A.A. Graham to Governor Henry J. Allen
Creator: Graham, A. A. (Albert Adams), 1848-
Date: December 11, 1919
Attorney A.A. Graham writes Governor Henry Allen with a model for the proposed industrial court that expands the authority of the Public Utilities Commission. The governor has called a special session of the Kansas Legislature to end labor strikes and resolve industrial disputes.

A.B. Campbell to Governor John Martin
Creator: Campbell, A. B.
Date: April 9, 1886
Adjutant General Colonel A. B. Campbell of Parsons, Kansas, writes Kansas Governor John Martin of Topeka. He informs the governor that citizens are putting together a force of fifty special police to respond to striking railroad workers. Railroad employees at Parsons were striking and the governor granted permission to provide citizens with arms to keep the peace.

A.B. Campbell to Governor John Martin
Creator: Campbell, A. B.
Date: April 4, 1886
The Kansas adjutant general at Parsons sends a telegram to Governor John Martin of Topeka asking the governor for permission to furnish the mayor of Parsons with one hundred guns to preserve peace in the city. A strike of railroad workers on the Missouri Pacific Railroad at Parsons led company and city officials to ask the governor to arm citizens and for call out the militia.

About labor trusts
Creator: Martin, George W. (George Washington), 1841-1914
Date: June 6, 1900
A letter written by George W. Martin of Kansas, to Representative Chester I. Long in Washington, D.C., on labor trusts and their economic impact on the nation.

ACME mine volunteer personnel
Date: December 5, 1919
In this document, the names of 31 volunteers assigned to the Acme Mine are listed. Included is the date they arrived for work in Pittsburg, Kansas, and the date they reported to the mine for work. These volunteers were recruited from surrounding areas to replace mine workers who refused to return to work following state takeover. In November 1919, the Kansas supreme court granted authority to the state of Kansas to operate the mines. This followed a series of strikes in the area. Court appointed receivers were put in place to operate the mines during this period. The state takeover lasted until mid- December when labor leaders in the area agreed to return mine workers to their jobs.

A. E. Gillett to Governor Henry J. Allen
Creator: Gillett, A.E.
Date: December 19, 1919
In this letter, Mayor A. E. Gillett of Bartlett, Kansas, writes to Kansas Governor Henry J. Allen, of Topeka, asking his assistance in getting a car load of coal for the schools. Following a series of coal strikes in southeast Kansas, the Kansas Supreme Court ruled in favor of the state securing and operating the coal mines for a period of time. Coal operations were delayed following seizure of the minefields. Volunteers were called in to complete mine operations after miners refused to return to work. The court appointed "receivers" to oversee all coal deliveries and payments during this period.

A. H. Gufler to Governor Henry Allen
Creator: Gufler, A. H
Date: December 22, 1919
In this letter, grocer A. H. Gufler writes the governor about the dangers of "anti-profiteering." The governor has called for a special legislative session to address labor disputes and had received many letters on the matter. In this correspondence, Gufler includes an article published in Collier's Weekly that compares the working family in 1880 and 1921.

A history of trade unions in Kansas
Creator: Karson, Marc
Date: March 1956
Marc Karson, Associate Professor of Political Science at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, wrote this history of trade unions in Kansas for the Kansas State Federation of Labor in March 1956.

Alexander Howat
Creator: Literary Digest
Date: December 31, 1921
A photograph of Alexander Howat, "czar of the Kansas coal fields" copied from Literary Digest. Howat was chiefly responsible for the organization of a powerful and aggressive union for coal workers in southeast Kansas. In 1919, during a general coal strike, Howat and District 14 stood firm in spite of pressure from Governor Henry Allen. This is probably one of the big reasons why Allen introduced the Kansas Industrial Court Law. Howat was bitterly opposed to the law and immediately set out to discredit it. District 14 pledged full support to their president. When he called a strike in defiance of the law, he was sent to jail in Girard, then in Columbus, and finally in Ottawa. The officers of the International United Mine Workers of America ordered him to call off his strike. He refused and thus in 1921 was expelled from the Union.

Alexander Howat interview
Creator: Topeka Journal
Date: April 12 - 14, 1921
In this series of articles, Alexander Howat, president of the Kansas miners, pleads the cause of organized labor and denounces the newly created Kansas Court of Industrial Relations in an interview with Topeka Journal staff reporters. The reporters were Wm Huggins, Jr, son of the current Court of Industrial Relations judge, and Mildred Reed, daughter of a former judge.

Allen and Gompers debate letters
Creator: Colliers Magazine
Date: November 27, 1920
In these letters submitted to the Colliers Magazine, Kansas Governor Henry Allen and Samuel Gompers, of the American Federation of Labor, continue the debate over the Kansas Court of Industrial Relations and workers' right to strike. The letters were written two months after the Allen-Gompers debate on the strike issue held in Carnegie Hall New York.

All industrial disputes affect the public
Date: June 11, 1921
This bulletin issued by the publicity committee of the printing crafts is part of a series of publications issued during the Topeka printers strike. The strike centered around a dispute over the forty-four hour week between trade union printers, employers, and a newly formed association of employed printers. Trade union printers and employers agreed that a newly proposed forty-four hour week would take effect on May 1, 1921. The new printers association did not agree to the forty-four hour week. This resulted in a dispute between the two groups of printers.

Altgeld's great speech
Creator: Altgeld, John P.
Date: 1898
A speech delivered by John P. Altgeld to the working men of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on Labor Day, 1897. Altgeld's idea was that government ownership is the remedy for the nation's existing troubles.

A. M. Fury to Governor Henry J. Allen
Creator: Fury, A.M.
Date: December 18, 1919
A. M. Fury of the Robinson Grain Company in Palco, Kansas, writes to Governor Henry Allen, of Topeka, requesting a car of threshing coal. At the time of this writing, Kansas communities had already been without coal for a number of weeks following a series of coal strikes. In November, 1919, the Kansas Supreme Court gave the state control of the coal fields. Governor Allen set up office in Pittsburg during this period. Volunteers were called in from surrounding areas to begin coal mining operations when the striking mine workers refused to return to work following the takeover.

A.M. Meyers to Governor Henry Allen
Creator: Meyers, A.M.
Date: December 31, 1919
In this letter, Meyers outlines ten items that he suggests would "fix" the proposed industrial court legislation. The legislation would have a tribunal decide on labor problems between employers and their employees.

An address to the employees of the Missouri Pacific Railway Co.
Creator: Hoxie, H.M.
Date: March 8, 1886
In this address, H.M. Hoxie, First Vice President of the Union Pacific Railway Co. of St. Louis, Missouri, informs the employees of events that have led up to the strike involving several railway systems throughout the country. On December 16, 1885, the United States Court took possession of the Texas and Pacific Railway making the employees of the railroad employees of the agents of the court. In March, 1886 these employees inaugurated a strike and the Knights of Labor notified superintendents of the railroads down the line that they would appoint and place their own watchmen to protect railroad property from loss and damage.

An analysis of the proposed right-to-work legislation
Creator: Kansas State Federation of Labor
Date: August 1954
In 1958, Kansas voters ratified the "right to work" amendment to the state constitution. The amendment stated, in part, that "No person shall be denied the opportunity to obtain or retain employment because of membership or non membership in any labor organization..." In this pamphlet, the Kansas State Federation of Labor argues that the purpose of the legislation was to limit the power of organized labor.

A.P.Barrett to Governor Allen
Creator: Barrett, A.P.
Date: January 9, 1920
A.P.Barrett, of Pratt, Kansas, writes to Governor Henry Allen, of Topeka, congratulating him on the "good fight" and expressing gratitude for his work in developing the industrial court. The Kansas Court of Industrial Relations was created in 1920 to mediate between labor and industry. The court was abolished in 1925.

Art Welch to Governor Henry Allen
Creator: United Mine Workers of America
Date: January 4, 1920
Art Welch, secretary to Local Union 960, Mulberry, Kansas, writes to Governor Allen opposing the proposed Court of Industrial Relations. The legislation would have a tribunal decide on labor problems between employers and their employees. Unions throughout the state generally opposed the creation of an "industrial court" that opposed the right to strike. This proposed legislation, Senate bill 1, successfully passed both the house and senate and became law in January 1920.

A study of the present trades union system
Creator: Britton, Wiley
Date: 1909; copyright 1909
A booklet written by Wiley Britton that focuses on the trades union system. The author asks for equal rights, justice and moderation in the dealings of men with each other, and that special privileges should be given to no one.

Bits of history, Topeka Typographical Union No. 121
Creator: Topeka Typographical Union No. 121 (Kan.)
Date: January 1901
This document presents a brief history of the Topeka Typographical Union. Established in 1869, the Topeka Union gave up its charter in the 1870s (possibly 1876) but reorganized in 1882. This document summarizes some of the history and provides a list of members in 1874, 1886, delegates from 1870-1901 and a list of members in 1901.

"Bricklayer Bill" Kennedy to Governor Fred Hall
Creator: "Bricklayer Bill" Kennedy
Date: January 21, 1956
St. Louis, Missouri, resident "Bricklayer Bill" Kennedy writes Governor Fred Hall of Topeka, Kansas concerning his veto of the "Right-To-Work" bill (House Bill No. 30) then recently passed by both houses of the Kansas Legislature. Mr. Kennedy commends the Governor for vetoing the bill and implies that the entire laboring class in Kansas (both union and non-union) will benefit. A union member for fifty-eight years, Mr. Kennedy denounces any association with "red or radical" unions and thereby acknowledges a popular perception linking organized labor with communism. House Bill No. 30 stated that no person should be required to join a labor organization to gain or retain employment. Kansas voters at the 1958 general election approved a "Right-To-Work" amendment to the state constitution.

Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen magazine
Date: 1917
Semi-Monthly Magazine of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Firemen and Enginemen. The brotherhood was so named in 1906 and in 1919, with 116,990 members, the BLF&E led the fight for an eight-hour day for rail workers, and in 1926 pressed successfully for passage of the Railway Labor Act. The donor, Charles Goebel, was a Santa Fe employee for 46 years.

Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen traveling card
Date: 1913
This is a Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Traveling Card for Edward Brown when he was president of Lodge NO. 65 in Osawatomie, Kansas. He had been a switchman on the railroad for ten years in 1913. Founded in 1883, by the time of its merger with three other railroad labor unions to form the United Transportation Union in 1969, it had the greatest membership of any of the operating railroad brotherhoods.

Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen traveling card
Date: 1902
This is a Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen Traveling Card for Edward Brown. It includes his location (Osawatomie, Kansas) Lodge No. 65, names of the master and secretary, and a general description of Edward Brown's size, height, and hair color. Founded in 1883, by the time of its merger with three other railroad labor unions to form the United Transportation Union in 1969, it had the greatest membership of any of the operating railroad brotherhoods.