New-York tribune., 1922-03-05

population. There are big railroad shops in
the state, and Wichita, Atchison and other
cities are railroad centers. In these labor
centers subsequent elections have been in
dorsements Of the Court of Industrial Rela-
tions. When came to present an oppo1-
tunity to the people to get even in the last
campaign the unions opened war chest of
S150000 and sent forty orators into the state
yet we carried every industrial district even
including Howats home The working people
could not come out and fight openly, but they
could vote they liked. They knew the DIFF
ference in wages and they voted accordingly
"The law establishing the Court of Indus
trial Relations has had stabilizng influence
on production. In the year Immediately pre-
ceding the organization Of the court we had
an average of thirteen and one-half strikes
month. coal miner in Kansas worked an
average of 141 days year. Five hundred
miners quit Kansas, Howat threatened,
when the Court of Industrial Relations was
established, but those who remained produced
100000 tons than the larger number
had produced the year before. They drew
100000 more in wages than the larger
number Of men had drawn, and the average
time of miner was 250 days year-almost
double his time under old conditions These
are some of the reasons why the vote of the
industrial districts has been to sustain the
Court Of Industrial Relations.
"The court has also had stabizing effect
other industries 1t has reduced the num-
ber of controversies. Also it has reduced the
number of fatal accidents in the state Is per
cent and the non-fatal accidents from 70 per
cent because the court has insisted on better
attention to the conditions under which labor
is performed.
"The number of cases coming before the
court is decidedly less In fact, the newest
argument against the court is that it has
nothing to do. This is a time when the tax
payers are inclined to be very critical Of all
expenditures, and it is natural that some such
criticism should be heard when the people
see court costing 100000 or SO, and ap-
parently having little to do to engage it's
attention. But this is the best argument that
can be made for the Court of Industrial Rela
tions. Its effectiveness could be proved in no
better way.
Another argument advanced by the radi-
cal labor leaders is that the court will not
prevent strikes 1t is true that strikes have
been called since the court organized.
Six strikes were called by Mr.. Howat but he
has been punished for breaking the law. 1t
has been shown that those who. would defy
the law cannot do so with impunity. Other
good laws have been broken and being
broken every day, but that is not sign that
they should be repealed.
"The great principle which the law is
written is one of the oldest in society: Let
the safety of the public be the supreme law.
Take the matter Of The checi-cf system. The
law does not seek to deprive the union of the
right to check off for dues. Such payment must
be compulsory, or the union would go on the
rocks. But before fines paid it is neces-
sary to submit them to the court. Improper
ly used, the check-off system becomes robbery
Under the working of the Kansas law no war
chest can be raised for offensive purposes
which will work to the discomfort OF danger
Of the general public" II