Omaha daily bee., 1911-12-07
HARDSHIPS OF CONTRACT LABOR
Families Forced to Do Work Scorned
by All Americans.
WOMEN AND CHILDREN SUFFER
Producer Asserts Fair Prices Not
Paid by Manufacturers.
TARIFF OF DOUBTFUL BENEFIT
James BOdISin of Meade, Colo, Says
Farmers Cannot Test Amount of
Sugar for Which They
should he Paid.

WASHINGTON Dec. 6.-Depicting con-
ditions in the sugar beet fields of Colo
rado approaching peonage, James Bodkin
of Meade, Colo, today told the sugar
trust investigating committee of the
house that city derelicts, recruited from
the slums, were kept practically in a
state OF bondage. His statement caused
a mild sensation.
Mr.. Bodldn described a system Of con-
tract labor in the Colorado fields and de-
tailed the hardships no charged were
inflicted upon working people recruited
by the Great Western Eutar componay.
He said that a man, his wife and sew
eral children, ranging from years up
ward, were put in from ten to sixteen
hours a day at back breaking work.
which an American would scorn to do.
With shrewd farm logic, Mr.. Bodkln
expressed his contempt for the "city
chaps who were sent by the sugar COM
pany to oversee its operations He also
criticised the newspapers in his section
of the country
The committee took great interest in
his description of the ''slum labor" Dem
ocrats, led by Representative Raker of
California, sought TO show by the wit
ness that the tariff protection levied in
the name of American labor did not
reach down to the Russians and Hindus
who worked in the Colorado beet fields.
The republicans, Representatives Ford
ney, Kinds and Malby, emphasized the
point that Americans would not descend
to the labor.
Woman Better Worker.
s'TI0vv much does a woman earn in the
field?'' asked Mr.. Kinds.
Il don't know" answered the witness.
'She is a better worker than the man
he is generally the boss-the woman and
children dothe work.
Mr.. Bodkin expressed the belief of the
committee of farmers, of which he is a
member. that the sugar company was not
paying fair price for beets. He said
his crop paid him about s676 ton, The
-nroflt on an acre was enaall,-las- iqaid.-AAs
had asked the sugar company for q dollar
more on the ton and was refused.
"If the tariff is OF any benefit the
sugar company gets It." said the witness.
Mr. Bodkin told the committee that the
farmers could not learn how much sugar
was in their beets. He cast doubt upon
the accuracy of the polaTiscopic tests
OF the sugar company, but acknowledged
he had no proof OF their inaccuracy.
Describes Trade in Denmark.
Before w. P. wnlett, New York sugar
expert, left the witness stand he described
the sugar trade of Denmark for the COM
mittee. He recommended the adoption
of the Danish system of internal taxa
ton and encouragement of the beet sugar
industry by the United States. He said
that if this were done sugar would be 1s
cents per pound cheaper in the United
States although the internal revenue rate
of taxation would be 40 cents per hum
dredweight This tax would yield $685.
100000 of revenue to the government,
which now raises $50. 1000 on the import
tax on sugar. He said answering Repre-
sentative Fordney, that he had not con-
sidered the cost Of labor and the method
of living I'm Denmark as compared with
the United States.
Mr.. Willett will be called later to de-
scribe the sugar trade in other countries.