The daily worker. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1924-1958, 1928-08-13

domination of Peru and other Latin
and South American countries by
United States capitalists has led
to most miserable conditions for
native workmen that amounts vir-
tually to a state of peonage.
A strict censorship has prevent
ed any news that attempts to des-
cribe the actual condition Of affairs
from leaving the country Every
attempt to form a union, or even
express demands is Immediately dis
covered by spies and suppressed.
What labor organizations do exist
here are company unions, controlled
and subjugated~ by company off
Gals.
To enforce the will and glutonous
exploitation of the American CAPT
talists the United States govern
ment keeps two or three battle
ships in every port where either
copper or refining companies have
their plants.
Workers in Barracks.
At Callao an American copper
company, with offices at &c Broad
way, New York City, dominates and
exploits the whole population. The
workers in its mines are separated
from the town and live in crude,
wooden barracks that are construct
ed by the company. where they are
forced to remain. The barracks are
built on poles over muddy land and
offer inadequate protection from
rain and wind. Epidemics often
break out here taking toll of
hundreds-but these can always be
replaced by more native labor which
would rather accept this prison hole
than starvation.
The copper miners at Callao work
for five pesos per day, equivalent to
fifty cents in American money. For
this pittance they. dig copper from
eleven to fourteen hours per day,
and if ordered, work overtime with
out pay. Besides their salary they
are supposed to be fed by the COM
: pany. GOOD" consists of muddy
water called SOUP with some rotten
potatoes in it as the main dish. They
are even offered a few relishes
sometimes in the form of something
that the company chooses to call
coffee, rice and cake.
Yellow Dogs Watch.
loOly a
though they had just been through
tremendous beating or through
the cog-wheels of the machines that
separate the copper. Their feet are
swollen beyond recognition, their
backs stopped, their hands all
chopped up.
Around the mines and the bar
racks the company police imported
from the United States keep q
strict watch. They are armed ano
present a formidable appearance te
any dissatisfied worker. If there is
too much interest in conversation
too many workers gathered at one
time. if a stranger tries to speal
to them, the yellow dogs perform
their duty. The workers canno
help but be submissive-with thu
company ready to call upon the bat
i tleships not so very far away.
The condition of the workers VIII
load the copper ore are still worse
They receive three pesos per day
and the same "food" as the others
They, too, must live in barracks
if there is room for them. And
there is no room the company vii
> allow them to sleep in old hulk
:. which it has found lying about i
the harbor.
Control Workers Lines.
About the same conditions exis
in Malliando, where the same cor
per company has mine. In Toco
pilla there are both British an
American copper and oil refinin
companies, and both seem to be !
competition as to who can be tn
cruelest master.
At Paita the International Petrc
leum Company holds complete swa
over the lives Of the workers an
their families. 1t keeps its en-
ployes in shacks completely isolate
from the rest Of the town. 1t is
pitiful experience to come into thi
harbor on board ship. The frs
thing that strikes the eye is tn
smoked-up plant of the compan
dominating all like huge incubou
and casting a formidable shade