Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1912-04-08
CANNERY LIFE IS
LIKE that OF
BEASTS
Bloody Riot in San Francisco
Follows Attempt to
Ship Men.

Like that of dumb driven beasts is
the life Of the men who go to the
Alaska canneries.
This is well known. but II was cspc-
Cially brought to notice in san Fran
cisco recently. when bloody row
broke out In connection with the ship
mcnt Of men from that port to work
In the Canncrics. The Chronicle tells
the story Of II rs follows:
A thrilling frce-f or-all fight, sup
pressed only with difficulty by the po-
lice reserves after clubs were freely
used. and which resulted In three men
visiting the Harbor Hospital to have
scalp wounds dressed took place at
noon yesterday at Pier 81, in ihe China
Basin. when men Of the Alaska Salmon
Packers Union. dissatisfied at the CON
ditions of food and pay ON the vessels
of the Alaska Packers Association and
ut the Northern Canncries. picketed the
| dock where the ship star of Russia
was loading for her trip to Alaska, and
got In running fight with men whom
Chinese contractors had substituted
for those who declined to go north to
the cannories unless assured of better
| food ana more pay.
The Latin fish canncry workers are
striking to have their wages raised
from $3.50 to $500 for season of six
months work. They also want the
packers to do away with Chinese
| bosses, to furnish them with better
food and to prevent the contractors
from getting such Il large percentage
Of their earnings In the frozen north
Under the present contract system, the
strikers claim. the average man re-
turns from six months season in
the Alaska cannerles with from 81 to
SIS In his pockets.
The battle was distinctly interna-
tiunHl. both bcligerent parties being
| composed Of FilipinOs. japanese. chi
ncsc and even a sprinkling of Greeks
stories of how the battle started diff
fer At any rate. one thing is clear
and that Is that two or three wagon
loads of Oricntals were being taken to
the Star of Russia, when pickets from
the dissatisfied packers union impor-
tuned them not to go aboard the YES
sci
officials of the union say that a sub
| contractor In charge of the strike
breakers started the trouble by draw
ing a revolver. and that at this exact
moment bricks began to lily. Police Of
| iicers who were present when the
| muss happened say. however. that the
J strikers did the attacking and started
the rock throwing No matter how
! that may he. certain II Is that James
Ilnularn al no
vid and A. Dclldsantos, the latter cOu-
pie living In Oakland. found II ncccs-
sary to visit the hospital for repairs.
\ couple of Oricntals were arrested by
the police.
II. LevCridgc, president of the Alaska
Salmon Packers Union, Immediately
after the fight urged the men to stand
pat on their grievance and not go
north until assured of better sanitary
arrangements ON the boats and getting
II down in black and white that whole
some food should be given them and
more pay.
Leveridge alleges that the pay at the
cannorics Is so poor and the cost of
living so high that In most years the
men who have worked In the north for
months return to San Francisco not
much better off financially than they
We're before they went to work. The
claim Is made that the contractors who
control the food supply bull" the mar
ket and take all the profits of the
workers.
The star of Russia will sail tomor-
row, and until II does clear port cor
don of police will he constantly on the
ships dock to prevent any repetition
OF the occurrence of yesterday.