The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1883-09-21
NEWS OF The WEEK.
BY TELEGRAPH AND MAIL.

M3A
BY TELEGRAPH AND MAIL.
Strike and Labor Investigation.
session in New York City of the United States
Senate subcommittee on Labor and Edu-
cation.l
On the 18th John O. Calhoun, grandson of
the former statesman of the same name, and
who is now aresident of Arkansas, gave testi-
meny in regard to the prospects and condition
OF labor in the South. He stated that since 1869
ne had been engaged in cott0n-rais ng in Ar
kansas, and had abundant opportunities
9Or observing the condition of labor at the
South. The labOrers in the Mississippi al
ley were entirely agricultural Few white
men were employed, as they soon became
either landowners or tenants. The condition
OF the negroes was good as compared with
few years ago. There we're tdree methods of
emp Dying labOrers-fOr wages, working on
SHARES, and as tenants. The large FARMER, be-
sides furnishing the labOfers with shelter, fuel
and other advantages, divides the gross pro-
ceeds of the crops among his employees. Tn
der this SYSTEM thrifty and Industrious labor
ers ought to soon become landowners but
the negroes are so INDECENT that they fail to
take advantage of the opportunities offered
them, and will only devote so much of their
time to work as will enable them to procure
the necessaries of life. Under the renting
system the best land in the country can be OBJ
tanned for from eight dollars to ten dollars
per acre, aud with the rental are secured
many privileges. On his own farm witness
employeq all these methods of employing la
Dor, but preierre the tenant system. 1t was
ms OBJECT to raise the standard of colored la
Dor 70 that OF the small white farmers this
could only be done gradually on account of
tne extreme poverty of the negroes. A large
portlon OF the cFaton crop Is now raised by
small farmers, and the number of These is in
Teasing every year. The relations between
the planters and the employees are friendly
ana harmonious, and there is little
danger of strikes. The laborers felt that
they had interests in the soil, and that a strike
would be as injurious to them as to their en-
ployers. Witness thought the South offered
the greatest inducements to immigration.
Ihe race feeling was dying out and capital
could lind secure investments.
n. winter, an auditor employed by the Del
aware Hudson Coal Company, after telling
the committee that too many people left the
country for large cities where they were not
required. said that New York raises nothing
put gin-mill statesmen, dudes and dangerous
criminals
colored man named J. A. Emerson of
New York City, formerya resident of Arkan-
sas, testified on the 14th that he had been
educated in England, and had given consid-
cradle attention to the workings of the
Postal Savings banks of London. He thought
this system could be adopted in this coun-
try with very beneficial results. 1t would
DC especially boon to the cOlOred
population of the South, by affording
a means for laying up their small saw
mrs; since the failure of the Freedman's
Bank the negroes have been reluctant to
risk their savings. The greatest evil which
threatens the cOlored laborer in the South
was the store system, which cCrresponded
win the truck" system of the North. The
most or the negroes were in the power of the
shop-keepers, who charged eXorbitant rates
OF interest, sometimes as high as twenty-four
per cent q year.
The next witness was Mr.. Hinton, who de.
clared that what the country needed was a
revolution in the law or equity in regard to
corporations and the distribution of wealth.
rms was to he accomplished by gradual re-
taxation, as the present system was built I'D
by this means.
Florence Elizabeth Cole, principal Of the
School OF Industrial Art for Women, spoke of
the employment she taught as being ndmira-
ply adapted 10 women, and very remunera-
tive. Designing was required in the manu-
Iaoture OF carpets, wallpaper, gas fixtures,
Wood-engraY ng, silver work and the Ike but
the DESIGNERS in tlAs country we French
men. There wee large industrial schoolsain
Farls where the most tho ough instruction
could be obtained free. A r
The testimony OF Colonel r. J. Hinton, of
Washington, was concluded the 10Th. Wit
ness thought the census was wrong in placing
the average wages of MIL operatives at 81 50 a
year; In his opinion 1t was nearer $50. With
II rd to education, he stated that from his
observations he noted that greater attention
was PAID to grammar and high schOO than
TO REORGANIZATION aud education of schol-
airs OF the primary departments. Witness
thought this was wrong. Greater interest in
education should he awakened among the COM
mon people, as in u Q Ia ger cities there was a
tendency among the Ia boring classes to do with
ms little education as possible The common
sehcol system OF the present, he said, lacked sol
ldlty and was too superficial. 1t should be reoF-
gained on better basis. Witness testified at
considerable length in regard to the DISPOSE
ton Of public lands in the West and South
west one san Francisco firm was Ieputed to
possess the title of S,U00,000 acres of land in
New Mexico and Arizona, which was obtained
by leaning money to an irresponsible person
to-pre enlpt section of public lands and then
accepting from him surrender of the prop
erty after he had held it for sufficient time to
gain a vested interest in the land. This land
grabbing practice was carried on on q larger
scale than the majority of people imagined
and the Interior Department had already be-
gun an Investigation with view of breaking
1t up.
The testimony of Albert Fink, Commission
er of the trunk lines, was given on the nth
He said he was at the head of bureau COM
posed OF about forty railroad companies
who had organized Tor the purpose of es.
tabshlng aud maintaining uniform tariff.
The extension OF railroad lines in the United
States and the fierce competit on between
them made organized action necessary to
their eNistenoo; 1t won not do for each to
operate and fix its own rates of transporta-
ton without regard to the other roads. The
roads represented in the ASSOCIATION of which
witness was at the head were five trunk lines
New York Central, New York, Lake Erie
" Western, Pennsylvania, Baltimore s. Ohio,
ana the Grand Trunk line OF Canada, with
oil their Western connections. The latter
are roads running east and west. Witness
also stated that there were two other asso-
Stat ons west q the Mississippi River, one of
VIII oh Included several large lines running
west from Chicago, as the Chicago s. North
western, the Chicago & Alton, the Chicago s.
Rock Island and the CHICAGO, Burlington &
Quincy. The other as ociation comprised
roads west OF the Missouri. Both associations
Were under the control of j. MicAelet The
principal object of ass citation was to arrange
uniform rates of tariff for the Transportation
on competitive plan 1T had nothing to do
with local business, but only when there was
competition at some great distributing
point Tor certain class of business. These
ASSOCIATIONS did not at all affect natural and
10 ttimate competition. They merely pre-
vented ru1nous competition; competition be-
tween railroads was different from that be-
tween private individuals; in the latter case
competition would cease when it reached a
disastrous point. The scheme that the Gov
ernment should purchase the roads and run
them itself Mr.. Fink pronounced folly, and
one which no sane man could contemplate for
moment. The capitalized value Of the IL 0O0
miles OF roads in the United States was
S1,uOC,OJ0,00O. The gross receipts last year
were S700,000Q00, and the net receipts $780,
O00,O00. OF this sum S100000,000 was paid
as dividends, and large proportion of
the balance was expended In interest
pense went to the laborerS and train
men. The system of pooling was re-
sorted to as means of maintaining rates aud
OF preventing one road from cheating another
anu violating its agreement by cutting rates.
witness declared thai he did not think it was
any evidence that road was charging too
h 9Th rates because the road was paying twen-
ty per cent, dividends on its stock The only
thing TO be regarded was the rates charged
Thomas Fortune, editor of paper for the
colored race, testified that the educational
facilities of the South were very poor. He adj
vocated national appropriation for the Oh.
ject. He thought an investigating committee
SHOULD be appointed 10 inquire into the con-
vict system of the South.
ENx,0,,D Nuo eI,s,.