The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-19
INDUSTRIAL COURT
IN OPERATION
State of Kansas Has I'M
partial Tribunal to Settle
Labor Disputes
INVOKED ONLY TO
GUARD NECESSITIES

fare Is Not Involved - Kansas Law
May BE Basis of Amendment to Labor
Beard Legislation.
BY DAVID LAWRENCE.
Especial Despatch to The Reformer.l
Copyright 1922.
This is the first of "A series of three arti-
cles OH the Kansas Industrial
court and its operation.)
TOPEKA, Kan, Oct 19.-Kansas has
proceeded far enough with her expert
ment in state adjudication of labor dis.
putes to make the idea worthy of exam
nation for nationwide use. The Ameri-
can Bar association has committee ut
work which will recommend to the vari-
Gus states of the nation, a model law
patterned after the Kansas formulas
Labor and capital have had their say
about the Kansas court and there has
been noticeable misconception of some
Of the purposes of the court. First of
all let it be said that nothing so far
reaching can be worked out in Il year.
but Kansas has ironed ont many of the
defects and has by actual experience de-
veioped code of morals which. taken
with the phraseology of the law itself
Is gradually getting results. by which one
means of preventing distress to the pub
/ lie
The Kansas law does not attempt to
prevent all strikes. Nor is it invoked
| in all cases where employees NAV shut
| down their plants and cause lockouts
| The law received black eye in many
parts of the country because of the anti
/ pickering feature which was literally en-
| forced against William Allen White. but
| that's after all a collateral issue and the
| courts will, by their decisions. set forth
( Limitations Of bn f,,rt,
Aliens Interpretation.
To understand the Kansas law and
its application one should study care
fully the set of principles which Gov
ernor Allen. father of the measure. has
Il written as his Interpretation of the in
dustrial act:
The right TO abandon job individ-
ually or collectively is unquestioned. II
can never be abridged
The right to quit work Individually
for the purpose of securing higher wages
or better working conditions is unques-
toned.
The right to agree with others Ia
quit work for the purpose of demanding
better wages or working conditions may
be admitted as long as the public wei
fare is not threatened.
The right to agree with large
body of others to quit work and hinder
or stop the production of essentials in
time of need is subject to very seriou,
question and calls for the Intervention
of government because
4 The right to agree with all others tC
quit work until any and all demands
! economic or political. are met, regard
4 less of the suffering or deaths of tn
1 population. is a thing that is always il
the realm of possibility as a logical Sc
1 quencc. and in such a case the govern
\ ment would be in effect overthrown ii
\ favor of an economic oligarchy"
Will Affect Federal Law
The foregoing principles are apparen
I because they are directly involved in tn
federal governments efforts to deal wit
4 strikes on transportation systems and i
4 the production of fuel. There is lttI
Z doubt that the discussion JUST begun b
4 Secretary of Labor Davis 10 amend tn
l transportation act and to abolish tn
/ labor board viii revive the anti-strik
/ clauses which were first proposed for I'll
3 ESch-C ummins law.
= Whatever solution the debate may d.
velop in the next several months. it
probable that the basic ideas applied b
Governor Allen will play vital part i
the pro and con of the congressions
discussion.
Governor Allen argues, for instance
that ''the right to quit work is entirel
different from the right TO strike an
that even if the Kansas law We're pr
marily an anti-strike law, which is nc
the case. it would Still be untruthful I
say the law would deprive man of til
right to quit work"
The Kansas governor differs to som
extent with the view recently adopte
by the railroad executives and SON
members of the United States railrOa
labor board who cOntended that III
strikers had in effect quit their emplo!
ment. -
Allen Defines Striking
striking says Governor Allen, 81
the meaning universally accepted by a
organized labor is included. carries wit
it the verrr necessary and apparent in
plication of resuming work after IL
demands are granted.
Striking. therefore, is not abandOniT
the Job; on the other hand, it implies Il
opposite idea--a rather marked desil
to keep the job so as to get high'
wages"
The Kansas governor is of the opinio
that legislation could be enacted whiC
would sharply differentiate betwee
striking and the mere quitting of wOr
"A law against abandoning a job |
adds. would be obviously in confii
with the thirteenth amendment forbi
ding involuntary servitude. No OF
would be 50 stupid or short-sighted as
propose any such law. And for tn:
matter perhaps there is no pressing nee
for any law to prevent striking eXccl
such striking as threatens the lives al
welfare of the public
Under the present law of Kansas. Il
intervention of the industrial court o
/ ours only when essential production