The Seattle star. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1899-1947, 1919-01-11
is ALASKA SALMON INDUSTRY
Committing SUICIDE BY Cruel
TREATMENT OF ITS employees?
nv ERNEST j. HOPKINS

RNAhifA NHat t8fhllaf supper tahlV
dainty, Alaska canned salmon. gov.
crnment officials OF California. ore.
gon and Washington. by an invest.
cation Just ended, have unearthcd
grisly disclosures OF labor abuses
rivalling the worst cruclties OF the
African slave traffic.
American and immigrant workers
shanghaied. or iured by false tales
aboard rotten sailing ships: half.
crazed wretchcs. soddcn with opium.
driven az revolver point 60 i6.hour
shifts OF ecassless toll. cannery
hands, starving and delirious from
Chinese diet of keip. rice and beans.
left 20 wander and die in Alaskan
wilds. n system" ascending from
underworld pawnshops and sin mills
into tho mahogany.wailcd offices OF
respectable American capitalists
these are regular features OF tho pro.
cess whereby the American house
wife gets her canned salmon.
How Expose Was Made
Three froc.mindcd American work.
crs. who hast summer joined the
salmon. packing sang for patriotic
reasons. brought about the exposure.
The horrors they describe. accord
Ing TO California State Labor Com
missioner John T.. Mclaughlin and
his assistant. l.. IL. Saxon. have been
going on for years.
Laws to enable officials TO control
tho system" are now being sought
In three states. Powerful packers
interests are aligned TO block all
legislation.
The system" last summer caught
a Tartar In the person OF william
wilcox OF Berkeley. landlord and
union metal worker. Wilcox learned
Uncle Sam had contracted for tho
entire salmon pack. and heard
labor famine was threatened. lie
enlisted as n means Of doing his
bit
-Crimps" Get Men
wilcox with A. II. Warner of San
Diego and James Hennesscy Of Troy.
Montana. revealed a ring" that
starts with the wealthy packing
rnagnates. These annually get thclr
summer eannery hands for the
Alaskan factories by letting con
tracts to Chinese "crimps." Tho
"orinps" agree. for a lump sum. 10
supply sufficient hands.
The Chinese. In turn. subiet
their contracts to Mexican. ltal-
ian, Filipino or negro straw
bosses who get forrmen's pay
and the additional privilege Of
fleeing their gangs thru kamb-
ling games. liquor and vice.
The Chinese contractors sell them
opium.
The men are actually obtained. In
many cases. thru the aid OF pawn
brokers. schlock shop merchants"
dlve-kcepers. and other adopts OF the
shanghai route; these are regular
members Of the ring"
The contractors. by cxorbitant
charges for food. transportation
and clothing. with gambling
debts and . system Of advance
money. year by year return the
workers to Seattle. Portland or
San Francisco penniiess. fam
hsufu anu H.
Meanwhile tho canned salmon. for
which the corporation pays the con-
tractors 80 cents n cas. plus trans
portation. sells ut wholesale for $40
TO $40 case.
Industry Suicidal.
Naturally. as facts leak out. each
summer finds fewer men willing TO
work IN Alaska A great American
industry L. committing suicide. say
the authorities. Already the haiibut
fisheries are passing to Canadian
control.
The narratives OF Wilcox and the
other workers who corroboratcd him
uncover a new black hole" in Amer.
lean industry. These men tell OF
conditions in the plants OF Libby. Nc
Nell & Libby. the Alaska Packers
association. Northwestern Fisheries
company. and other big concerns.
These concerns. according to
Labor Commissioner Mclaughlin.
are relieved OF legal responsibility
for the labor conditions BY the fact
that their workmen are employed
by sub-contractors.
TO be continually