The New York herald., 1921-05-01

closed. defect in the old law made il inn
possible to compel the railroad to remedy
the situation The attention of the United
States Railroad Administration called
to it, without result. In the summer OF 1920
the Kansas Industrial Court issued order
that the sheds should be enclosed in order TO
shelter the workmen in cold and inclement
weather. and they are now enclosed"
Rut in plenty of other cases the decision
goes In the employers favor. The greatest
care is taken not to endanger the existence
of industry or make such awards as
would be confiscatory in character The
court on the other hand, eliminates essen
tial injustice which has arisen from the
employers ability to employ skilled attor-
neys and to secure other advantages. The
State simply puts the two sides equal
basis of advantage. on this point the author
quotes w. L. Higgins, one of the trainers
Of the law and now judge and presiding
officer Of the court:
What does this bill offer TO labor? In
the first place II offers tribunal before
which labor go with any grievance
which 1t may have-that is labor in any
of the Industries described-and when ii ap-
proaches that tribunal nobody can say:
Where is your bond for costs?' The poorest
lahorer in the State of Kansas can walk
into this proposed tribunal with his pockets
as empty as the poorest man on earth and
not word Is said about It. And further
than that. the matter proceeds, the State
of Kansas in the exercise of that Christian
charity and that humanitarian principle
that have been 50 highly spoken of here-the
State of Kansas, | say, provides that poor
laborer with expert advice and expert as
sistance: it allows him to go wherever II
may be necessary that he should 90, to take
every bit Of evidence that he wants TO take
without his employing an attorney, without
his paying a dollar for travelling expenses
without his employing expert of any
kind The State of Kansas says TO him. We
will get your evidence for you and there
upon, with staff Of well paid and well
chosen experts 1t takes up the investigation
Of that dispute. whatever II may be, and de-
velops his case for him free Of cost"
II is made very clear that the court is in
no sense revolutionary In principle II is
held to be simply an extension of the police
power which already enters so largely into
the regulation Of citizens life without eX-
citing any protest, since the necessity Is
realized Gov Allen declares that in a
period of increasing strikes and waste such
a measure had become as much necessity
as fire department.
This man IS not lover Of doctrines and
systems for their own sakes He is trying
to reduce friction that the machine will
run more steadily His spirit is the spirit
Of Lincolns politics and William James's
philosophy-human and helpful. The Kansas
Industrial Relations Court, described In
this book and Henry J. Allen modestly
implied in it. are essentially American. What
the people who know both best think Of
them may be judged by two facts With
opposition party and State and national
union forces working against II the court
has been sustained BY popular votes, even
in the centre of the mining district. Henry
J. Allen was elected Governor by the largest
majority on record while he and Bill White
were over in Europe doing war work.