The labor world., 1899-03-25
News from
the North
George E. EindlrS Writes 'Thc
Labor World Of Conditions in
Alaska.
w 7 HEN [ came to this far north
w land I thought l had gone

W. HEN [ came to this far north
! w land I thought l had gone
beyond the sphere of the labor agi-
tator, and, henceforth, only at long
distance would hear of strikes, boy
colts and soulless corporations. Such,
| however, is not the case, and while
my 'swear off, has been strong
enough, coupled with attending cir
cumstances. to keep me from reassum-
ing the role of labor agitator myself,
still my interest has been strongly
aroused: for there has been much
'labor" excitement since my return
from the interior. right here in Skag-
way. Corporations and industrial war
are inseparable.
The railroad building through White
Pass is the source of present disturb
ances, its methods being the same as
familiar to students Of modern in
dustrialism everywhere in the civil
lied world
First, came an attempt by the COM
pany through its ally, the Brackett
toll road. to suppress the independent
packers. The Brackctt wagon road
has franchise: but the packers had a
prior road. The former is mostly
hocus pocus. except the toll gates and
the toll collectors. The packers re-
built their trail so as to avoid the
wagon roads rjeht-of-way whereon
possible, but the canyon in places be-
ing narrow and its walls precipitous,
there were places where they neces-
sariy could not avoid the toll roads
ght-of-way: and to kill off, competi-
tors. whereon the toll road infringed
upon or crossed the packers road.
tolI-gates were erected and tribute de-
manded in the name of the law.
The packers are the pioneers of the
country, and they came as near
possessing the Independent spirit of
/
where under the stars and stripes.
They tore down the gates; were ar
rested, released by a just judge on
their own recognizance and finally the
cases against them, on the toll roads
own showing, were thrown out of the
local court.
Here, this chapter, for the present,
ends, with an attempt being now un-
der way by the corporations inter-
ested, because they cannot control
him by either bribes or intimidation,
to have Judge Sehlbrede of the local
court, removed. The futme will tell
with what success.
The second chapter begins with an
attempt to cut the wages of the 900
employes of the Yukon G. White Pass
railroad from 35 to 80 cents per hour.
The men were hired under contract
at the former price through agencies
on the Sound. The conditions under
which the work is performed are prob
ably the most severe that men engaged
in that kind of labor were ever called
upon to endure. Through these win
ter months there is almost a constant
blizzard sweeping the pass in its
higher attitudes with its icy blasts
If few days of soft weather inter-
venes, then snow slides become immi.
nent and the men in camp or at work
are in constant danger of death.
Ofho, conditions tended to develop
dissatisfaction. Foremen were EN-
ployed who were incompetent or hao
no regard for the lives of their subor
dinates; accidents were numerous
and worse than that, were -2eSuently
: treated with heartlessness thai
would hardly have been tolerated il
the darkest ages.
l was informed by an employe ove1
month ago that in the construction
of less than fifteen miles of road bee
: the lives of 50 men had already beer
sacrificed. The number since has beer
largely increased. Little definite in
formation, however. can be obtained
as the company's agents vigilantly
hush up all information about such ac
cidents. and keep them, as far as pos
sible. out of the papers. And the mel
being unorganized until the strike oc
Cured. no records whatever exist.
In one case two men were buried un
der rock slide. At first the company
tried to get the men to volunteer tt
| dig out the remains. and even Offered
small reward for their recovery. I
became evident, however, that sucl
recovery would be attended with some
little expense, whereupon the company
! gave it out that the missing ones were
not under the slide at all, but had jus
quit and gone to Atlin. Men wh'