The producers news. [volume] (Plentywood, Mont.) 1918-1937, 1932-01-15

partment is directly responsible
for the hideous oppression of ne
gro workers on the Mississippi
levees has issued a statement de-
,nying the charges of brutality and
robbery made. This statement,
however, is only an evasion and
behind it we can see the admis-
sion of the war department that
the charges made are true. We
print below the complete summary
of the charges made by the Amer
lean Federation of Labor. The
charges were brought by the A. F.
of L. not in order to change these
terrible conditions but in order to
give the war department a chance
to deny the conditions which had
become widely known in the south.
The charges follow:
Conditions at Lake Providence,
East Carroll Parish, Louisiana Ar
ea-Prices charged at the COM
missary operated by Sternberg
projects are as follows: 12-1b
sack flour SIS cents; 24-fb sack of
flour 80 cents; salmon per small
can 20 cents; peaches, common,
per can, 80 cents; cheap overalls,
per rair $3.50 (same were on sale
same day in private stores at
$1.18,l and boiling pork, 80 cents
per pound.
Employees are either compelled
to buy In these commissaries-- OF
lose their jobs. Dozens of the
employees state that it is COM
mon occurrence for additional
charges to be added to their bills
and that their protests are disre-
garded and in no instance are
these amounts corrected on theil
accounts.
"The employees generally refer
to these commissaries as "robls
, aries" when among themselves.
present employees who were
employed by the government three
years ago state they received $3.5'
) DIR day for common labor anC
worked eight hours per day.
"Wages today on the Sternberl
! contracts range from $1.25 to S;
, for a IL hour day minimum fol
, common labor, but in some in
, stances only a part of the amour
) due is paid. Such instances ar
: where Sternberg subcontracts hi
work to several contractors VIII
5 fail to pay their labor at the tim
:, of their discharge in full, but wer
: paid at from % to so per cent o
. their wages, notwithstanding tina
e many of them were receiving on
f ly SIPS for a 12-hour day.
"Sam Brown, Iaborer at $1.25
: day for Sternberg's sub-contract
S or was required to work a flu
e month including Sundays for I
hours each day. Wages due hir
e was $26.30 plus $4.95, or a tots
e of $31.25 and was paid only So a
: his months wages.
: Gross Stephenson worked a
r common labor for SIPS per day q
IL hours per day. and received 81
e for his months wages. Levi
: Worry worked as foreman of
gang at $3.50 per day for on
e month at IL hours per day and re
ceived $40.
Dan Green with five in famil
to support worked IL hours pc
day for one month and received s.
Wesley Wilson worked one mont
at S1.25 per day for IL hours eaC
: day and received $40 for his was
| es. These cases are taken at RAJ
o dom and many others could /
n listed where men were not paid a
e though their services We're sati
is factory in every respect.
# Garland Maxwell was injure
a in the performance of his duti'
while assisting in drilling holes
it an angle iron when a portion I
rs the iron fell on his foot and eau
st ed injuries that laid him up f,
m four weeks, helpless and witho1
to any wages or compensation wha
ID soever, although no charges
a negligence were lodged again
Of him. He was employed direct
es by the Sternberg firm. He was 7
ut turned TO work after his recove,
ne and when he asked for an increa
in salary or restoration of h
be wages he was arbitrarily dischar
or ed and has not yet received t
m wages due him.
[r. Lewis Steele, driver of ca
lis erpillar tractor at Forrest Jons
re contractors camp was discharg
o. and a full months pay, plus /
l." held back weekly pay, was wit
ne held from him and given nothil
RS for his services on the grou
D. that he burned band on the m
ly chine he was operating, althouI
MS he states that he had informed
foreman of the necessity of ]
be pairs and greasing. He was Il
ed to go ahead and run her anyws
as He was working seven days ?
~ week at So per day for IL hou
zee each day
,er ED Williams on the Sternbe
job was discharged and not paid
= cent. He was told that the rel
on he was not paid any OF I
an wages due him was because
ID quit.
H. Johnny Young worked ]
llC N~0Jr, Vyf1n~~