The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-11-09
NO STRIKE RECORD
No Information Available Re-
garding Industrial Situation.
Efforts to Secure Figures Fail to
Produce Results.
ASKED OF CLEMENTS CHARGE
Judge Crawford Not in Posses
sion of Facts.
Court Has Complete File on
Cost of Living.
asked OF CLEMENTS CHARGE


don't contain information regarding
the number of strikes in the state.
Neither are figures available as to the
number of men who are idle in the
course of a@year as a result of strikes
Nor does the labor court record show
wages lost thru strikes nor losses to
producers thru idleness.
Efforts to secure strike records to-
day were entirely without avail. Gov
ernor Allen said he thought the court
had the records in official files. Judge
John H. Crawford. head OF the labor
division, admitted there might be any
number of strikes and the court
wouldn't know anything about them.
Except information mailed to the
court in response to recent request
to employers and industrial cases ami
issues brought for settlement num-
Der almost negligible-the court has
no record OF industrial troubles.
No Records Kept.
The State Journal today asked state
officials for strike records with
which to refute charges by Ira Glenn
ents, president Of the Southwestern
Interstate Coal Operators associat ton,
to the effect that 228 strikes have oc-
CURED in the Pittsburg field this year
Judge Crawford said the court was
not in possession of the coal strike
records. Neither has the court rec
ords of other strikes in this state, the
time the strike was in force or the
number of men affected.
Clements in his statement in Pitts
burg Tuesday said that 228 strikes
had occurred in the Pittsburg field
this year. that the wage loss thru
such strikes was S6S4,OOO. He also
asserted that Industrial trouble in the
Kansas mining district had resulted
in loss of trade territory by producers
and pointed to the fact that 325 cars
Of coal are now loaded and ready for
shipment, but cannot be marketed.
Don't Know About Figures.
Are Clements figures correct %
Judge Crawford was asked.
Il cannot say"
strikes?'
Those in essential industries which
are brought before u.s.
But not all labor troubles where
men are idle?"
1T would be impossible. then. to
make a comparative statement as to
industrial conditions in the state over
a period of years under the court act?"
There is good deal of question as
to what really constitutes strike"
Not Essential Industries.
"Wen. take the building trades
strike. the printers strike or the strike
the other day in the state house among
workmen- Has the court record of
these strikes?"
mo. They're not essential indus
tries
what about coal production which
the law defines as an essential in
dustry? Have you figures on that in
dustry?"
Il presume Sherwood has record
at Pittsburg-that is at least of cases
into which he was called"
James Sherwood is the state mine
inspector.
Have you a copy of his record? ?"
do you require him to send this
information to the courts?"
No"
"Why?'
''The law doesn't require it"
Didn't you gather this inforE.1ation
in the survey of conditions of the coal
fields last summer"
NO"
Record on Living Conditions.
The industrial court has thousands
of records in itS files regarding the
poor working girls. their wages living
conditions, home environment, educa-
ton and other matters.
wouldn't a record of strikes be
as valuable as these reports?" was
asked.
you'll have to talk with the welfare
department about their reports
But how will you determine the
progress in industrial matters if you
don't keep records of strikes?"
LAS I said before, what is a strike?'
don't think you ought to say there
is a strike every time bunch of men
quit work"
Governor Allen was asked about the
Clements figures. He said he hadn't
read his statement and wouldn't make
a statement at this time.
"John Crawford can give you the
figures about the number of strikes
in the Pittsburg field. He has Them"
said the governor.
No Figures, Said Crawford.
But Judge Crawford said there were
no figures.
The governor declined to comment
on Clements statement that labor troy
Bile had caused loss of trade territory
and that strikes resulted in a wage
loss of S6S4.0O0 during ten months of
this year. He indicated he might later
make a formal statement answering
the coal operator.
Ira Clements isn't ana more friend
ly to the industrial court than Aleck
Howat," said the governor.
GERMANS PAY IN ADVANCE