of the Kansas Industrial
court law. Organized labor leaders
were emphatic in asserting that the
fight is no longer one of individual
issues, but test for repeal of the law
This pledge from the Illinois min
ers, in addition to amounts already
pledged and expected from local
sources makes financing of the protest
against the Industrial court law prac-
tically certain" said Howe in n mes
sage sent to Topeka from Pittsburg
There isn't a deep shaft mine operat-
ing in the field. I don't believe any Of
the men will go back to work next
Tuesday,"