The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1910-04-10
Railroad Builders Fear Ne
cesSity of Giving Up
Contracts.
EXODUS TO CANADA
SAID TO BE A CAUSE
Panama Canal Also Has Drawn
MANY WOTkmen From
United States.

NEW YORK. April s.-ScsrCity Of IN
skilled labor through the United States
has resolved itself into a problem so
serious that railroad builders and big
contractors especially IN the middle
West, are facing the necessity Of throw
-ng I'D their contracts OF securing an
extension of time IN which to complete
their. work
Never before. railroad builders and
contractors say. has unsHilled labor Ueen
so hard to get in the middle and far
Western states European immigration,
usually depended upon TO furnish this
kind OF labor, is insufficient
The greatest amount of railroad build
ing and construction work is done IN the
summer months Already the scarcity
% laborers is manifest and II is feared
there viii be a serious labor famine dur
ing the coming hot months.
Canada TO Blame.
Canada's untIring efforts 10 get Ameri-
ca farmers to homestead in the Do
nnjnion is looked upon as a contributing
cause Of the labor famine. In the past
few years no less than $1,000 Americans
have moved 20 Canada. 10 take posses
sion OF splendid firms These families
Vent IN most instances from farms in
the middle and far West To take their
places, unskilIed IabOreTs have been re-
cruited as farm hands. A foreign Ia
bOrer cannot do the work-snd viii not
CO the work-of an American farm hand
For $4,000 American farm hands. IL re-
quired al least 5000 foreigners TO care
for the American farms The ma jOrity
Of these foreigners z ere taken from rail-
road construction camps irrigation prof
ects and building Industries where un-
skilled labor abounded- The result has
been the labor famine
The Paua ma canal too has drawn an
immense army OF UnskilIed IabOTers
from the United States for the Govern
ment works men only eight hours day
and pays better than the railroads
The panic Of 1907 had much 10 do with
the scarcity Of Unskilled labor Thou
sands Of Italians SiCilianS. Poles Hun
- aIlS- diiu olsNs, no 90 mos on IRE
excavation work. returned TO their ma
tive homes. for there vas no work for
them IN America in 1907 and 1g0S- -
Seeking Workmen
y. Q Mcdonald, OF Aurora. H. onf
Of the largest contractors for railroad
construction work IN the middle West
was recently in New York seeking
laborers- These foreign Iaborers are
usually employed through a .'padrone,'
who has from forty 70 fifty men under
his wing The -'psdrOne-- contracts for
the labor Of these men, draws their
money. and usually acts as foreman OF
The gang in which they work The
paGrone usually speaks EugliSh-the
Ia5orerS do not
While here Mcdonald complained that
ne had never. in his entire experience
had so much trouble securing men
Conditions are such today he said
that you cannot get labOrers for love
or money We are offering good wages
but we c-muOt get men In Wyoming
they are having s. and s258 a dav for
unSkiIled isbor that used to get 81 30 and
size ] am told that in North Carolina
The contractors are Literally man hunt
Ing. but they usually 60 home without
any game consider the situation veTy
critical Summer viii soon be here and
unless conditions change for the bette
the railroads viii not be bic 10 make
the Improvements they have planned