Evening star., 1922-11-29
Doubt Kansas Industrial Court
Will Be Abolished.

Whether or not Gov Aliens
dream of industrial peace" is to be
listed among the casualties result
ing from the sanguinary engage
ment of November : seems to be as
much matter for editorial arSu-
rcnt as is the Kansas industrial
court itself. The governor-elect has
declared that by electing him chlef
executive the voters of the state
have decisively repudiated the court
and that its abolition is assured.
There are elements in the case, how
ever, which lead editors to doubt
that Mr.. Davis election can be in
terpretc,l as comforting such a man
date. or, indeed. that it will even
come to pass.
Mr.. Davis is apparently not with
out warrant in the declaration of
his intention" to abolish the indus
trial court, the Christian Science
Monitor (Bostom comedies, SINCE
his party has for some time Stoou
in opposition to that particular en-
actment. But there are some
reasons to suspect that the signlf1-
cance of the issue may be misun-
derstood." and lit is not entirelS
clear that the desire has been un-
eauivocally expressed to take Wha,
many regard as a backward step:
Interpreting his victory over ms
republican opponent, who was Wig
orously supported by Gov. Allen, as
repudiation OF the industrial court
seems to the New York Evening
World 80 reasonable view Tor the
governor-elcct to take. because the
Industrial court was a big issue in
or
Gov. Aliens paper, the Wichita Bea-
con. comedies But there were oth-
err issues and other elements. editors
note. which raise the question put
by the Philadelphia Evening Public
Ledger, will Kansas do it," when
it comes to actual dlScontinuahce VI
the Kansas system?
In the opinion of the Minneapolis
Tribune, at is going out of the way
to say that the electorate OF Kansas
has set the seal Of its disapprovai
on the court" and, furthermore. 1t
happens that Mr.. Davis hasn't great
deal to say about the fate of this
much discussed tribunal From
nearer view. the Kansas City Times
declares unequivocally that Mr..
Davis was not elected 70 reFeai ga; .nt
going to do it." The Times gives its
reason for making this statement
The voters who elected Mr.. Davis
did not have the Industrial court law
in mind" it msnifes9ed sans; eaefM that fact fact
The farmers of the state
elected Mr.. Davis and elected him
because he is farmer. But
while voting for farmer Tor gov
ernor. who was running on plat-
form declaring for the repeal or the
Industrial ind ~ court law. they elected a
republican legislature on a PLATFORM
declaring for the maintenance ana
enforcement of the industrial court
law. e There was nothing What-
ever in the Kansas vote to lndlcate
cd the industrial court changed or
repealed. And they took the pre- pre-.
ca,,tion to elect legislature that
would not change or repeaa loaan II; tho
There is no ind. indieati9h: .!that the the
Springfield Union adds, thae 'te 4e
oyerthrow an institution from Whlcn
mnch public benefit is expected" and
the Boston Transcript is conhdent
that Eve need not look for any re-
yersal of the record"
Nevertheless. the precise meaning
of the election seems to be matter
Of opinion and Interpretation, Tor tne
W-ichita Eagle. for example. declares
No less emphatically that "the people
nf Kansas for the first time nave
snOken their nina cl lhe Aiu
court at the polls. They, want none
Of it." "It is quite possible. as the
louisville Post sees it, that 1t was
the reaction in national politics ana
not the anpopularity of the industrial
court that dragged the republican
narty down in Kansas. But. SO far as
the thing may be registered at single
.election. the voters of Kansas seem
70 have given mandate for the
aholition Of the industrial court 1t
will he thrown out" the Mobile Reg
lister predicts, land there will be Few
mourners" -
the Philadelphia Bulletin abandon.
ment of the tribunal at the present
time would be an ortunate out
come of a freak election. Wh1!e
.probably the Kansas court has made
mistakes" and possibly has become
Unpopular" still, in the opinion OF
the PAPER, at is worth longer trlai.
and even If it shall be abandoned at
this time it may be expected TO re.
annear as the logical complement OF
the existing judicial system and as
the guarantor Of Industrial peace.
The Boston Herald also is sorry that
the Kansas court is likely to be abol-
ished. The country really owes some
thanks to Gov. Allen and his state
for undertaking an experiment that
hoe v-otrhad