, 1880-05-15
COMPANY STORES.
How Miners mid Lumbcrmen Are
Hsvtl1tilcl by tho Corporations TlAas
Employ Them.

How Miners nnd LufnbcFmcn Are
A.vintilcd by tho Corporations That
Employ Them.
~ tAe Edttor or 1Ae Chicago 1stbunt.
OcoSTo. Wis, May 12.-prohahly few Of
your rcatlers nro familiar with the systctu Ut
"conpany stores "'wllch exists In Northern
Wisconsin aud Upper Michigan. tits a ge'l-
crdl c,lston, OF companies and firms IN these
regions TO carry III II. addition TO their or
dinary mid Legitimate business Ut mining or
lumber manufacturing, stores III which arc
kept storks Of general merchandise, ostsl,st-
lily for the accommodation OF their worknlen.
There would bo little discussion as to the
proprlcty of such custom II its ostensible
mud renl objects were the same, but In practice
It Is male means Of great injustice, and
ought for several reasons u be better known
tl,An 1t now IL, III many cases 1t Is almost
or quite impossible for n lalnrlng rnan to OBJ
tain my money, and his enttre wagcs must
bu "taken out IN tratie" at The store OF tne
soo eF t ;H IT to S5 T ssspest T. sseFoa %eFF
In the market, but sold to, him ut
prices whicl, aro unrcasonabiy high. The
result Ii TINT tile lnborinig class IN n1any
exclusively Of the inbOrlng c'ass)is IN .
wretchcd condition. living ON wages which,
viii. TIC prices they are campelleA to pay,
not only nuke It tttllcult for tllose having
keep them III debt to tholr employers, Ite
l,,eH are hired nominaliy by tic month, but
IL eas. of bad wealthy, or ~ accident la1ta1 to
tlloiiRl. OH hand md waiting to work. A lnan
Df Intelligence may eftar bo found who Will
seek and perhaps obtain redress by legal
,ssas bt syc then ne nyantaEe ~ ts
other cnses, md THO bulk OF the population Is
composed OF foreigners, especially. french
Canadians, wllO Nre lacking In hnckbofn, Nus
nre e,tsIlY bulldozetl into submission. T'hore
Gun, frol!l the circumstances Of the case. le
no "publIc opinlon" lit such a community
which Ia strong, enough to excrclse tlie en1r- 1
nous power It docs elsewhere, ali 1t u dill
matter. Tho fortunes ,naLo from. tho indus
tries OF the country are distributed elst-
! where, MD no pnft OF them devoted 70 mo
Improvement and elevation of tl,a pople by
No one WHO l.ls over lived In place where
labnrlnK tuuil rtsceiva falr wages, md are able
tn obtaii, at least so'no OF the cun1forta OF
lltt, Gull full to hp struck by tho enittass
Mhlrss he IL ono nf tf,oso WHOSE grcetl lias
| ctloked ont conscience, e will earnestly 90.
sire TINT Nll men OF Influence should 20 Wtias
they I'm u bs]d o. thcsS pfGple wl9 brttee 1aee
conditions ba 4 sul'erlor ,e'nss Ut men,
| Another nbIectlon to tht' syatem Il tug @ iaSs
tint 1t necessarily ihterfeles Will t!1a iegltl-
lI!nfo business or siurGtetlMts. WHY nse M,a-
tratln IL impossible. This, however, Is d
snull ,natler In cuinpnrls0n witt, the greater
uvlIs of What every falr-lntnded person MUST
a1 fust t, INV tint thsfs ars iirms who DO Mos
f,rurtjrG OpprussIor or Conipnlsfnn to their
nmplUyts, md they have their ruward In OBJ
tnlli1lg better Myii, fts might bo expected. IT
SuclAlists, mid tho attention Of the public, Il
aiyeil to such rlattgrs, would do much to pro.
1,iate liislco a1,d euulty in tho dnaltngs, Of
cnpltal with labor. W. ". II