Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1911-10-05
Ask Cooperation of Sheriffs.

w. j.. Mcconnell, federal immi-
grant inspector for the states of Idaho,
Washington, Oregon and Montana,
has addressed letter to every county
sheriff in Idaho to find out through
this means whether or not there are
any aliens employed in their respec-
tive counties in violation of the alien
contract labor laws. The letter in
full follows:
Moscow, Ida, Sept. 26, 1911.
Dear Sir: / write to ask if you
will kindly inform me as to the kind
Of labor employed on railroad con-
struction work in your county.
Whether any are employed who can
not speak our language and whether
you know if they have an agent in
any of the eastern states, who may
have sent them here, and to whom
they remit their earnings.
| desire this information with the
view of making thorough investiga.
tion of the subject, to ascertain if
possible, whether there may be anon :
them any who are here in violation
Of the the alien contract labor laws.
The department of commerce and
labor is using every possible effort to
suppress the importation Of contract
labor and in that effort we ask the
cooperation of all good citizens, es-
pecially officers like yourself.
The country is being flooded with
aliens who come here to take places
on nearly all Of our public works,
greatly to the disadvantage of our
own laboring people. Since they es-
tablish standard Of wages such as
precludes the competition of self-re-
specting Americans; thus the money
paid for labor on many Of our large
enterprises is, at once, sent to some
foreign country.
1t is urged in extenuation of such
employment, that sufficient labor can
not be secured in this country
which is not true.
Greeks, Italians and Austrians do
not, as a general rule, come here of
their own volition, and scatter over
the country seeking employment.
They are brought, or sent here, in the
interest Of contractors and employment
agents who, if they desired, could Sc
cure the same number of American
laborers by exercising even less effort
in our own country. But the Ameri-
can laborer is not "human chattel, :"
such as are the al.aas employed. They
will not surrender a share of their
earnings to employment agents who,
under the present system, are SO con-
tinually in evidence.
Each succeeding year thousands Of
young men throughout our country,
having arrived at the years of man
hood, must leave the paternal home
and enter the fields of labor to lay the
foundation of their future lives. They
can no longer Go West. The west
has been subdued- reclaimed. There
is but little public lands remaining tc
be located under the land laws-soor
there will be none. Hence the young
men, to whom | refer, who go forth
from year to year, TO do for them
selves, must, most of them, make theil
start by the labor Of their hands.
So, with these conditions in view
the department of commerce and labol
is doing its best under the law, tt
preserve the field of labor for our owl
people, and those who come here t.
make homes.
But the department is powerless t,
accomplish the best results withou
the aid of such officers as yourself
together with our citizens generally.
Therefore | impose this long lette
upon you, and ask for your coopera
tion, which can be rendered by givin
me such information as you ma
possess or acquire, relating to thi
subject. Sincerely yours,
w. J. Mcconnell,
Immigrant Inspector, Section 2