The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1909-09-10
NOP'EONACF HERE
coNcENsUs OF OPINION IS THAT
JOHN CLIFTON ELDER MADE
WRONG GUESS.
makes DAKOTANS SMILE
Northwestern Atmosphere InstiIls Lib.
crty, Vigor and General Demand
for Good, Square
Deal.

Fargo-1s peonage practiced in
North Dakota?
That is thee question now being
considered in certain official circles.
though the possibility of such a
question had not occurred to resi-.
dents of the state until a few DAYS
age.
Peonage in, North Dakota?
John Clifton Elder says yes. Seve-
raj hundred North Dakota residents
cay no.
1t all happens this way: John
Clifton is a representative of the
United States immigration commits
sion, to which commission some one
somewhere has evidently made
holler" regarding labor conditions in
the United States. Naturally and
rightly, the labor commission has
sent a esentative-which is Mr..
Elder-through some thirty odd
states to see and report.
And Mr.. Elder finds peonage, or
conditions approaching it, particu-
larly in the handling of transients
harvest help in North Dakota, and
the northwest states and in the
treatment of lumber Jacks" in the
| Minnesota logging camps.
A perusal of Mr.. Elders recent in
terview with a local daily makes
North Dakotans smile. At least
that was the universal respon~e to
it when the subject was opened with
dozen or so of leading citizens
by representative of the press since
the Elder interview was made pub
lie.
Specifically, Mr.. Elder charges le-
| gal restraint, intimidation and i'm
prisonment as being used to compel
labor or the return of funds advanc-
ed by employment agencies to pay
4 transportation of workmen to points
/ in the state where working contracts
are secured. Further, he charges
these conditions as being at their
worst in this state in the vicinities
Of Devils Lake, Lakota and Churchs
Ferry.
A local employment agent was
. interviewed here and asked the fol-
lowing questions, to which his re-
plies may be said to represent usual
conditions as they exist in the state:
do you advance fares to men
engaged for work at different points
thr0,,uh thu ctr
"No."
s'Have you ever made a practice
Of doing so?"
EYES,"
"Why DISCONTINUED"
Because large class Of SOCIAL
ed working men habitually used this
method to get free fare across the
state, with no effort or intention to
till their contracts for work"
do men applying to you for con-
tracts solicit the advance of railorad
fare to places of work?'
eyes, constantly, and in many
rases directly ask if cit will do any
harm" if they stop off at some other
Town instead of going to work.
do not railroad contractors and
others prepay fares?"
| 'No; some of them give passes,
and no one has ever been arrested,
threatened or detained for jumping
contracts on account of advances OF
this kind"
What do you know regarding
conditions surrounding farm labor
IN this state?"
"They are usually OF the best.
Reputable working men so report
Them in nearly all cases. We come
20 know the kickers' in little
while, and nearly all kickers are
aabitually so, Directing impartially
70 all places alike. Things would
De very much better if all laborers'
net the farmers half way"
''What do you know regarding
conditions about Churchs Ferry, La
kota and Devils Lake,"
"Only that they are paying among
the highest wages for help of any
cart of the state.''
This is a pretty fair synopsis of
the facts as they actually exist. A
congressional investigation aimed at
North Dakota's "peonage" system
would find freedom pretty we'll
stamped on the conduct and ideals
Of the transient help class and no
less in the minds of others, with
| slight admixture of interest in the
general rules of fair play No one
who has breathed North Dakota air
n fortnight can conceive OF peonage
rs being practiced here.
GLEN uLLiN BANK WILL PAY.