The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-08-01
S. DAILY wage
DEMAND OF men,
Who STAND OUT
AGAINST OFFERS
600 Industrial Workers
Hold Boards on Lower
Front Street Today.
THEY TURNED DOWN
LEAGUE PROPOSAL
So Says Secretary of Local
Body-No Difficulty
Experienced Yet

Six hundred "wobblers," or mem
bers of the Industrial Workers of the
World, today hold the boards on
lower Front street and defy any Of
fer of employment which does not
meet with their terms. SIS day for
ten hours. Little trouble has been
experienced from the floating popu-
lation.
Freight after freight train over the
Great Northern and the Northern
Pacific bring in the men from the
harvest fields of Kansas, Nebraska
and South Dakota. According to en-
ployment agencies located on Front
street, so per cent of the men don't
want to work but are simply holding
the pay for laborers up for several
weeks, thinking that by doing so the
farmers will come to their terms.
Aim To Control Labor.
I'VE have membership of about
$4,000 men in North Dakota and
South Dakota. $4,000 in South Da-
kota and 10000 in North Dakota" :"
said ]. r. Parker. secretary of the
Fargo local of the Industrial Work
ers of the World this afternoon, who
was seen at the Headquarters located
at PA Front street. around which a
crowd of idle men sat reading the
labor papers.
"our scale is SIS for ten hours, or
from o'clock in the morning until
O'clock" said Parker. "The Non.
partisans and our men couldn't
reach an agreement. In fact, we both
voted down the proposition before
us for consideration. The tentative
agreement was that we should get
81 day when, wheat was $1.75 or
under and IS day when wheat was
50 or more per bushel.
I'VE expect to hear of our mem
bers being driven out of the towns
of the state until we are strong
enough to control the labor situa-
tion," said Parker.
He secuted the story from Ayr, N.
D.. that ten /. w. w. took possession
of the j. H. Moug farm Monday and
refused to leave. According to Park
er they were not members of the
Industrial Workers. but were
young men VINO had worked for
Moug for two months on an agree
ment that they were to receive $50
a month and board. When the men
wanted to leave. accogf9pg to the
story told by the men. Moug refused
10 Day JllClAA etAl0 AAcG 0AASOA . VI tAhO
city drive the two out of that dis
trict of the state. The two men,
Barney Anderson and Earl Mccoy,
reached Fargo this morning and
were visitors at the headquarters on
Front street.
Reports reaching Cass county Of
flcials were to the effect that Moug
had offered the men pay in checks
but that they refused, saying they
wanted cash and would remain on
the farm until they got it. The two
laborers deny this story, and have
taken I'D the matter with Fargo
attorney in an attempt to press their
claim for pay.
rs 4. w. w. at Finlay.
Twenty-fp Industrial Workers
OF the World are at Finlay today
and refuse to go to work unless they
get their SIS day.
This story was brought to Fargo
this morning by Thomas Develin,
prominent farmer living near there
who offered the men 50 a day and
board, and when they refused came
to Fargo and got two men from a
local employment agency, and in
stead of takig them to Finlay9 routed
them to Pickert. N. D.. in order that
they might not fall into the hands of
the "wobblers" at Finlay.
Farmers Paying So.
There is a great demand for la
borers right now from the south and
the southwestern districts of the
state" said a manager of a local en-
ployment bureau on Front street,
when seen this afternon. "The farmers
are willing to pay SO day and give
the men their board. We have calls
coming in from all parts of the state
but are only able to fill one-fourth
Of the orders. There are about 500
/. w. w. on Front street today who
simply won't go to work. One
couldn't hire them at any price
Schamaing shipped out
about ten laborers Tuesday,.
III. e. Larson, proprietor of an en-
ployment agency on Front street,
admitted that there was a strong
demand for help. but criticized the
for publishing such
stories stating that it made the la
borers all the more independent.
However, l think conditions will
work out all right, said Larson.
There is a light crop over the state
and 1t will not take long to harvest
it, He stated that the demand for
harvest help has been reaching his
Office from radius of 100 miles, and
that this demand was further
strengthened by the heat wave Of
Saturday which ripened the grain
so fast.
Forty Laborers Sent Out.
George Anderson, proprietor of the
Fargo Employment agency at 312
Front street, sent out forty laborers
to points along the Great Northern
Fargo and Grand Forks on
Tuesday. They we're offered So a |
day and board and willing signed for |
transportation.
With a light crop confronting the
farmers of the state, employment |
say it is impossible for the |
farmers to pay more than So a day, |
but that when threshing time comes,
they might be able to offer better /
pay by the day.
AS the fact becomes known to the /
Iaborers that the demand for help /
S just normal because OF the light /
crop and that the farmer is "up
against it" because Of the heavy
Continued on page five.