The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-19
BACK AT MERCER
President Freeman of Labor
Federation in Hot Reply.
Says Words "Were Put in His
Mouth by Governor"
WHAT IS THE COURT DOING?"
Freeman Wonders Why Mine
Strike Is Not Settled.
Declares Mercer Is Suggesting
State StOckmen Strike.
WHAT IS THE COURT DOING?"

President Freeman of the State
Federation of Labor today called ]. H.
Mercer to account for his demand fo-
a national industrial court to meet
the threatened rail strike. Freeman
indicates Mercer is a prospective can
didate for governor and that his words
were put in his mouth by Governor
Allen. Then he proceeds to say lot
of other things.
wants to know why the industrial
court, which Mercer recommends, isn't
busy with the mine strike. He also
inquiries why it hasn't done certain
and sundry things in the past and why
Mercer takes the liberty of advising
the stockmen to violate the court act
by calling a strike themselves and re-
fuse to ship their product to the mar
kets. The Freeman statement is also
an extensive discussion of the strike
issues and a general denunciation of
the Industrial court policy. which he
declares is Unfriendly to the worker.
Frecman's Statement.
Following is the formal statement
which the labor union head made to-
day in reply to that Of the state live
stock sanitary commissioner;
]. H. Mercer. holding a state sine
cure for party politics under the pres
ent state administration, state livestock
sanitary commissioner, is out with a
public statement cOndemning the wage
workers and labor unions, taking adj
vantage of the approaching crisis, the
railroad wage workers in particular,
and he says: II am not familiar with
the merits Of this controversy" Yet
in the face of this acknowledged ig-
norance he has the affrontery to de-
eide the case on it's merits. 81 have
observed the operations of our labor
unions and know that often they are
at fault in their demands he declares
after admitting ignorance of the
merits.
Let us see In the fall of 1917 after
the world war had sent prices sky
high the railroad workers made a re-
quest for increased pay to enable them
to meet prices of the profiteers that
had long since become insupportable.
They were told to wait. They did wait.
They waited eight or nine months.
Nothing was done. Nothing was in
tended to be done, then they demand
ed and after a still further patient
wait got an altogether -disproportionate
and inadequate increase.
Railroads SCOT Theirs"
The railroads got their increase in
the very beginning. They did not
have to wait. They got theirs again.
Then another time. Then once more.
Then the SCI guaranteed them by the
Esch-Cummins law. Then the rail-
roads promised everybody in general
that a reduction of wages of its en-
ployes would mean a reduction in
rates. Did the public benefit by the
reduction of the wages of the railroad
employees which was in most cases 12c
per hour? Now the railroads are tell
ing the people that if a 1870 reduction
in wages is granted, such reduction will
be passed on to the public by way of
lower rates. Do you believe this ?
While the prices of few things, most
ly insignificant, have dropped, the rent
hog is still roofing, and the general