The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-01-26


commanded the court to study the indus
trial conditions in various industrial dis
tricts and to be in position to apply Ms
knowledge of these conditions to the sd
luton of labor discomfort before it crystal
lized into definite industrial warfare This
work has been entirely neglected, because
the members of the court have not had
time to pursue original Investigations into
industrial fields. In fact. they have not
had time to keep up with the Industrial
court work itself.
There are today, upon the docket of the
court industrial cases which have been
pending since early in November. There
are six cases which were filed in November
and December which have not yet received
the attention of the court. This is espe-
ciaily regrettable, because it the in
tention, in the creation of this court, that
the body should always be able to hear
wage cases promptly.
No criticism of the personnel of the
court is implied, either because it has
failed to carry out Its original function or
because it is behind with its work. The
pressing demands for attention to public
utility cases has made il impossible for the
court to give proper study to Industrial
subjects.
Neither has. the court had time to keep
up with the public utility cases On jan
uary 18th there were 1917 unsettled public
utility cases, about half of which were
under Amusement, the remainder pending.
The attention wnien the court has given
to the acute industrial cases has proven
the great value of this tribunal to indus
trial conditions. L have yet to hear of
single important criticism upon any de-
cision of the court touching an industrial
controversy. With singular unanimity
these decisions have been accepted as just
and satisfactory, both by employees and
employers. They have created II valuable
set of precedents and established beyond
doubt the great possibilities OF the court.
However, ii added to these cases the sit
uation had been such as to give the law
try,opt upon pom all Of Its merits its .ae court
all classes full confidence in its con-
structive value.
In addition to the criticism of the court.
due to lack of time for proper industrial
, work, it has suffered constant misrepre-
Sentation out of the unavoidable confusing
of it's purposes with the purposes of the
which the old public utilities law has been
administered by the industrial court there
have. been $50 public utility cases. The
court has deemed it wise in great num-
Der of these cases to increase public utility
rates. Notwithstanding the fact that none
of the principles of the industrial court
law were concerned in these public utility
increases, every criticism that has come
as the result of the increase in public util
lty rates has been placed, not upon the
old public utilities law, but upon the new
Il industrial court. Public utility regulation
thus was dramatized as a new thing which
had Its origin in the court of industrial
relations. The fact that 1t was a work
carried on since the establishment of the
! board of railroad commissioners in 1881
| was lost sight of and the industrial court
became familiar to the public, not upon
ITS merits, but upon the activities which
a peculiarly trying period.
Public utility administration, instead of
becoming incidental to the court of indus
| trial relations, became distorted into fine
| chief aim of the new court. The big real
| purpose of the labor court law was lost
| to public view. The real purpose and
came subjected to the unreasoning attack
! OF those who as a result of labor politics
| were fighting the industrial court.
| II we are to protect this new law and
| give it the chance to. which it is entitled
on Its own merits. it will be necessary to
do two things: First we must reduce the
| this court so that they may have suffi-
Gent leisure to give deliberate study to
the Industrial subjects which exist in every
industrial field in the state and likewise
10 give prompt and just attention to every
case that is filed upon the courts docket
The first objection to the creation of n
second tribunal was in the matter of cost
With commendable desire for economy the
founders of the court and the members of
| the legislature attempted to save the ex-
pense of an additional body.
| believe have a plan which will secure
tne necessary separation of the court from
utility regulation without adding to the
PUBIC expense. 1t is my judgment that
| there could be consolidated under the adj
ministration of the industrial court if it
! we're relieved of public utility regulation,
the work of the Industrial welfare com
| mission, factory inspection. the supervision
| or the free employment bureau and the
| administration of other activities now car
| ried on under the commissioner of labor
| The present cost of the industrial wei
| fare commission is over $1,000 per year 1t
has functioned with the following boards
| of seven members each: factory board
| laundry board, telephone board mercantile
board and public housekeeping board
There has also been duplication of well
! fare inspection and factory inspection. 1t
would be perfectly easy to save in the cost
! OF the administration of these activities,
! practically enough money to pay the sal
aries of the three judges of the industrial
! court. There could also be saved, in the
| public utilities commission, some admin
when 1t was expanded into the court.
Ihe passage of the new livestock bill
creates the necessity of placing its adj
ministration under some board or commits
this would be under the public utilities
commission, when separated from the in
dustrial court. This would afford ade-
| quate machinery to assist the livestock in
terests without the addition of any ex-
pense.
1t is my judgment that the sum total
OF the appropriations for the present in
dustrial court and the activities carried
could even be reduced by proper con-
sohdat1on of these labor activities under
the industrial court. In addition to this
it would give TO this body the supervision
or activities which are germane to an in
dustrial court.
This court Of three men could also adj
minister the workmens compensation act
provided this proposed law is passed by
this session. A careful canvass has been
made OF all these proposed activities and
it is the judgment of all who are ac-
quainted with this work that It would not
unduiy burden the industrial court, If the
court were relieved of the public utility
cases. The machinery now organized for
the functioning in these industrial mat
ters under the labor commissioners office
could be used by the industrial court for