Heppner gazette. [volume] (Heppner, Morrow County, Or.) 1892-1912, 1907-07-18
MANY WORKMEN.
Hill Brings Over 10000 West for
% Railroad work.
~ So .b.lf''
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w naC lb believed 10 nave De6l
the greatest immigration of it,
kind into the Pacific Northwes
has been accomplished by Jame'
j. Hill In bringing in workmen or
the Portland & Seattle Railway
construction from St. Paul and the
Eastern centers. Employment
agents estimate on a conservative
basis that 10000 workmen have
: been imported to this territory
since work on the North Bank road
was commenced.
This great movement has been
accomplished by offering free fare
to the Pacific Coast. The object
| of course was to fill the construction
camps along the Columbia, and
the only reason that the Hill lines
have kept the invitation standing
and so many have been brought
West is that the men desert after
working a time, changing to some
other line of industry. However,
many drift back to the railroad
work from time to time, and it is
estimated that between 1000 and
5000 are now at work throwing
dirt ON the North Bank railroad.
Before the close of the season
the management of the Portland &
Seattle expects to be doing much
better and to double practically
the construction forces, for Presi-
dent Elliott of the Northern Pa
cific is quoted as saying that he
expects to have $4,000 men en-
ployed on the work before long,
when as much earth will be moved
on the work as is being dug by the
forces engaged on the Panama
Canal.
Pacific Coast industries have
felt the effect of this great army of
men moved westward by the Hill
forces for construction purposes.
Probably there is not one of the
great manufacturing interests in
the Pacific Northwest that has not
been helped by finding the labor
market easier by the direct result
of this great immigration. These
men are largely Greeks. Austrians
and Bulgarians from Pittsburg,
Cincinnati, Chicago, St. Paul and
other Eastern centers. They are
all available for the heavier work
Of Pacific Coast industries.
Sawmills are better supplied
than last year at this time, the rail-
road camps of all companies have
/ large quota of men and the
harvest fields, which are now send |
ng fourth the annual Macedonian |
,ry, are not likely to face the
serious shortage Of labor that has
,een the case in former seasons. |
IN addition the wider use of com :
,ined harvesters, with which three |
n four men only ARE required to C
10 the work that formerly y required
hundred, promises to save the =
,rops of the interior without using
o many harvesting hands as here .
Ofore.
However, there is work in all
ines for all who want to Work, and
'ages were never 80 good. Rril-
Dad construction paws from $3.50 (
p for common labor; railroad 3
work pays from 81. rs 3
p; harvest hands get from 50 to 81 3
day between Portland and (
'endleton, while logging jobs are ;
} be had right now at from 1915 :
D $3.50. Z
The supply of labor is expected )
} fall off somewhat from now un- Z
i the middle Of September. This 3
, caused by the large number of :
Industries that clamor for men I
uring the Summer, when weather Z
are the most favorable (
II outdoor work. Harvest, fruit Z
licking and packing, hop culture :
nd curing, together with all kinds :
f outdoor work, demand an i'm :
tense army. {
There is very large amount of s
ty work just now, caused by the Z
,eat building activity and the :
arious contracting jobs about :
wn. Grading of new property, (
~, hr, J.nna afraot ro i1,ro., H.. }