Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1914-03-11

popular foreman, and after the strike
had started Mr.. Piene retained his
foreman and engaged new workmen,
unorganized strikebreakers This led
to blockading and rioting, during
which one of the strikebreakers in
self-defense shot and killed a striker.
The mill was then boycotted and the
trouble reached q state where the Or
ganfzation of the employers and fac.
tory owners took a hand in the pro-
ceedings. A lockout was threatened
II the organized workmen did not
raise the blockade against Piene's
mill, and as the threat had no effect
a local lockout was put into effect
and the national organization of en-
all over the country which involved
more than 10000 workmen. The daily
loss, of wages and profits was calcu-
lated to amount to more than 1,000,-
900 crowns, which, for Norway, would
be equal to national calamity.
Counter strikes were also threatened
by the labor organizations. when the
government appealed to Thomas
Heftye, the director of telegraphs and
telephones, to attempt to arbitrate
between the warning factions. Mr..
Heftye accepted the commission and
Immediately went at the question in
a practical way. He travelled to Bu-
vixen, Intercepted the striking work.
men as we'll as the millowner and his
people, and in this way gained a thor
ough knowledge of the whole ques-
ton. Upon his return to Christiania
a few days later he called together the
representatives of the employers and
the workingmen's national organiza-
tons and after prolonged session he
announced that the terms had been
agreed upon which would undoubtedly
be accepted by both parties. The big
lockout which was to have gone into
effect will thereby be avoided and the
greatest industrial conflict in Nor.
ways history peacefully solved.
!. + j.
"The Viking Expedition of the Nine
teenth Century" is the title of q
treatise written by United States Sen
ator Knute Nelson for the Minnesota
department at the Centennial exposi.
ton In Christiania, Norway, next sum-
mer. Kleng Peerson, leader of the
first Norwegian emigration to Amer.
lea, and Ole Rynning, his co-worker.
are extolled as heroes by Senator Mel
son, who nkens Peerson to Rollo,
whose bands of Vikings settled Nor
mandy, and to generations later as
the Normans conquered England.
Peerson was sent as scout to Amer
lea in 1921 by company of Quakers
in Stavanger, though Peerson was not
| Quaker. He remained three years,
then returned and got up the expedi-
ton known as the "sloop party"
which sailed July 4, 1925. from Sta.
vanger in the sloop Restaurationen.
This party settled first at Kendall, N.
", on Lake Ontario, but found this
location unsuitable. and Pearson start.
ed on foot to find another. He walked
1000 miles. traversing Illinois and
Michigan, and finally picking out the
location In the Fox River valley, La
Sale county. ILL.,. where the first Nor
wegian colony In the United States
made It's permanent location. Rynning
gave great service in putting the new
colony on its feet. Through it came
later It'd of emigration which did
much to develop and people the North
west. Observation-Disclosures ought
to erect statue somewhere in the
Fox River district to Pearson and Ryn-
ning,' says Senator Nelson, Ito COM
memorate heir services and heroism
in the cause of emigration, for they
are our real heroes and We have been
their beneficiaries.
i. i. +
That at least one Norwegian con-
ference is determined to understand
and, If possible, solve the language
problem is attested by the program
carried out in a conference held dur.
ing the third week in February At
the sessions, held in the Church of the
Saviour, Madison. Wis, the following
papers were presented and are record.
ed in these columns because they have
bearing on the rapid advancement
that the English language has been
making among the Lutheran Scandi.
navian people of the Northwest: "The
Rapid Transition to English Among