The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-06
Protection Should Be Given
Miners, Says Judge Huggins.
Says Industrial Law Is Failing
in It's Original Purpose.
SLAP At Administration
Declares Legislature Formed
Court to Guard Against Strike.
Makes Specific Demand for
State Action in Coal Fields.

Kansas must guarantee protection
to the man who wants to work or sur
render her industrial court act. That
is the text of a statement today By
w. L. Huggins, presiding judge OF the
industrial court, who asserts that the
law is now failing in the purpose
which the legislature had in mind. He
charged that powerful political in
fluence" defeated the emergency police
bill in the legislature and that in spite
of anticipation of the present strike
nothing has been done.
Judge Huggins' statement is broad
side at the state administration and q.
flat declaration that the labor court
is facing failure thru inaction by the
state. He urged that the legislature
and the state passed the industrial
court act in order to safeguard against
recurrence of the strike of 1919. Now.
he says, the test is Howat and mis-
soviet government against constitu-
tional law of the state.
Must Enforce Law, Huggins Says.
IF the Industrial law is to be justi-
| fled at ALL" said Judge sHuggins, ''it
must compose the situation and the
state must so enforce the law as that
the coal industry will proceed" Unless
protection is given to any man who
/
right to ask any man to dig COAL" he
declared.
The statement by Judge Higgins
| is the most specific demand for state
| action since miners in the Pittsburg
| field went on strike when Alexander
| Howat went to Jail. He declares that
| the proposed machinery for meeting
the situation was denied in the leeis-
lature and his statement virtually
! places full responsibility on the shouI-
nj na Cta 70 RI i,afe
Quotes From Industrial Report.
Further evidence that the state met
the coal strike with open eyes is given
| by Judge Higgins when he quotes
from the industrial court report of
| August to the effect that there was no
adequate supply of fuel stored in Kan
sas. The statement today is a defi-
mite and specific demand for action
by the courts presiding judges ana
takes to issue the statement of Gov
ernor Allen to the effect that with
Howat in Jail the strike might con-.
tinue since Kansas could secure en-
adequate supply of fuel from other
states
Tho Higgins Statement.
In his statement Judge Huggins
THE Kansas Industrial act was
passed by the Legislature in the shadow
of the great coal strike of 1919 The
chief consideration of the people OF
Kansas and of the legislature was to
make a recurrence of such conditions
unnecessary and impossible. Since it's
organization the Industrial court has
: devoted much attention to the coal in
dustry. 1t has spent much time in in
vestigating the production. transport
: tation and marketing of coal.
5 "On August 8, 1921, it filed with the
; governor a report of its investigation
: of the coal industry In the main
report written by Judge McDermott is
found the following: (p. 24) THE
/ evidence disclosed pra ctically no stored
supply by dealers except in the city Of
Wichita. Winter is coming on. The
l production of coal in Kansas. accord
l ing to all the information at hand, has
entirely ceased. There are two rival
governments in the coal mining dis
trict of Kansas-the Soviet govern
,ment of which Alexander Howat is die
tator, and the government of the state
= of Kansas.
'If the industrial law is to be justi-
! fled at all, it must compose the stu
ation and the state must so enforce
D 1.-THE law as that the coal industry will
t proceed. Efforts were made by friends
of the law during the last session of
the legislature to provide an emerg-
ency police force for just such occa-
S sions as this. Powerful political influ-
+ enes were exerted to prevent. In a
/ supplement to the coal report above
{ existing was forecasted and a remedy
e proposed. 1t is my belief that such
I a remedy will have to be provided IL
:, the industrial law is to be maintained.
= THE state must protect its loyal citi-
zens who are willing to return to work
n in coal mining. The only miner who
g remained at work in the great strike
i of 1919 was afterward driven out of
: the country and the state could offer
him no protection. The Industrial law
d specifically forbids the use of duress,
= intimidation or violence to prevent
5 men from working in the essential In
II dustries Until such protection is af-
forded, the state has no moral right
/ to ask any man to dig coal in that
i district -