The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1912-01-18
men BRAVE SEVERE iiARDsHIpS
Some Of the Ice Companies Seem I'm
able to Provide Proper Care for Men
Working in Below Zero Temperature
and Men Are Said to Be Suffering


past few years to observe the treat
nlcnt accorded ice harvesting gangs
are strongly in favor of some kind OF
state supervision which shall see to ii
that these men are properly housed
and fed while working at ice camps
1t is alleged that many companies
deliberately plan to reduce the cost OF
| ice cutting,N by under-feeding and i'm
properly housing the gangs of men
taken to the ice fields. \
These men are hired on the basis OF
SO much per day, this figure to include
board and lodging, in most cases their
transportation being advanced by the
company. AS rule they are out OF
employment, and it is an easy matter
to convince them that there is a veri.
table haven of health and plenty
awaiting them at the end of their
journey.
Such companies, however, fail to ex-
plain that no wages will actually be
paid until the end of the cutting sea
son. Once on the job the men are
practically at the mercy Of the com,
pany employing them. They seldom
have enough money to purchase re-
turn ticket, so that they are obliged
to stay until the company sees fit to
release them, even though they are not
given more than half enough to eat
Many Of the sleeping quarters provid.
ed for the ice cutters, it is said, are
so fimsy that they afford almost nc
protection from the cold; and meals
are served along the same lines
Men applying for money with which
to purchase necessary clothes, are Civ
en- an order on the company store
which enumerates the articles to be
dispensed and in this way the men are
unable to secure cent of actual
cash.
Most. Of these ice camps are reached
by railroad, but the dead Of winter is
a poor time to contemplate riding the
bumpers Of freight ear. Many OF
the men who would gladly start out
afoot, find themselves blocked by their
inability to secure necessary provisions
for the trip.
With insufficient clothing, and no way
of securing provisions, the average
man shrinks from fifty-mile tramp
through the woods, with the ther.
mometer lowering around ten below.
And so year after year these ice
companies are allowed to continue fill
ing their mammoth warehouses by the
use of labor which is no less than
slavery. For the sake Of few paltry
dollars, they under-feed their men
house them in quarters which are nc
better than sheds, and smilingly &C.
cept the coercion afforded by weather
conditions, to keep their gangs cor.
raled.
| A healthy man suffers no inconve
fence from working on the ice, any
more than he does on hundreds OF
other outside jobs during the cold
weather, provided he has enough to
eat and a place where he can SLEEP
in comfort. But to endure the grip
ping cold of the wind swept lake, Oh
an empty stomach, is quite another
thing.
| According to the statements Of in
dividuals who are agitating reform
these ice companies are in many cases
imposing hardships on their men which
result in frozen limbs, while a large
number Of pneumonia cases are direct
| ~ traceable to colds contracted in
night quarters.
Who is to blame for this state OF
affairs, in free country? Surely not
the laborers who suffer from the de
ception practiced upon them at Che
time they are hired. The ice com
panies operating on this basis, it is
said, purposely secure men out of EN-
ployment, and who, in all probability
will not have money enough to leave
camp, once they are there. An Offer
of couple of dollars day, with board
and, lodging, naturally appeals to this
class and by the time they discover
the meaning Of that phrase, "boaro
and Lodging they are miles from
home, with no money and no way OF
even providing for a tramp back tx
civilization.
This IS by no means true OF all lct
cutting establishments and if the mat
| ter were under the supervision OF one
OF more state inspectors, it could very
easily be done away with. Many com
panies are conscientiously living uf
to the agreement made with their men
having provided comfortable, and II
some cases luxurious accommodations
including reading and smoking rooms
steam heat throughout, etc. Luxury
is not essential, but a certain degree
of comfort is absolutely necessary t.