Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-08-17
content.
Communicated.
Editor COURIER -DENoCEAr:-

l have Just been reading an article
on the labor question. and notice where
o'r great rh!lanthropist Jas. J. Hill,
of the Great Northern railway. has
reduced the wages Of 4 number Of men
who work on his system to the muniti-
cent sum of Sl.G0 per day. Thisis very
we'll indeed on Mr.. Hills part. but
with the reduction OF wages of the
lahorers on his system, and the dis
charging of hundreds of others, he
should not pocket the entire amount
OF such reductions, but apply part of
such savings toward keeping alive,
partly at least, the goose that laid the
golden egg. 1t is not long since the
city of st. Paul feted Mr.. Hill and
honored him as greatly as was in their
power. And for what direct reason
was this done? Firstly, Mr.. Hill con-
tributed largely in money toward the
expense himself, and secondly, many
of the st. Paul men who had received
great favors of Mr.Hill in the past and
were looking into the future for more
We're the prime instigators and not
alone were those two agencies drawn
on for there was one other and those
were the wholesalers AND! retailers of
the city, who rightly figured that by
bringing a large concouis se of people to
TIE city it would be money in their
pockets, us thousands would,,attend the
celebration and consequently leave
plenty of their money in the city.
These are some of the reasons why Mr..
Hill was lauded to the skies, to say
nothing of the hundreds of saloon
keepers and hotel men. Who We're the
people not represented there? Was it
not the farmer of North Dakota? The
men who raise wheat, which is now
selling at the stations of the Great
Northern at So cents for No. Northern
and our great benefactor Mr.. Hill max
ing his Is and ii cents Il bushel for his
carrying charges. If Mr.. Hill could
exact 25 cents Il bushel he would no
doubt do so Immediately as his past
actions demonstrate. Not alone is he
robbng the farmers along the line on
freight rates east, but on every article
we consume which is brought over his
road. Our groceries cost us according
to classilications from 6S cents to Sl.14
per hundred. Our wool selling for s
and cents pound, in st. Paul and
Minneapolis costs $1.00 per hundred
to ship. If our people ask for fruit of
any kind they cannot afford to use it.,
for his express line charge more than
the fruit is worth IN st. Paul or Mime
apolis and if we wish to eat a peach or
pear or small plums it costs the people
5 cents each. If we order a five pound
parcel, a book for instance, it costs 65
cents express. Every article we use
we are compelled to pay double two
fold to our great and good philanthro-
pist, Mr. Hill, and what have we as
the result? Mortgages on nearly every
foot of land in North Dakota and her
people living on the very poorest fare
in order to keep soul and body together.
1t is of no use to entreat Hill to save
US, as he is careless of our hardships
while he enjoys himself in his So, 900, 900
residence, entertaining Hoke Smith
and other high officials, in order to
steal a land grant from the public
domain. Now we must rise up or we
will be trodden into the earth. for
when he puts his heel on the wage
Garner, he raises his rates accordingly,
and although his golden goose is very,
very feeble now, we can join together
and by proper legislation we can stamp
those robbers out of existence, as we
have done with the elevators in the past
two years. Send men to our legislature
who cannot be purchased at $3.50 and
$500 per head. Send men who have
interest in our state, and who are not
anxious to be legislators so as to be
purchasable commodities. More anon
on this matter.
CITIZEN.
Langdon, August 18th 1898.