The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1926-10-30
BY F. o. K.
worker correspondent.)

N"OTNSF SoFTesPoHoeNts)
EDMONTON, Alta, Can, Oct. 20.-I
IL read your paper and 1 enjoy the
straightforward manner in which you
deal with human problems and
thought that you might be interested
to know bit of the rottenness that is
oermeating Alberta's affairs. The pop
ulation here is something around ST.
600 people and there is not near
enough work for those that live here.
and certainly less for the outsiders.
other Canadians, Americans and for
eigners.
There is almost no manufacturing
here and the town is kept alive by
the provincial farmers. There is a
large foreign population here and in
this province, and great many more
are coming. Most of these people are
unable to read or write other than
their own language.
The Canadian Pacific railroad is of
course getting large sum for trans
porting these people and with them
the G. P. RI suppose the thought is:
Why worry about Alberta's troubles
concerning immigration. These unfor-
Atunate foreigners have been misled bv
glowing accounts of the wonderful op-
portunities in Canada, which they find
is the worst kind OF bunk" when they
reach Fair Alberta" They are stand.
ing around the streets here in destitu-
ton.
LONE Of them was recently offering
~ his prayer beads to the public for
the price of meal. A large crowd
Of men have been lured to Alberta
to work in the harvest at fabulous
prices, and these, too, have been be.
trayed. There has been much bad
weather, so that men could not work
and during these delays the farmers
in many cases--have refused to feed
their help. These men, then, have
been obliged to go to the nearest town
and pay $1.00 for a bed and 40 cents
per meal. When these harvest hands
become absolutely impoverished they
the driven out of town or thrown in
jail Only recently two of these har-
vest workers were passing thru Ed
monitor and they loitered a bit. Be
fore they had been in town two hours
they were arrested for vagrancy ant
given six weeks at Fort Saskatchewan
a provincial prison twenty miles from
Edmonton.
T AM told by men that served there
= that the place is unspeakable.
Men are lashed there and then salt is
rubbed into their wounds. In fact. ]
am led to believe that this prison
is much like the one known as Peter.
Paul in Russia in the time OF the car
A judge here, or police magistrate
is absolute In their decisions under
what is known as the British North
American Act. This act is a relic OF
British tyranny that is being de
nounced by all progressive people.
One is denied trial by Jury and
they are not even allowed to plead
their own cases.. The mere matter OF
becoming a British subject is OF no
earthly use to the foreigner or the
American II he falls into the law. He
will certainly be insulted by all that
has to do with the court and in most
cases treated rough" II the British
subject" becomes old and impover.
lshed and physically broken in Canada
he is obliged to ask those in author.
ity for succor. In such case every
available effort will be used to pass
the applicant on. It certainly docs
notmean that because one has become
q British subject that be may appeal
AsulA.A.4- i>a ~.