East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current, 1906-04-05
ARMY OF LAB0RERS
RAILROAD WORK DE-
MANDs $4,000 MEN.
Impossible to Meet the Demand for
Labor-Idle Men Brought From
Chicago by Trainloads to the North
west-Immense Railroad Building
Projects VIII Distribute Millions in
Wages.

The vanguard of what is to soon be-
come a great army of men have COM
menced migration to Oregon and
Washington to enter railroad service
as laborers in the construction of the
thousands of miles of new railroads
to be huilt in these states during the
next two or three years.
From the best estimates obtalnable
there are today fully 10000 men em-
ployed in railroad construction in the
two states. This number Is divided
between the Northern Pacific's north
bank road, whic gives employment to
nearly 5000 men; the Canadian Paci-
fics extension to Spokane, the Hill
line being built into British Column
bia, the North Yakima e. Valley line,
which is supposed to be Hill enter
prise, and various smaller extensions
and interurban trolley lines including
the Joseph extension of the o. X. &
N. The Sanders electric line, which
Is being constructed between Seattle
and Everett as rapidly as possible. has
been trying to secure 700 additional
men to place on the construction Of
the road.
When to this number is added the
brigades that will be called into SER
vice to build the Milwaukee through
to the sound and to take the Union
Pacific up from Portland, allowing a
possible addition for the North Coast
and for the trolley projects certain to
be carried out in the vicinity of Port
land, together with the Riparia ex-
tension of the Northern Pacific, It is
found that the railroads are face to
face with the problem of giving en-
ployment to an army of at least u.s.
600 and perhaps 10000 laborers.
These figures. casually spoken, may
not seem significant to some persons,
but analysis Of the proposition gives
figures that seem astonishing. At 81
per day for the wages of each man,
the payroll of this army will amount
to sl,500,000 per month, or SIS, ,O00.-
900 in a year.
However. unless the railroads seek
high and low throughout the country
workmen's wages will not remain al
so low figure. Should the men sue
coed in getting an additional so cents
per day 1t will mean s425,Oo0 monthly
added to the payroll.
The effect of the employment OF
this vast multitude within the boun.
daries of Oregon and Washington
will be far reaching. 1t will affect
the wages OF labor throughout the
central west as we'll as the northwest
The railroads will be placed In com.
petition with other lines of industry
with the services of the day laborei
as the stake. for II is nearly impossi.
BILE to suppose that there will ever be
more than enough laborers to supply
the demand.
This fact is illustrated by the diff.
ficulty met by all western roads In
construction work, their most diff
cult problem being to secure enough
men to keep the work advancing dur.
ing all seasons of the year.
Men who are arriving in Portland
and Tacoma now have been attracted
west by the advertisement of tn,
Northern Pacific for work on the
north bank linz being built along tn,
Columbia river. st. Louis and Chica
go have been principal recruiting
points for this work.
First points nearer home were trieC
but the supply of idle men who de
sired to work in the northwest at at
tractive wages soon dwindled until /
became so small that the railroads
had to search for men farther east.