The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1909-07-22
SHAMELESS
TYRANNY
A SouIIess Corporation
BulIies Their Foreign
Workmen

good map and still not find the town of
McC loud Until recently, few people
knew of its existence. If it had re-
manned forever in obscurity it would
have been better than its sudden leap
into unsavory fame.
1t is lumber town and plunder
town. The McCloud Lumber company
is one of those soulless corporations
whose unlimited greed always breeds
trouble. President McQueale of the
concern is a most conspicuous candi-
date for such honor as the presiding
officer of Lucifer's parlor bestows upon
his faithful henchmen. 1t is labor
crushers like he that makes the worm
turn in desperation, and when the
specters he has conured arise, the yell
low coward hollers: Help! Riot I!
They are after mel" When he discov-
ers that his employees unmber |, ., 3,
and so forth are real human beings and
not merely brass tags, he is scared out
of his wits by his own evil conscience,
it takes an army of soldiers, deputy
sherriffs, detectives, private watchmen,
Pinkerton thugs or other men of the
same miserable tribe, to quiet his
nerves.
The McCloud Lumber company owns
every foot of ground up there. 1t pays
most of its employees, the majority Of
whom are hard working Italians, the
magnificent sum of Sl.75 day. Those
men, who by dint of much selfsacrifice,
manage to scrape enough money to-
gether to buy few boards, are allowed
to build themselves little shacks on
some land that the company cannot
use
The company finds this more econom-
zeal than to erect barracks for their men
at their own expense; besides it gives
the company the opportunity to pose in
the philanthropic role of furnishing free
land to their employees. incidentally
the improvements remain the companys'
property-by law.
One would think that man with the
very modest income of $l.75 a day
might be allowed to spend it in the open
market as advantageously as he could.
Not so under the beneficient paternal
regime of this company. If there is
any numbering us-plundering
to be done in that town the company
sees to it that no crude mercinary out
slider does it. Nay, nay-the benevo-
lent assimilation of the workingman' 5
money is accomplished through the slick
working medium of the company store.
Through this invention of the devil
the poor dub who works for a living, is
skinned in the kindliest, most scientific,
and above all, in an absolutely noiSlrss
manner. The McCloud company, fear
ing that some of the men might amuse
themselves by spending a few pennies
in vulgar beer drinking on hot sum
mer night, furnishes the men with all
the necessities of life, always seeing to
it that they get the cheapest goods at
the steepest price.
To further prevent any stray pennies
from finding their way into their mems
pockets a little army of petty time
keepers, foremen and straw bosses make
them pony up" for the privilege of
holding their jobs.
When organized men leave their work
and face the misery and starvation that
a strike entails, they generally have a
Just grievance. When unorganized
men. as in this case, do the same thing,
YOU can bet your bottom dollar that the
situation has reached Il point where the
men feel they might as we'll loaf and
starve as work and starve.
Those impudent foreigners-they ac.
tually struck. They wanted an in
crease in wages aud the abolition of the
company store.
Pres. McQueale went into Mysteries
at the arrogance of these foreigners try
inc to interfere with the company s
business The whole procedure was
most un American. Why, so he asserts,
the so-called Americans had already got
ten their cut months before and took
il like good fellows. 1t so happens
that his so-called Americans consist OF
half dozen different nationalities, who
led by race prejudice, skillfully foster
ed by the company, to remain apart.
All accounts agree that there were
no disturbances whatever of the peace
in McCloud until Governor Gillett
chief lieutenant for the Southern Pacif-
ic, needing as he always does, the fran
tic appeal OF poorfriendless corpora
tion. rushed nobly to the McCloud com
pany's assistance with an adjutant gen
eral. a colonel, an assortment of cap
tains and lieutenants, and SEQ heroes OF
the national guard. Fifteen minutes
after the arrival of these heroes the
first blood was shed. Gangs OF for
eigners were guilty of the terrible crime
of following the heroes to the town
whether they were attracted by the brass
buttons or the martial bearing of tn,
regiment is unknown. Sufficient tC