Twin city review. [volume] (Champaign, Ill.) 19??-1929, 1924-06-06
MEXICAN LABORERS
TELL HOW CAN
NERS EXPLOIT

BY International Labor News Service.
Washington. ID. g.. June os~HoW
three Mexican laborers were victim
lied and exploited i'm an Alaskan sal
mon canuefy is told I'm "A report sub.
mitted to Joseph $. Myers, Texas
Commissioner Of Labor by NJ. 4.
Dominguez, Deputy Labor Commits
Sioner,
So impressed was Mr. Myers by
the experience of the three MeNieans
that he submitted the report 10 the
Mexican Consul General at san An.
tonic, Tex, with the declaration that
it showed conditions are bad fer the
laborerS in every respect ard the rec
concentration that every effort should
be made toward discouraging Mex.
can laborers from going to Alaska
to work in the salmon canneries.
Report Confirms Charges.
The report, which bears cut
charges made by International La
Dor News Service in a series Of anti
eles on the bad labor and sanitary
conditions in many Alaska salmon
canneries, is as follows:
"Mr Joseph S. Myers, Commissioner
of Labor, Austin, Texas;
"My Dear Sir; After thorough
investigation Of shipments of labor
going from San Antonio 20 the Alas
kan fisheries, | submit the following:
Personal statements we've ,naic 10 me
by Andres Pacadio, Jesus Lopez and
Antonio Hilario, who worked in the
fisheries last season and have re-
turned to San Antonio.
THE reports Of these men were
practically the same in every detail,
and conceded almost exactly with the
reports Of many other men who went
to Alaska last season, but did not
care to make written statement con.
corning the treatment accorded them
The contract entered into between the
men and the Alaskan Packers Asso-
citation provided S170 for the seasons
work. After signing the contract
money was advanced up to the amount
of S15 and a credit book was sup
piled each man.
Food Could Not BE Eaten.
Free food was furnished ON the
trip to Alaska but the men state it
was os bad that it could not be eaten
and they had TO buy their own food
for which they were charged exoibi.
tant prices. One man, for instance
stated that from San Antonio To San
Francisco he consumed Is sandwiches
and nine cups Of coffee, for which he
was charged $1,000.
1.-THE company maintained commits.
saries and the foremen at the plants
also have individual stores. These
individual stores charged outrageous
prices for everything. For example
for a package Of Camel cigarette DOE
was charged while the commissaries
charge only 15c.
AT the Alaskan plants the foremen
in charge are Spaniards, Porto Ri
cans and Cinnamon, who are pun
ported to be extremely hard-boiled,
requiring the men to work from 3 in
the morning 10 6 in the evening with
barely enough time Oft to eat lunch al
noon.
Drugs Freely Sold.
moral conditions are reported 70
be as bad as could be, all kinds Of
drugs, opium, cocaine andaliquors be
ing sold freely. This condition is al
its worst on the trip up to Alaska
and back to San Francisco.
"On the arrival of the men at San
Francisco there seems to be a com
mon practice of Haecing the laborefz
by the Young and Meyer Dry Goods
Company. At this store they are adj
vised in order to secure quick set
Element it is necessary for them 10 buy
from $40 to $40 worth Of goods,
whether they want them or not, after
which full settlement is made in their
own way and every deduction posi-
BILE is made, and whether the men Ike
it or not, there is no chance for cor
fection or for a claim to be filed as
their settlement Is final. And after
this settlement is concluded the la
borer has practically nothing left for
his seasons work.
"(Sigued) N. A. DOMINIQUE, /