The labor world., 1900-02-17
Enforce Contract Labor Laws.

British Columbia Miners will De
marld It-Men Imported From
Hibbing Against the Laws Of the
Province.
The Labor World received; visit this
week from E. P. Bremner of New Dem
veg, 3. c., will visit the ranges in
the interest of the Western Federation
Of Miners, and: give: the facts regard
ing the lockout in the SLOGAN district
of West y sKootenay; B. G. The, Mine
Owners association have agents out in
this: section of the country looking, for
men and have already imported IS
from the Mesa ba range, and many Of
| them, after learning the true state Of
affairs upon their arrival in British
Columbia, refused to go to work, and it
is to prevent any more of them being
taken in that Mr.. Bremner will visit
them. When asked to tell of the
causes which led to the lockout, Mr..
Bremner said: IS
The trouble arose over the putting
in force of the eight-hour law, which
was passed March 1, 1899. Notwith-
standing the fact that the Kootenay
district is the richest silver-lead camp
In the Northwest, the managers of
these mines refuse to pay the standard
wage of the west A wage that is by
no means out of proportion to the
high cost Of living in such an isolated
district and is the same as that paid
IN Butte, Montana, and the various
mines in Idaho. In June, 1899, the sill
Yer-lead companies in the district is
sued an ultimatum stating that in view
of the fact that the government; had
passed an act limiting the labor of all
men underground to eight hours a day.
the companies would reduce wages, and
they would not listen to any statement
OF the laborers demonstrating that they
could do as much work in eight hours
as in ten, or everything would have
been all right. The association then
began to import men and landed about
Is from Hibbing, MINI. What repre-.
sentations We're made to these men, we
have no means of knowing; but it is a
significant fact that they were sneaked
into the country by special boats and
trains, and were kept housed up at the
mines and not allowed to speak to any
one. # these men fear any violence at
the hands of the locked out miners
they need not worry Throughout all
this trouble there has not been one
overt act committed, no blemish on the
responsibility of the men, which is a
high recommendation of their true
worth when it is considered that more
than 1000 are affected.
'It, is desirable that all should know
who hire to work in SLOGAN what their
going means Suppose the managers
do win, which we are confident they
won't, where are the meme now used to
, break the backs Of the unions, going
to get off?
"The same old rule will hold good
the dupes will be dropped, despised by
their employers, shunned by their fell
|loW-WOrkmen and with mark on their
characters that will follow them to
their grave
From here Mr.. Bremner goes to OF
tawa to urge that the alien contract
labor law Of the dominion be enforced.
The law is SO constructed that it per-
mits labor to be imported legally un-
less complaint is made and only holds
good against country having sim
lar law. The men who have gone from
Minnesota are Fins and Hungarians,
but Br. Bremner has learned that they
are most all naturalized American cit
liens.