The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-08-20
MAY ORGANIZE
AGAINST |. ". ".
IN GRAIN BELT
Murders and Other Crimes Fol-
low Influx Of Tramp Work
erS in Harvest Zones.

SIOUX CITY, Ia, Aug, l9.-State /
ana city officials OF the states COM
prSing the great American grain beI(
are considering the holding OF a con-
ference in the near future TO devise
methods OF coping with tho Industrial
Workers Of the World, Thousands oil
these migratory mondCants nave
thronged the middle West this year, |
creating reign of terror throughout
the rural communities and tnlimldat .
ing all who do not join their organl-
cation.
Several murders have resulted from
this influx Of vicious hoOOes; honest
workmen have been hara@ed at every
turn and towns and cities have been
ovorrun by tramps allied with the
|. w. w. organization and hundreds
of petty crimes committed, prcsuma-
bly, by these social outlaws,
Coming with the slogan six Dol
lars n Day or NO Work" thousands
OF Industrial Workers Of the World
members and organizers have spread
over the agricultural district of the
middle West, attempting TO organize
harvest hands into a semblance of
union and compel the farmers to grant
their demands. Wages have been good
all through the harvesting this year,
higher than ever before, owing to the
scarcity Of labor, due to the excel
lent industrial conditions In the East
and the calling out Of the national
guard. But this would not satisfy the
industrial Workers Of the World or
ganizers."
Tramps Took Trains.
Industrial Workers OF the World
gangs have taken possession OF tho
trains, clubbing off all who could not
show a membership card in their or
gapizatlon. In some cases they even
have driven trainmen from their
trains, leaving them on the right OF
wav with score or more of work
men whom they had empowered or
awed with pistols, knives and clubs
often they travel in mobs of 800 or
400.
II would be difficult to convince any
middle western farmer or public OIL
GERS that these itinerants would
work, even though offered the wages
orgies. This year the Industrial
Tempting offers have been made them
by way Of testing their sincerity but
always they evade work on some pre-
text or another.
The Industrial Workers OF the World
gangs have no difficulty in obtaining
TRANSFORMATION. All OF the western
railroads allow workingmen to travel
In empty box cars or ION the rods
without hIndrance at this time OF the
wear. 1t Is to the railroads interest
to have the great grain crops properly
harvested, and man in Workmans
clothes is never molested while beat
ing his way through the great farm
ing states.
Great camps are established, not
only by tho Industrial Workers OF the
World, but by those who are not mom-
bers Of that organization The men
congregatc at these "jungles." cook
their food, often pilfered from near
by farms, wash their clothes, battle
and not Infrequently stage drunken
orgies. TIL syear the Industrial
Workers Of the World have posted
signs at their "jungles' reading For
|. w. WIS Only" and any man who
dares wander into their camp without
proper credentials is due for beat
ing.
Where all these wanderers come
from where they 70 when the harvest
season is over, is mystery. Each
wear for the last five years they have
become more numerous, and their dep
relations more serious. This year
they have been more numerous than
aver and more offensive than ever.
They make their first appearance In
the harvest regions Of Okahoma> and
Kansas, moving northward through
Nebraska, South Dakota and North
Dakota as the harvest season progress
ses. ..
All Methods Unavalling.
All methods of handling the sltua-
tIon have proved unavailmg. In sev-
eral towns and cities officers have ar
rested these wanderers for vagrancy
and they have been sentenced to jail
terms. Apparently a term in jail,
where they will be fed, is what many
Of them are looking for. The SEN
fencing OF few Of them to jail al
ways seems to be a signal for the
appearance Of others.
At several places this year riots
have occurred when the police tried
to break up the bands or keep them
moving. Serious trouble occurred at
Wakeeny, In western Kansas; at sa-
lima. in central Kansas; at Hastings,
Neb., and at Mitchell. s. D. Several
killings have resulted from clashes be-
tween police officers and the Indus
trial Workers OF the World gangs
Several public officials have sug-
gested holding conference next win
fer to devise ways and means Of hand
ling the situation, which threatens to
grow worse instead of better in the
Years to come. One method suggested
Is for each state to employ forces Of
mounted police similar to the famous
northwest mounted police Of Canada,
To- keep the bands from cOngregating, |
break up their ''jungles," and other
wise deal with them, Power seems the
only force they recognize and they
laugh at the county sheritS and town
nnnsfah1eS.