The Helena independent. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1875-1943, 1892-04-06
Hordes of CONTRACT Laborsrs Who
Arc Slipping Into tho United
States.
Americans Are Being Crowded
Out by the Influx of
Huns.
Mining Towns Reported to ne Overrun
by Then In Some Parts OF tho
Country.

M ~ kNAS
York Recorder. He says little, has numer-
ous relatives already In the country, and
slips through the examination pens" of
the landing station with astonishing ease
and CELEBRITY. He invariably knows exactly
what information TO give, and never by any
chance commits himself. Perhaps Q week
after arrival he ID to be found in the min
ing regions of Pennsylvania dressed in the
Rarb OF ! miner, having taken the place OF
an English, Welsh, American. Irish or
Scotch collier. He moves about among his
own country men, has nothing in common
with his %noighbors who are citizens, and
even disaains to become intslliRentiy IA
niliar with the English language.
This ID the picture drawn by Contrast
Labor Inspector John ConkliaG and 9. Q.
Osborn, who recently returned from . trip
AhrouRh Pennsylvania, whittier they won't
on I mission for the government to DIS
cover, il possible, how 20 many foreigners.
principally Hans. Poles and Italians get
into the places Of American workmen.
They 90 through the barge office IN droves,
ma while the inapestors may be morally
certain thst The new arrivals arc practically
contr..t laborsrs the evidence to prove
than 0NAA 0AAdO NO LL
inspectors Conkliag and Osborn spent
several weeks among the miners IN west
ern P.nnsylyania and bssamc possssssd Of
soms startling infotmatisn. N ne uppsr
and lower anthracite and In tho bltumlnous
and coke regions there ars altogether about
100. 600 minors and mine laborsrs employed.
Ten yssrs ago the miner Who was not =
citizen or who could not converse IN ths
English language was 2 rarity. A. tns
present time out OF the sotai ment1on =
there are, At a conservative ultimate. 6b.OoO
people who hsvs no Intelligent understand
ing Of tho English language. and ia: ma
iority Of these are not sltlzens OF me
United states, nor have they declared their
intention 10 become such.
Tnspector Osbsrne gives = remarkable
illustration of this. The De Lansy mine.
lie says, belonging to the Rochester
Pittrbur0 Coke company, was started about
six years ago with 500 Eaglish-spsakinG
miners. During one strike the company
imported $50 Huns. Poles and Italians IN
two batche., thsy coming IN snaeF sas sIo.
lection Of the Pinksrtsn police. The mine
is located near Pun1atawnsy, and i new
employs about 100 msn. In the slsot1on
precinct which includes the operatives.
only sixty-sight votes were Registered ~ tAo
~eleotion Of last fall. aid Of that NUMBER
forty-txo w:rs 7d f'I .a.s ,;th no~l NJ a III.
zens or carsd nothing for the franchise. II
the connty which embraces this precinct
eleven murders were committed ourlnR .
period Of eighteen months, and the suthor-
tiles were unable to secure 2 convloslon IL
any or the eleven sss e.. Ep III . l.nap.S.
md no evidsnce coula be secured from
their sounsrymsn.
escape the vigilance Of ths immigration Of
ticials? Why can they not 20 proven % pc pc
contract laborers?" The inspectors say m me
evasion of the law is an Easy matter. Inc
statute allows q person already hers to
send for 4 relative and advance the passake
money. When q mine bess desires a nan
Der of vorkmsn he may accost one OF his
workmsn sonething in thls fasnlom; M;
"Yeu are satishsd with your iob?' "
"Oh, yes"
Yen have relatives, or some OF your
friends have relatives in Eutopey'
"Yes.'
'"They would like to some here and make
money. too-say q dozen OF thsmf'
Every muoh." "4-
"Then why. don't you and your friends
get your relatives to come hsre1" d.
"But We cannot afford the money"
"You can borrow it easy enough and the
terms are not hard"
Some weeks after this a crowd OF maybe
twenty immigrants arrive at unels Sans
bureau. all bound for the mining regions.
The most searching inquiry 10 made. but
they deny that they came under contract.
One has 4 brother. another 4 father, an
other = cousin, and SO on. in tho mining re-
Rions, tho names of the alleged relatives
being sufficiently varied to avort su,pioion,
and they are allswsd to 90, although tbs
inspecting officials feel certain that Uncls
Sam has besn clsverly trioked in every
case.
An Italian. who formerly worked in the
minss, but who now keeps . fruit store il
one Of tho principal collisry towns. hal
brought over, it has been LEANED, nhou'
sixty alleged relatives, all of whom are nov
engaged in digging coal.
When the investigator asks questions II
the Offices of the big coal corporations he Il
generally referred for information to |
iozen different officials. II he can sufh
riently control his annoyance at the indlf
ference and pretended ignorance and per-
severes until he gets to the man who is il
communication with the mines direct, h
will be told that the company pays ~ muoi
per ton for the mining OF coal a. 1t eve
lid, and the complaints OF the men are al
oosh; that Huns and Poles and Italians ar
Employed like any other laborers, and tina
hero ia no Discrimination against ian,
tlass. * NJ
Tn statement il plausible enough ant
he company can back it up by reference tt
igures in the books. But go TO the mines
,mone the men. md they VIII .sl! you ma "a
nC COIApAA - "A y
nes and penalties. An operative has *
|ay 90 much 4 month for having his tool
kept sharpsned, so much for the prlvilsg
f medical attendance, 80 much Tor loa
6me, for errors, sto. In the majority 0
Instances the miner lives in d house who.
he company owns and tho ront for whicl
taken from his monthly wages. Th
pmpany officials will tell you that tn
pntal charged l is only nominal: Ths ten
nts will point out to YOU habitAtion
l%perior to their own, not ths property o
ae company, which rent for less money
he miner purchases all his working out
from the eompany-his oil. blasting
bwder. waste, fuses, sts. Hero agail
10 company officials will toll you tina,
lev handle these supplies solely for til
bnyenisnce of the mon n they sell n
actioally cost price. The mon will nam
Adjustments in mining towns whore tn
me auppliss can bs purchased at Il rsduc
IN on the company's figures, but over,
Ian is expected to purchase these aupplis
om tho company he works for. Iou vii
told by tho officials that there 10 n
mpulsion in the matter, that they DON
re- whore their men purchase their sup
es. But the miner who fails to patron
his company in this respect soon md
at his s~srviess are no longer desired. an
place is taken by \ man who canno
pak English, and who 10 not q Citizen.
The abuses OF the old 'stors-ordsr" sys
n we're 90 thoroughly exposed by IN
tsa of New York and Pennsylvania tina
legislature Of the latter state passed a
f%orbiddinp its continuance. Al thu
40 there are no company stores proper
! in hume, ous instances the sAvsstiRatp