The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-11-14
WHITE sLAYERF IN CANADA.
SUFFERING. Death and Despair Among the
Crow's Nest Pass Lnborers.

buuoriuks benNn hnu despair AMONG the
Crow's Ncat Pass Laborrrs.
OTTAWA, Nov. 12.-For tho last fortnight
there have been rumors OF much suffering among
laborers taken from this neighborhood TO work
on the Crows Nest Pass railway branch Of the
Canadian Pacific Railway. Tho condition Of
these laborcrs Is described as akin to slavery.
1t has been shown that they were misled as to
the accommodation and the terms on which they
were to work. Recently o petition, signed by
nearly 200 laborers, was received by the Council
Of the city of Hull, opposite Ottawa, asking for
financial aid to enable the petitioners. who are
residents of Hull. to return home. Many Of their
families arc destitute and are receiving aid from
the municipal authorities. Tho condition of the
men IL said to BIO desperate.
Peter Valilec. one OF those who went from
this city 10 work on the Crows Nest railway.
returned yesterday. He said:
Il left Ottawa n little over two months ago
to work on the construction of the Crows Nest
Pass railway. When l left tho camp last Mon
day week TO return homo l was 81 In debt,
according to the account OF tho contractors
with whom I was employed. I was to re.
ceive $l.5O n day and my fare out; board
was to be $3.50 per week. When we got there
we were run into a camp like a lot of sheep.
Tho rain and wind blew through every
crcvicc of the camp, and when we came in at
night. after working hard all day. there was no
way III winch W. QUIZ uTS our CIOtiicb, anu
next day we had to put them on still wet. We
had not drawn n dollar up to the time we quit
work. as they told us there WINS nothing due us.
Food placed before us was unfit oven for dogs.
Out OF 125 men who went into camp with me,
there are now scarcely a dozen left"
VALLEJO walked TO Mcleod, sixty-fvo mile0
from camp. where he found enough money, sent
by friends in Ottawa. to purchase n ticket.
More extraordinary still. it Is charged that
when the men seek to escape from their en-
shaved condition, the mounted police are put on
their track, and they are hunted do ~n in much
the same way that slave were. 1t is said that al
soon as captured the men are taken before a
court and arc sentenced to twenty or thirty
days imprisonment for desertion and debt. AT
one time there were reported to be no flower
than lao deserters locked up In the jail at Fort
men are made to lodge and board with those for
whom they work. and the boarding houses are
run on the plan, Of making all that can be eN'
torted from the laborers. By n peculiar system
Of bookkeeping the men are compelled to work
more days than there arc in a month in order To
get q months pay. Their railway fares. also.
which they were told, at the time of their engage
ment, would be free. have been withheld. to the
amount of $50 each, from their wages.
The Toronto Globe, tho leading champion Of
the Canadian Pacific Railway, says: "Thest
assertions are Of such n character as to require
corroboration, and tho matter ought to be in
vestigsted by the Government. The Mounted
Police is not maintained TO help railway com
panies or contractors in their disputes with theil
employees. except where violence is threatened
and 1t certainly ought not to DO used to brinf
Government ought to exert all its influence tt
compel the payment Of fair wages to. personI
employed on works receiving subsidies from thu
public treasury"