The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-07-10
WESTERN PACIFIC
WORK PROGRESSING
Division Engineer HarIoWe Talks
Of Construction of New
Line.
SCARCITY OF LABOR is
BEING KEENLY FELT
Solution of Tramp Problem
Might Relieve the
Difficulty.

Charles Harlowe, division engineer OF
the Western Pacific, in charge of the
Nevada division, with headquarters at
Winncmucca, is a guest at the Knuts
ford, being here on consultation with
Chief Engineer Boguc.
In running chat, Mr.. Harlowe said,
among other things.
After three years of unrendtting
work we have located our line and are
now building from four locations. The
general line VIII go through Salt Lake,
Silver Zone, Flower Lake and Beck
with passes, and nowhere on the line.
on mountain or plain, have We grade
OF more than L per cent. In fact. our
grade over the SierTaS is only four
ucnlhs OF / per cent.
Il am working In charge of the
Feather river (California) improve
ments. which present unusual engineer
Ing difficulties. We follow the SaCra-
mento valley from Oroville, and the
north fork OF the Feather, and go
thence through the divide to the mid
die fork OF the Feather and then
through Beckwlth pass.
"Of course, | can tell nothing OF what
Is being done on this end only l know
we are laying track every day, and
that we would lay more here and at
other points, only we have not the men.
Material is at hand, and we can obtain
all we need on call, but labor is scarce.
Scarcity of Labor.
There is a great scarcity OF labor
all over the land, and no man arises
TO point out remedy. The crops In
all sections are away above the nor
NAL and 1t is the dread OF the great
frul. districts of California Oregon
and Washington that thousands of
tons must rot on the trees for lack OF
hands TO care for It,
This problem is universal through
out all parts of the country, The Mid
die West, especially. feels 1t, and the
South is beginning TO learn that the ne
gro Is not all the laborer 1t needs.
1T is true that the Japanese relieve
the situation somewhat, as, for in
stance. in the case OF the Southern
Pacific, which road employs them on
all Its lines as section men. This
leaves a considerable number of white
men for other work. But it is not a
dgop in the great bucket OF need, and L
fea- we shall never solve this problem
Till We first solve the tramp problem.
People Arc to Blame.
The people Of this country have
themselves to blame for present con-
ditlons. II men and women would
unite on q determined plan to drive
tramps away and force them TO work.
we could soon solve the problem OF
how and where TO get laborers. Our
national sympathies have reared up a
cruel thing in trampdom and now We
as a nation. are paying for our folly.
"All over the pleasant and cool Pa
cif1c coast are thousands OF men today
who will exc out a vagabond existence
TIL the winter comes. and then be-
cause they must we shall have abun-
dance OF laborers. In the meantime
these men Will work day and idle ten
days, and our and other great under
takings must wait practically on the
vagarles of a tramp for help to give
them form. Even in California. where
so many thousands spend this season,
the farmers cannot get men enough to
pick their hops and fruit. Whole sec
tions are even now crying for labor,
and no men TO be had for love or
money.
This situation Is made all the more
acute by much railroad building all
over the Northwest. and the unusually
heavy demand for men in all the lum-
bering industries.
eff we could Kill the tramp epidemic
by drastic vagrancy laws and turn that
great body Of men to work, we could
hope for help. In the meantime We
must do what we can"