The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-10-15
Pennsylvania Officer to Direct
Affairs of Kansas Miners.
Much Bitterness Shown by
HOwat Forces at Pittsburg.
TO TAKE CHARGE SUNDAY
Situation Tense Following the
Franklin Mass Meeting.
Funds of Organization Are Tied
Up by Both Sides.

Pittsburg, Kan, Oct. 15.-A new
acting president of the Kansas district
of the U. NJ. w. A. is expected here
to take charge of the district Monday,
it was learned from a reliable source
today. President John L. Lewis of the
organization is UNDER
stood to have designated a Pennsyl-
vania official to come to Kansas.
The next important development in
the process of taking over the organl-
zation of district IA, U. NJ. w. A.. by
the international organization Is ex-
pected to be the arrival of a Pennsyl-
vania union official to take charge as
acting president. The appointment of
George L. Peck, recently international
board member from Kansas, as acting
president. according to reliable
sources, was only temporary and the
plans contemplated the sending of an
outsider TO assume direction of the
district.
To Arrive Sunday.
The new acting president is expect
ed to arrive in Pittsburg tomorrow
and Immediately take charge. Peck
ana Thomas Harvey, acting secretary
treasurer, made only one demand for
possession of the district offices.
which are Occupied by John Fleming,
named as acting president of the dis
tr1ct under its former status by Alex
6oWat to serve while he is In 1al
With the arrival of the new actine,
president a demand is expected to be
made for full possession of the district
offices and legal action may be resort
ca 10 TO obtain such possession.
Bitterness Against Peck
Much bitterness has been shown hx,
the 1owat partisans against Peck. who
mas peen an opponent of HoWat for a
year or two. He formerly was a sun
porter OF Howat. The sending of an
outsider, however, to supersede Peek
is said by union leaders to be in the
line of procedure followed by the in
ternational in the past
The situation became more tense in
the district this morning when the
news OF the Franklin mass meeting
yesterday and the invasion of Scam (
mon by Franklin-Ho part;sans
last night obtained circulation. More
than one hundred miners supporters
OF Howat motored twenty miles last
night and virtually broke up the meet
ing of the four Scammon local unions
where the questions before the min
ers We're being discussed. Afterward
they held meeting of their own and
adopted the Franklin resolutions,
which condemned Lewis and COM
mended Fleming for refusing to turn
over to Peck and Harvey the district
offices.
Funds Tied Up.
The funds of the district organiza-
ton now are believed to be firmly tied
up against either side. Both sides
have notified the banks which have
the funds not to pay out money on
the order of the other side. The banks.
it is said. may require legal action
before they will cash any checks of the
organization.
Miners Made 81, 900 Loan.
Action by the Kansas Federation Of
labor to give financial assistance to
Alexander Howat and his followers in
the controversy over the control of the
Kansas district. will not be of ma
terial benefit George l.. Peck, pro-
visional district president, declared to-
day. The Kansas federation has been
kept alive by a loan of $4,000 made to
| it by the miners of Kansas. Peck said
! The deposed leaders of the Kansas
miners. Peck said. now show "a great
desire to be solicitous as to the rank
and file OF the miners"
THE rank and file never have been
called upon to vote on the advisa bility
of making loans or determining
policies" Peck said. "If the deposed
leaders had been as considerate of the
rank and file as they now claim to be,
we probably would not be in our pres-
ent trouble"
| Disregard Fair Play
! Referring to the meeting at Scam
mon last night. Peck said: This shows
! the methods of procedure of tho
/ HOwat fellows They went to Scam
mon from the Franklin meeting, a
group of the insurrectionists and
/ broke it up. They proved their dis
regard for fair play by refusing to per-
NIT both sides Of the question under
discussion to be presented"
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