The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1914-02-20
Use IMPROVEMENTS
T0C0MBAT WV.
Must Prevent Poor Working Condi-
lions Where Organization At
tempts To Get Firm Hold.
DESTITUTE PEOPLE sYMPATH1zE
Things Must Be Rotten to Bring
Crowd Along" Says Leader of In
ternational Workers OF World

From Congressman C. H. Tayenner
Washington, February 2O.-The
first report of the New Industrial
Relations Commission is also the
first recognition of the existence OF
the Industrial Workers Of the World
In any government report. The re-
port in fact, is partial study OF
the /. w. W.-how it spreads its pro.
paganda, why it can exist, what can
be done to stop it. The conclusion
Is that the organization of violence
thrives best where wretched indus
trial conditions exist, and to stop
It's spread there must be a cleaning
up of housing and wage conditions.
1--WE can't agitate in this country
unless things are rotten enough to
bring the crowd along" one I. w.
w. leader is quoted as saying.
''The solidarity of the I. w. w. is
almost fatally underestimated," is
the conclusion of the report.
A study was made of the I. w. w.
strike in a California hop field.
There was riot and four were killed
including the district attorney and a
deputy sheriff.
"The questions of what persons
were guilty of the murder seems, in
comparison with the deeper social
economic responsibility of insignifi-
cant Importance" says the Commits
sion.
A California rancher owns a big
hop field: ''In answer to wide
spread advertisements" says the
Commissions Investigator, "about
5000 people arrived on the ranch
within four days. The owner made
no effort to reduce the campers in
numbers to correspond to the force
needed. AIT last half the campers
were absolutely destitute, and those
who worked were forced to cash i'll
their checks each evening to feed
tent companions. Tents were rent
ed from the employer at Is cents per
week. One group Of IS men, women
and children slept packed closely On
a single pile of straw.
''The heat was oppressive. There
was no attempt to take care of dirty
water or garbage. Between 100 and
200 children would be taken into
the fields at dawn. BY noon, I'M
der the hot sun beating down on the
still air held between the rows of
vines, their condition was pitiable. !"
This was IA fertile field for I. w.
propaganda. The leaders arrived
principally one "Blackie" Ford, "to
start something" as he put in.
There was a strike. When the posse
arrived the crowd was singing ''Mr.
Block" an I. w. w. song Ford had
held up sick baby and cried: cit
is for the kids we are doing this -
The posse acted hastily. The
sheriff plunged in for Ford. The
officer was knocked down and kicked
senseless by Infatuated men. 4 de-
putty fired a shot into the air. Then
the killing began. When the smoke
cleared away, four were dead, many
wounded, and the posse had fed.
The state militia came next morn
ing. -I
"The entire affair."" says the re-
port, "seems a miserable, useless
bloodshed, and any participants
guilt is surrounded by so much
psychological justification for his
act that it is hopeless of standard
ization.""
Therefore, the Commission recon-
mends an improvement of working
conditions as the best way to com.
bat the organizations of destruction