The Topeka state journal., 1922-02-27
sAppERs AND M1NERs.


Kansas court of industrial relations
as a means of settling labor contro-
versies, the Democrats in convention
assembled on washington's birthday
apparently feared to demand uncon-
ditional repeal of the law which es-
tablshed the court. They attacked
the court, however, in a roundabout
way which included the proposal to
lust as good or better. Their method
resembles that of the sappers and
miners in military campaigns. who
dug under their enemy and blew him
up when it was found inadvisable to
make frontal attack.
The conventions action doubtless
was intended to win the support os
the labor unions and the support of
such other persons as are always de-
sirous of a change. 1t so happens,
however, that the labor union mem
hers are far from being unanimous
in opposition to the law. In fact,
such of these as favor a fair deal have
the law on their own account.
Some amendment to the industrial
court law may be found necessary in
time, but great majority of the peo-
pie think too well of It to favor re-
peal or substitution of an untried
method of dealing with the labor
problem.
Not only is the law well thought
of in this state, but it is winning
praise in other parts of the country.
Among the words of commendation
for the Kansas plan coming from
outside the state is the following from
the Providence Journal:
The decision of one of the largest
traction companies in Kansas, at the
suggestion of its employees, to discon-
tinue boards of arbitration and to sub
nit all disputed questions to the court
of industrial relations, is one of the
most convincing proofs of the success
of the new judicial body created by
Governor Allen and at the same time
an effective answer to the criticisms
of Samuel Gompers.
Information as to the workings of
this novel court created under the
Kansas law is needed in those east
ern states that have under considera-
ton the stopping of strikes which in
terfere with the production and dis
triDution of such necessary commodi-
ties as coal and foodstuffs. Radical
agitators are persistent in declaring
the court a failure and in spreading
propaganda about the industrial
slavery" it creates; facts are ignored
by the reds and their sympathizers;
the campaign against the new tri-
bunal is based entirely upon misrep-
During the year and ten months
since the establishment of the court
thirty-four decisions affecting, wages
and working conditions have been
made. OF these, thirty-three have
been accepted by employers and en-
ployes as Just and equitable" This as
suredly does not indicate dissatisfac-
ton with the court or with the pro-
vision of thAlaw forbidding strikes in
any essentiaD industry. The expert
ence of the Joplin, Pittsburg and Ga
lena Railroad company and its em-
ployes gives in particular an idea of
the esteem in which the law is held
by both sides. During the war the
suffered three costly strikes
which brought the men no increases
in wages or. other benefits. When the
Industrial court was created the men
petitioned for wages having a proper
to living costs. After careful
Investigation the court found that an
increase was warranted, and the de-
cision was accepted by the men and
the company. A year later the COM
pany appeared before the court and
asked for a lower wage scale, on the
ground that commodity prices had
gone down. The decision was in favor
of the company, the cut ordered
varying from six to ten cents an hour.
The men offered no objection, for
they realized that the findings of the
court were. based upon hard facts.
But this is not all the testimony show
ing the general appreciation of the
law and the court.
A few months after the second de-
cision, when the traction company and
new contract, the customary provi-
sions for arbitration were omitted at
the suggestion of the labor delegates
that they should leave out all that
stuff and refer all future controver-
sizes to the court OF Industrial rela-
tions. The vote on the substitute pro-
position was unanimous. So unusual
an Endorsement is an effective answer
to agitators who are denouncing the
Kansas way of preventing strikes
The strong point of~the Kansas
plan is that the court is not one of
arbitration. It's decisions rest upon
the evidence and do not favor one
party at the expense of the other.
The usual trouble with labor boards
and commissions is that they follow
the Illogical rule of splitting the diff
ference, so that exact justice cannot
be had. The record of the Kansas
court cannot be rehearsed too often in
the eastern states which are striving
earnestly for a solution of their per-
picking labor problems.
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