The Alaska sourdough. [volume] (Douglas, Alaska) 1911-1911, 1911-11-07


such defiance of humanity. When
coroner's jury censured the contracting
company for its carelessness, the coro-
ner pointed out that the toll OF the
dead and seriously injured was man
day. Stop and consider that.
In the very heart Of the greatest
American city, while throngs hurried
by above and did not know or care,
every twenty-four hours a man was
needlessly sacrificed.
And little good would it have done
the throng if it had stopped and op-
iected. Until last year there was. no
law that could reach the contractor
Even the police did not get record
Of the accidents. Without breaking
the law in any way, the company was
able to hide many of the deaths 1t
caused. For, under the rulings of the
Public Service Commission, if a man
is not killed instantly, or does not die
within three days, it is only necessary
to list him as "injured."
Nothing was ever done to stop the
slaughter at the Grand Central Station.
A more humane company later took ov-
er the job, but that was matter aside.
Even when the Erie cut had been turn
ed into shambles, no public notice
was taken, and the terrible state Of af-
fairs that existed there might never
have come to be known at all if one
day piece Of rock had not been blown
out Of the. cut and into house, where
it killed woman.
4@ AS long as the killing was confined
to wops, there was no interference, but
the death of some one not connected
with the work was another matter, and
there was a great hue and cry. The
district attorney made loud threats as
to what he was going to do; but after
all nothing effective was done. The
grand jury returned an indictment
against the company merely for main
tanning nuisance, the company finally
pleaded non vult-meaning that it did
not intend to do it-paid fine Of FIVE
hundred dollars, and the slaughter went
grimly on.
FL would seem as if it were some
body % business to put a stop to such
practices. Here is something which
may throw a little light on the sub
ject:
So many Italians were being killed
in. this country few years ago that
the Italian government instructed its
consuls to investigate. They soon
found that they were in for big m
dertaking, and built up about each Of
fee whole staff Of lawyers and clerks.
Their information come from news
items, fellow workmen, relatives in It.
ally, and, by special arrangement from
city and county records. In New York
the consul secured access to the police
blotters, and had occasion to eercise
it constantly.
But one day police sergeant re-,
fused the privilege to an agent Of the
consulate, explaining that the city wasi
involved. This hardly seemed possible,
I as~the man in question had been killed
in the construction of the hundred mill
lion dollar Pennsylvania station. The
concern doing the work was named the
New York Contracting company, Pen
nylvania Terminal Nothing but it's
I well known political affiliations seemed
adequate to explain why public officials
did SO much to protect private inter,
ests. The record was finally produced,
!. but no satisfactory reason for having
at first refused it could be obtained.
I In the past few years we have been
1 kicked into slow, stupid conscious
ness Of. employers liabilities, but we
ssthave not thought Of the wops. Even
the Employers Liability Commission
~ Ii