The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1912-09-20

Before the Central Labor Council of
Bellingham a short time ago Secretary
Charles Perry Taylor of the WASHINGTON
State Federation of Labor delivered an
interesting address upon the problems
that will confront the people of the Pa
cific coast Immediately upon the open
ing of the Panama canal to passenger
traffic in 1915. The speaker pointed out
the present social and industrial condi-
tons on this coast as compared with
like conditions in Eastern and Atlantic
coast states, saying an influx of immi-
grafton from Southern Europe the like
of which had never before been known
in this section might be expected within
a few years after the opening of the
canal. MIR. Taylor spoke in part as fol-
lows:
Every wage worker-indeed, every
citizen-should give the utmost heed to
the problems that will arise when an in
flux of immigration from Southern Eu-
rope shall come to our coast states short
ly after the Panama canal has been
opened to traffic in 1915 The con
struction of the canal as is well known.
is the greatest single public achieve
ment of modern times. 1t is monu-
ment to the enterprise, sagacity and skill
of the American people. II has demon
strated that government construction of
great public utilities is not only feasible.
but successful far beyond private man
agement Visitors to the canal zone,
who have witnessed the labor conditions
tell most interesting stories of the esprit
de corps among the canal employees.
Everywhere one hears an expression of
patriotic pride among the workmen, each
laborer or mechanic taking a personal
pride in the work, and alluding to the
great construction as "our work, when
we have finished building the canal" !"
etc Efficiency, say the tourists and in
vestigators, is far higher than the priv
INAAN'
of the United States proper, for the
equatorial climate of the canal zone
would lead most persons to conclude that
the degree of efficiency of the workers
would be a low grade; but, thanks to
the humane conditions existing on the
governments canal construction, and to
the encouragement which is given to the
mechanics and laborers to organize into
unions, to engage in social pleasures,
there is feeling of interest, of pride, of
Ownership in the canal as a public prop
erty, which makes every worker feel
that his own personal honor is at stake
in the successful completion of the work.
But it is not to the achievement of
our country in the construction of the
canal that | wish at this time to direct
your attention, but rather to the condi-
ions we may expect on this coast after
the influx of immigration from South
ern Europe begins. Eminent immigra-
ton, political and magazine authorities,
people in touch with the trend of great
public activities, people who ought to
know, have estimated that within five
years after the canal has been opened
we shall have in California, Oregon and
Washington an influx of immigration
numbering from five to twenty millions
of people. Suppose we accept the lowest
estimate as most conservative and prob
ably most accurate. Five millions of
population in the three Pacific coast
states within five years time, added to
the present population, will be sudden
and a serious addition. Then let us con-
slider the kind of immigration we may
expect. All over the southern countries
of Europe have been spread literature
and advertising matter, circulated by the
transportation companies operating
steamships in the foreign passenger
trade, describing to the people of these
countries the Pacific coast states as a
land flowing with milk and honey, a
veritable Eldorado of the days of '49.
This lurid advertising matter, booster
literature, will meet the eyes of thou
sands and millions who have longed for
wears to come to America for greater re-
ligious, industrial and social freedom
The passage rate is TO be but $35, nat
urally they will come. There is no de
nying that, We may as well expect this
increase in population, for it will be
here. For number of years last past
we have been receiving greater numbers
of immigrants from Southern European
nations than from the north of Europe
Ten or twenty years ago the reverse was
true. But the immigration now pre-
ponderating is that from Italy, Greece,
Southwestern Russia, Turkey, Croatia,
Asia Minor and countries thereabouts.
Northern European immigration has de
creased, and Southern European immi-
grafton has increased.
"Ths immigration has been in the
past few years composed of the people
of the poorer classes of Europe, with
small capital, IL any, with meagre edu
cation, with, in too many instances, an
inborn hatred of governmental authority
of any character, due to their unfortun-