The labor world., 1922-08-12
GRAND | | | / MARA!S ! II R Is
road FOREMAN
WAS WRoNGED
Governor Preus. Did Great In
justice to G. 0. Johnson.
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| "" - 'F
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age it did virtually destroyed nine
miles Of road. ( Ill.,. "-/
- "On Monday, July "a, a caterpillar
| traction engine went through : a
fbridge over Durfee creek, about five
miles east Of Grand Marais. I had
that bridge, which was completely
destroyed, rebuilt better than it was
before in less than IL hours after
our crew began work We cut the
timber from the stump, hewed, 1t,
hauled it nine miles and l. was made
in bridge, all in a 12-hour day =
Mold Claimed Credit. -
''That record can't be beat. read
in Duluth paper few days later
a report Of Mr.. P. D. Mold, mainte-
nance superintendent for the high
way commission at Duluth, in which
great credit was claimed for the
quick work we did on that bridge. If
I had been such a negligent employe
as Governor Preus would have me
now be the bridge over Durfee creek,
the building Of which am wholly
responsible for. would have taken
several days to rebuild.
"As I have said before, the state
! never did furnish me with lanterns
for danger places in the road, and
frequently was. obliged to take my
own barn lanterns, supply my own
kerosene oil, and put them out every
night, which did do SO long as
was in the employ of the state.
States Low Wage. -
II met Mr.. Mold on July 18 and
hold men for, road work at the low
wage they were being paid, for the
county was paying a dollar a day
more for common labor. He retorted
that he could get plenty Of men in
Ramsey county for 26 cents an hour,
to which I replied that this was not
Ramsey county and conditions in
Cook county were much different.
II on that day informed Mr.. Mold
that unless he raised wages would
quit. He promised to take the mat
ter up with the state commission at
st. Paul, and asked if would stay
If he got a raise for me from As to
20 cents an hour and for my driver
from 40 to As cents an hour. He said
he could do nothing: for the other
men.
Mr.. johnson Resigned.
II again saw Mr.. Mold on July "a
and he informed me that no raise
would be given. I advised him that
if that was the case I was through
work then. He expressed sympathy
for me, and urged me to remain un
til he could get a man to relieve me,
which 7 agreed to do. Two men ap-
peared July 28, the same day Gov
ernor Preus came over the road, but
seven hours earlier, and they pre-
sented a letter directing me to turn
over to them all property Of the
state in my possession. I was then
relieved from further duty. I did not
put my own lanterns or any lanterns
out that night, for my employment
with the state had ended with the
completion of the days work. It was
the duty of the new men to see to
that. =; ~. -'
.IEcuS DEOVc EdSt
"Governor Preus came rushing
over the road at about 10 o'clock that
evening and when he saw the big
hole alongside Of the bridge caused
by the washout. and which was pro-
tected by railing, but without a
light, it. gOt~his ire, and evidently
to lead the public to believe that he
was a vigilant governor, he: imme-
diately ordered my discharge, two
days after was relieved from duty,
and when had left the employment
of the state on my own account.
THE gossip in Grand Marais is
that Governor Preus lme up to the
so-caMed danger spot at a terrific rate
of speed, became frightened when
he saw the deep hole on his right,
and applied the emergency brake
The imprint in the road indicates
that the governors car skidded about
100 feet. He could not have been
going alta careful rate Of speed to
Ehave slid his car that distance. His
reckless driving might have been his
undoing. -,
Puts. 1t Up to Governor.
Il expect the governor, if he has
since given my case his investiga-
ton, to "a bsolve me from, all blame
Thatsmich is due to me- from both
Mr.. Babcock and the governor. Their
positions are high and mighty. Mine
is weak and lowly, but I have the
same pride that they have, and if
they are honest men and gentlemen
they will see to it that the harm they
7 have done to my reputation and rec
ord is lndone. They owe that much
to me and to my family, If any one
4 was guilty of negligence it was not 1.
Mr. %Babcock can easily find out
who is responsible If he takes the
pains to make an independent inves-
tigation and he will find that re-
sponsibility is up to Mr.. p. D. Mold,
who can clear the whole situation,
if he will tell the facts and the
, truth -, .. ,".% ~
The people of Grand Marais who
know all the facts in the case seem
to have confidence in Mr.; Johnson's
faithfulness and ability. The town
board Of Rosebush, adjoining Grand
Marais, has made him road foreman
at a higher wage than he was paid
by the state, and HIS teamster is
employed by the county with John