The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-21

right to quit work just as an emplOye
has. But no employer can conSpire with
another to limit production nor can he
plot alone to affect prices by shutting
down his plant and limiting production.
Many employers who are fighting the
Kansas law fear this provision. They
arc afraid as Governor Allen says, that
sIch n law might limit their profits and
that profiteering by limitation or suspen-
sion of production viii be punished,
The state of Kansas is seeking to prevent
the labor leaders from abusing the mo
nopoly they have on the collective use of
organized workmen and to enjoin en-
pIoyers from abusing the freedom of CON
tract which they have enjoyed in bar
gaining for labor-both when the public
welfare is threatened.
State Can Operate.
OF far-reaching Importance, too. is the
state's power to take over any essential
/ industry and operate it, Thus far this
! has not been necessary except in coal
mining. This year the state of Kansas
| by virtue of the power that 1t has over
| employers succeeding in getting from the
| coal operators the assurance that the
price Of coal would not be increased over
| the price in 1921.
| The few cases that have been ap-
/ pealed by employers viii furnish a test
| of the future of the law. The argument
. to be made in the supreme court of
/ the United States for example. that no
state can force any concern TO pay wages
! which ii does not wish 10 pay. The con
! tention is that this takes property from
an individual without due process Of the
| law and is contrary to the federal con-
| StitutiOn.
But the state of Kansas is preparing
/ to fight the case and eminent counsel
| have been engaged. The decision of the
/ state supreme court upheld the validity
of the industrial law on the ground that
/ railroads have long been subject to reg
i ulatiou and forced to accept certain
schedules of rates and recently the fed
eral courts upheld the constitutionality
of the transportation act which gave the
| United States labor board the power to
fix wages and working conditions.
! Employers do not like the restrictive
features OF the Kansas law. but here
again if the power is abused il Will be re-
yoked by the people just as would be the
ease if labor were injured by the rulings
of one-sided court.
Public Quite Satisfied.
The public as a whole, for whom the
| law was put on the statute book. re
/ garded il as Il step in the right direction.
| Whether it must be amended as the ex-
| pertinent develops. whether too much
| power has been granted the state or too
| little. whether the personnel OF the court
| can be- maintained at high standard
| all this will depend upon the experience
] VI AA4t iltAt AfN eN'AA APhts bA'sAAtf
| speaking, the law is popular with the
majority and the effect on other states
| has already been apparent.
/ When monopoles became burdensome.
| the law or corporations and trusts came
| into being When labor and capital be
| gins conspiring 10 affect prices and the
| supply of necessities the state steps in
and regulates. That's what Kansas has
| done and one of her sons. Representa-
| tive Hoch. has introduced a bin providing
for Il federal court along the same lines.
| Various states are taking il up. But
/ state protection of the public in labor
! controversies is fact in Kansas and il
| is effective besides.