The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-12-02
TO TEST |. c. Law
Attorney General Asks Investi-
CATION of Packers Strike.
State May Take Over Operation
of Plants.
CASE TO BE HEARD SATURDAY
Testimony VIII Be Taken in
Kansas City, Kan.
None of TOpeka's Industries Are
Affected by Action.
CASE TO Be HEARD SATURDAY


Kansas today faced a test of the
power of the industrial court law.
Following a conference with mem
bers of the industrial court and Gov
ernor Allen the attorney general filed
a petition with the industrial court
asking that it Immediately investigate
the threatened packing house strike.
The industrial court will go into the
case Saturday and its investigation
opens the first tangible prospects of
cleancut, sout in the open labor court
powers.
Prospects of state operation of the
packing plants loomed today as a re-
suit of the action. There is also a
strong possibility that the industrial
court may seek to enjoin carrying out
of the strike threat in this state.
Sixty-Seven Are Defendants.
Sixty-seven firms and individuals
are named as defendants in the case
filed today. Testimony in the strike
issue will be taken Saturday morning
in the city hall in Kansas City, Kan,
by industrial court members.
Under the law the industrial court
rs not vested with judicial powers. Its
effort to prevent a tieup of the pack
ing industry in this state will be thru
the state supreme court or the Sedg-
wick and Wyandotte county district
courts. Injunctions may be asked
against the union heads in an effort to
block wal1out in Kansas. If the
situation appears sufficiently serious
to warrant such action-a situation
rather unexpected at this time-the
industrial court may ask the supreme
court for a receivership.
State May Operate Plants.
That would mean state operation of
the packing plants. 1t would return
the state to the situation which was
faced during the general coal strike
two years ago.
In the petition presented today the
attorney general asserts that the
packing business is vested with pub
lie interest. He asks that the labor
court intervene for the purpose OF
protecting the public right and to as
sure normal production and supplies
of food essentials as defined under the
law creating the court.
Topeka Industries Not Affected.
None of the Topeka industries are
affected by the petition. The Wolff
Packing company, concerned in one
OF the most vital tests or the indus
trial court law, is not named as
party to the action to determine the
strike issue.
Many members of the industrial in
terests affecting the packing business
are named in the petition. Eight
>
Dold, Swift Wilson, Norris Drovers
and Fowler named as employ
ers defendants in the case to be in
vestigated by the industrial court.
Filing of the petition followed confer
ehces which the attorney general and
members of the industrial court have
held with Governor Allen. The petit
ton asks that the court take cogni-
zance of the strike which is threat
ened for o'clock Monday morning.
By beginning the hearings at the
city hall in Kansas CITY SATURDAY.
morning the industrial court expects
to define a policy which will outline
its course before che strike gets under
way Monday. Rumors are 70 the ef-
feet that employees of the packing
plants may seek to invoke the labor
court law to settle their wage and
working condition disputes. Mem
bers of the court today refused to
discuss the case. They indicated that
they did not anticipate procedure be-
fore judicial bodies. However, such
a general tie-up of the packing bust
ness in threatened and the workers
observe general strike orders.
Strike Threatens Production.
It is urged in the petition that the
strike threatens an outlet for live
stock producers as well as an ade-
quate and necessary production for
consumers of meats.
By virtue of its possession of a
public interest the Industrial court is
asked to intervene. Decisions to ask
the court TO intervene was reached
in a conference. It was determind
that this procedure would arouse less
criticism and antagonism than a move
by the court on its own motion.
The question OF wages and working
conditions will be considered by the
industrial court. Whether judicial ac-
ton will be sought before the strike
actually gets under way was not an
nounced by the court. Testimony de-
veloped in the hearing Saturday as
well as conditions surrounding the
strike, will doubtless determine the
immediate policy of the body. 1t was
admitted, tho, that an attempt at
state operation under A receivership-
q. i-..< -.