The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-13
PUTS HOWAT OUT
All Kansas District Officers Re-
moved by international Order.
New Chief for District An
nOunced by Lewis.
AFFECT 10000 men
Fleming, Howat's Sub, Indicates
He'll Fight Removal.
All Coal Workers of State Been
Idle Two Weeks.

Pittsburg. Kan, Oct. 13.-The Kan
sas district of the U. NJ. w. A., district
No. II, has been suspended by John
L. Lewis, international president.
Alexander Howat and all other dis
trict officers are summarily removed
and George L. Peck. until the districts
suspension the international board
member, has been appointed acting
president of a provisional district.
Must Return to Work.
All loyal miners of the district will
recognize the provisional district Of
ficials, Lewis declared in a message
announcing the suspension.
Peck, in a statement this morning.
declares that the miners must go back
to work now. He announced that he
would take charge of the district
headquarters this morning.
With Peck is named Thomas Har-
vey, suspended secretary treasurer of
the Kansas district, as provisional sec
retary Harvey has been op-
posed to Howat in the Kansas union
affairs.
Take Over Union Funds.
Peck and Harvey are ordered to
take charge of the headquarters. all
records and all money of the Kansas
organization.
The Kansas miners have been idle
for two weeks or since Howat and
August Dorchy, the district vice presi-
dent, went to jail at Columbus to
serve a six months sentence for viola
ton of the Kansas Industrial court
law.
Howat Refused Orders.
The cause of the action of Lewis,
however, in suspending the district is
his district board to put back at work
miners called out on strike at the
Dean and Reliance mines last spring.
The international organizations hold
that the strikes were in violation of
agreement with the operators and the
international board ordered Howat to
order the men back to work. Howat
refused to do so.
The recent international convention
at Indianapolis sustained the action
of the international officials. Howat
still refused to order the men to re-
turn to work.
Orders Affect 10000.
at have not received a telegram
from Lewis and the situation will not
be changed John Fleming, acting
president of the Kansas district, said
this morning. Fleming and other dis
trict board members prepared to hold
a meeting.
There are approximately 1900
miners paying union dues in district
IA. Practically all of them have been
idle since Howat went to jail.
When Peck entered the headquar-
ters of the district union and asked
that the place be turned over to him.
Fleming refused to do so.
Il won't pay any more attention to
than would n a ennyuhal1 I'm
hell" Fleming told Peck.
Legal proceedings to obtain posses
sion of the offices are expected today.
No Connection With Industrial Court.
Alexander Howat, storm center of
the Kansas coal field controversy, is
is the Cherokee county Jail at Column
bus serving a six months sentence for
violating the Kansas industrial law
court by calling a strike and ever since
the law was enacted. following the
coal strike of 1919 during which the
state of Kansas took over the coal
mines and operated some of them,
Howat has been leading a fight
against the law. He refused to recog-
nize it in any way.
Strangely enough, however, the ac-
ton of Howat which has led to his
being ousted today has no connection
with the industrial court fight EN-
phatfc refusal to put the men of the
OFch anu ANclld4iSt iIiAiieS DdCk 10 NOEk
when ordered by the international or
ganization to do so after the interna
tional had held the strike was unlawful
and in violation of agreement to the
suspension
Howat has been an official Of the
Kansas Miners union for 20 years
most of the time as president
President Lewis's Letter.
The message which President Lewis
sent saspending the district. copies OF
Continued on Page Eightl