The San Francisco call., 1908-08-09

ton. Another vital point is that no
become a public charge. The inspec-
tion force is large and competent and
present a picture Of the United States
government inspection buildings and
offices and officers at Ell Paso with
Francis j. Heney driving slaves, sell
ing labor and bringing poems into the
United States to sweat and suffer on
the deserts of Arizona" 1t would be
convincing proof as to why The was not
sickened by the brutality of the barter
ing of human bodies nor disgusted by
the breaking of the laws of his native
land"
MEXICANS DESIRABLE
Some two months or so after l re-
ceiyed the labor contract in 1906 a
move was made at Ell PaSo to shut
of the laboring class. One of the pro-
visions arbitrarily enforced was that
no Mexican could cross the border un-
less he had at least $40 in gold on his
Mexican laborer with $50 in his pocket
in Mexico is banker. This action
soon demoralized the labor situation on
all the railroads running into Ell Paso.
The track work could not be kept up.
During the early summer of 1906 con-
dluonS became serious. In May they
We're critical. slow orders were neces-
sary. This, of course, affected freight
deliveries. Tucson merchants Joined in
telegram to Washington. A neglected
roadbed and track menaceS human life.
liveries of supplies. Commissioner of
immigration Sargent was appealed to.
He sent out special investigators.
Learning that Secretary Metcalf was
going to San Francisco as the repre-
sentative of President Roosevelt to
view and report on the earthquake and
fire calamity, FASTENED up to Oakland
and was granted an interview. l stated
the general railroad track labor condi-
tions in the southwest. / pointed out
the vital necessity of Mexican labor
for the construction and maintenance of
railroad beds and tracks; that Amert-
can laborers would not do track work
on the road in southern New Mexico,
southern Arizona and southern Cali
fornia because of the extreme heat dur
ing i've or six months in the year, and
that the pay was not adequate for an
American laborer'S standard of living
that If Mexicans were not employed
the railroads would be compelled to
employ other foreign labor of a less
desirable class, such as coolies or Japs.
or the poorest classes 9f Greeks or
Italians; that the Mexieans were not
clannish, quarrelsome or immoral, had
no anarchists among them and respect
ed the laws, We're steady and thrifty
IN a measure and were inclined TO
marry and enjoy peaceably home life,
as they were naturally cheerful. fond
or music, dancing and other peaceful
sports 1t was not theory presenting
AlSCIl--ll W DIS d CONDITION. i Was asked
at FL Paso If I did not think the rail-
roads could get American laborers If
they paid white mans price" Per-
sonally, with knowledge of the work
and the climate, / did not so think.
In great manual construction enter
prises the world utilizes unskilled
laborers. or, to be more accurate, 1t
uses the least skilled laborers, for
even Hottentot, who can climb trees
and throw down cocoanuts has some
Skill What else shall be done with
:
alive but who have no profession, no
trade, no business, no education?
MUST LABOR OR DIE
They must labor or die. On their
rough foundation work civilization
greatly depends. If the railroad beds
and tracks of the southwest are not
Kept up by common hand laborers we
American labor suffer. Idleness will
prevail in the car shops, the machine
shops, the roundhouses with the train
crews, the office forces, etc. The ques-
ton reaches to the heart of political
economy or socialism. 1t has been
thrashed out repeatedly. At the time !
speak the commissioner of immigra ton
Mr. Sargent, was an ex-railroadman
from Arizona and he was perfectly IA
miliar with conditions and knew that
skilled American labor had full COM
pTehenSion of the problems In railroad
building throughout the country, and
that the complaints did not come from
them. but from anarchists, unbalanced
socialists and selfish demagogues like
Hearst.
Secretary Metcalf showed he had q
wide and accurate knowledge of labor
conditions generally, but he expressed
great interest in the details L sub
mitted respecting the Mexican hand
labor classes seeking admission and
work in the United States. AS he was
about to leave for Washington he re-
quested me to forward Immediately in
writing my arguments and facts SC
| that he might have them on hiso ar
rival there. did so. Special in
spectors were promptly sent out by
the government. The general facts and
conditions submitted were verified and
all restrictions affecting the entry OF
such Mexican laborers were removed
except the physical examination.
f. j. HENEY NOT INTERESTED
This all occurred after 1 received the
contract. Francis ]. Heney did not &c
to Washington on the subject. though