NOME INDUSTRIAL WORKER
WEEKLY
Published Saturday
By N ine Mine Workers’ Union, No. 240, International Union of Mine,
Hill and Smelter Workers.
Subscription Price
Six Months ... $5.00
One Month . 1.00
"To secure to each laborer th» whole product of his labor, or as
nearly as possible Is a worthy object of any good government”—Abra
ham Lincoln.
Address all communications to Tri-Weekly Nome Industrial Worker.
Box 210. Nome, Alaska. rhone, Black 134.
All changes in advertisements must reach this office before 9 A. M.
«n day of publication to insure Insersion in same issue.
Advertising rates made knewn on application.
Entered as second class matter August 6, 1918, at the Post Office
•t Nome, Alaska, under the Act of March 3, 1879.
NOME. ALASKA SATURDAY, FEBRUARY, 8, 1010.
LABOR CONDITIONS
MEXICO IMPROVE
f
Carranza Government Has En
forced Somewliat Drastic Hut Ef-1
fective Hcgulations Affecting Indus
try.
Mexican labcjr condition^, whichI
were extremely had at the beginning j
of the Carranza administration, have
been much improved through the ad
vanced measures taken by the presi
dent and his government, according
to Ygnacio Bonillas, ambassador from
Mexico. Although the labor shortage
was acute almost everywhere, wages
were also low and working conditions
almost intolerable.
The situation was remedied by the
enactment of a code of labor laws
which at first seemed drastic but
which are now proving highly satis
factory. At present, workmen take
so much interest in government af
fairs that much of the legislation pro
posed is suggested by the great labor
organization of Sonora, Coahuila,
Vera Cruz, Pueblo, Yucatan, and the
other states.
The present law provides for an
eight-hour day, and for seven hours’
work at night. In unhealthful occupa
tions six hours constitutes a day’s
work, as it does for children between
the ages of 12 and 16 years. No child
under the age of 12 may be empoyed
There must be one full day of rest
each week for everv worker.
Equal wages must be paid to work
ers of both sexes, and all wages must
be paid in legal money. Overtime is
paiid for at double rates, but must
not exceed three hours in any day.
Women may not work overtime at all
and the same provision applies to
children under 16.
Employees in mining or agriculture
must be suitably housed, and it is
the employer’s duty to see that this
i saccomplished. He must rent
houses at a cost not exceeding 6 per
cent annually of their assessed value.
The employer must also provide
schools, hospitals, and markets if
they are necessary; but he is pro
hibited from establishing barrooms
or gambling rooms. Employers are
liable for all industrial acidents.
Conciliation and arbitration boards
are provided in cases of labor dis
putes and compulsory arbitration is
enforced by fining the employer who
refuses to arbitrate three months’ pay
for his employees, and by depriving
workers of all their contact rights in
case they refuse.
Strikes without violence, are per
missible, unless they take place in
time of war on Government work.
Lockouts are permissible only when
over-production makes them neces
sary.
SECRET] STREATIES
AND DEMOCRACY
Trouble', trouble
Boil and Bubble. V
Macbeth
The secret treaties on «chich Japan
bases her demands and that havs
l>een so emphatically repudiated aii
having never existed, when published
by the Boshevtk's. seem to be a very
material fact and as such causing con
siderable trouble among the Pears
envoys. Japan backerf by some of tha
powers who have a little secret treaty
Of their own. seems to insist on tho
payment of her bloodmoney. Her cnn
efjdlion of democracy seems to he
synonymous with loot. Japan, when
she. -artered the war for democracy
seemsffco have done so for a stipulat
ed price, believing in the adage that
a laborer is worthy of his hire insist
ing that as she has lived-up to the con
tract, the other powers should: do
riifcewise. That she considers her
claims of material disinterestedness
when she entered the war actively,
as only so many platitudes to be
swallowed by the rest of the world
does not seem strange at all. Her
treatment of China and the claims
she made there some years ago. the
majority of which became public only
thru inadvedtence was a good exhibi
tion of what a strong power can do
If she has a weak neighbor to deal
with. Japan demands may be con
sidered exorbitant by some of the Al
lied powers but would very likely have
been granted, if President Wilson had
not strongly protested against it.
Diplomacy seems to be only a fine
brand of ward politics, of you wash
my hands and I wash yours.
That Australia and New Zealand
refused to be a party to a deal which
would hand some of the important
German colonies in the Pacific sit
uated at their very door, and which
they had captured and since then have
been administered by them, over to
Japan is not to be wondered at.
, If any one is entitled to a reward
I for services rendered during the war
Australia and New Zealand ought to
be considered first.
The deal they got in the Gallipoli
campaign, the blood they shed there
uselessly, will not easily be forgotten
by them. While Japan's most heroic
deed consisted in the capture of Kai
chow, affected partly thru a breach of
Chinese neutrality against which
China protested in vain. Japan is
the only power that has been actively
engaged in the war, which has in
stead of increasing her indebtedness,
reduced the same. Some of her peo
ple, not the laborers to be sure have
become enormously wealthy, furnlsh
iiiig war materials to the other Allies.
She has establisher herself solidly
in many of the most important mar
kets on the Pacific, from which it
wil be almost impossible to oust her
by peaceful means. Who will blame
her for wanting to get hers, while the
getting Is good. That the entrance of
the United States in the war as an
active billegerent was not foreseen,
when these secret treaties were made,
or that even so the United States was
looked upon as willing to agree to
their demands nnder the guise of
democracy, seems to have been taken
for granted. President Wilson must
be considered quite a spoil sport,
when he refused to be made a party
to such dealings.
Japan we' suppose will look wltl
ts much horror upon ' her secret
reaties to be declared “a scrap of
iaper” as the Belgian treaty of neu
rality was Considered by Germany,
rhat she left President Wilson out
>f her calculation when sly? demand
sd her pound of flesh, is a wonder,
shrewd as he is in diplomatic mat
ters.
Japan, we suppose, like 'some of
the other powers who would like to
?et her share of the stipulated loot,
looked upon President Wilsop’s dec
larations of Peace principled as so
many platitudes. Maybe she only
intended to bluff the matter thru,
willing to recede, if forced to but,
wanting to make the best possible
bargain in the face of Presiditt Wil
son’s well known opposition any
bargains made by secret treaties.
We are sure that whichever way
this disagreement will be settfcd, it
will not be the last that wilT arise
when the claims of some of the other
powers for readjustment of theii
boundary lines comes up for atjjust
ment, and their demands based or
secret treaties are presented. Thai
other secret treaties also denied, foi
instance, France’s claim not only tc
Alsace-Lorrain, but also to the great
er part of the Prussian Rhein prov
ince. and Italy’s claims for territorj
on the Adriatic exist is hardly oper
to doubt any more. (An amusinf
incident happened when, according t(
the Manchester “Guardian” the secre
i reaties vere discussed aud firmly de
'Tiilfi'—rn--—-—1 -=
tnled in the British Parliament, Sir <
Edward Carson blunderingly stated '
that France claimed the larger part i
of the Prussian Rhein province His <
colleagues to gloss the matter over
excused his blunder on the ground
of his slight knowledge of Geography
claiming that he was under the im
pression that Rheinish Prussia was in
eluded in and belonged to Alsace
Lorralc.) That with the exception
of the United States the main object
of the other powers was the destruc
tion of Germany as a competitor in
the world market, and the destruc
tion of the military power of Ger
many and Austria was a secondary
consideraton, will be more clear now,
after this little exposition of Japan’s
demands.
It seems that if the native inhab
itants of the German colonies in
Africa are to be consulted about their
preference of who shall rule them, the
same priviledge ought to be extended
to the Polenisians. That India,
Egypt and some other colonies of
the other European powers would ap
preciate the priviledge of being heard
on this question in their own behalf
is hardly open to doubt.
Or is this priviledge only to be
given to the natives of some of the
German colonies.
We even believe that a plebiscite on
this question would be highly appre
ciated by the majority of the Irish
people, ridicoulous as it may look to
some, that they should want to ex
• change British rule for independence.
HINDUS ENSLAVED
FIJI SUGARMILLS
How Indenture lalmr Is Exploited
Under The British Flag
(By Kai Viti)
As sugar economy, along with
economy in other foodstuffs, is the
chief topic of the day, and , s the vast
majority of the people are ignorant of
the conditions of the sugar workirs,
it is my purpose to make a brief sur
vey of the conditions existing in the
Fiji Islands where some of the su^ar
that British Columbians consume is
produced.
There are five sugar mills in Fiji.
Four of these belong to the Colonial
Sugar Refining Co. of New Soufe
Wales. The other to the Vancouver
Fiji Co., which consists principally of
Mr T. B. Rogers of local fame.
Each sugar mill has cane planta
tions of from 20,000 to 60,000 acres.
All the manual and much of the skill
ed w'ork is done by East Indian cool
ies. These coolies are recruited in
India by the Government and are
brought over to Fiji and allotted to
different mills, plantations and pri
vate employers as desired.
These coolies come .under a five
year contract. That is they are vir
tually bound to the employer as slaves
tor that period. They are paid ac
cording to a schedule laid down by
the Government which is as follows:
Male immigrants, as they are called
get six pence per day and rations for
six months, and the remainding four
| and a half years they receive the
“ magfUlicant wage of one shilling per
day, or five shillings and six pence
per week as only a half day is work
ed on Saturday. This jive shillings
and six pence per week, equal to $ 1 .
Sj. is all they get with which to pur
chase their own food, clothing, etc.
The female coolie gets three pence
per day less than the male.
This system of indenture is COJU
moil to all tropical British Crown
colonies. It was invented and intro
duced about forty years ago, and at
the time when the wage scale was
most decidedly low. The scale then
drawn still exists. Five shillings and
six pence may have been enough for
a coolie to have existed upon forty
years ago, but at present It is far from
sufficient The present scale is surely
a starvation one. It now takes the
coolie’s entire wages for a week to
purchase for himself a “Dohti" (loin
cloth.) let alone food.
From the point of view of the em
ployer the indenture system has
many advantages over the old chattel
slavery, as it costs him nothing to
rear a slave or care for him after he
has become broken down from over- i
work or ill use which is usually his ;
fate by the time he has reached the i
end of his indenture period. i
Especially before the war the cool- 1
ies was left very much to the tender i
mercies of the employer the planter,
and the especially trained “Nigger i
Driver” of the sugar companies. It I
requires but little imagination to pic- i
ture the discipline and treatment t
meted out to the coolie by the half- 1
iegenerate, tohaoco-chewing. whis-‘ i
key-soaked, white-skinned “Nigger i
Driver.” who has been awakened at 1
f> o’clock in the morning by a bad ,
liver due to continuous and copious
internal ablutions of Holland gin the
sight before, as he sits astride a horse c
irmed with a big stock whip and s
Irives a herd of coolies to the fields. I
The writer has been an eye witness
to the disciplining of a woman coolie
with a heavy stock whip, within but
a few days of her confinement in child
birth.
Sometimes the coolie takes it into
his head to have revenge for the bru
talities perpetrated upon him. He
generally goes about it with a cane
knife in the good old-fashioned way
and makes mince-meat out of some
overseer. Sometimes a whole gang
join hands in the fray, which usually
results in a dozen or so of them being
hung. This application of British
justice is calculated to impress our
beloved subjects of the Hindu faith
and the dark skin, that it is decidedly
unhealthy to administer primitive
justice to a "Sahib” with a cane
knife.
Another terrific evil in connection
with the indenture system is the sex
ual relations accompanying It, with
the inevitable moral degradation that
follows in its wake. According to the
government rules laid down, only one
woman as allowed to be indentured to
every four men. The consequence is
that one woman lives with three or
four men. This leads to jealousy and
quarrels which frequently end up by
some male, maddened by wrongs
either real or imaginary, seizing a
knife and berfeading the fair one.
There are more murders committed
in Fiji per capita, than in any other
part of the world. The conditions in
Fiji became so bad that a few years
ago the Indian government appointed
a royal commission to investigate the
situation. The commission consisted
of Messrs, MsNeil and Chirnan Lai.
The eommisson conducted a thorough
and impartial investigation into the
conditions surrounding the coolies in
the various Crown colonies. It sub
mitted a report in 1916 that was the
most scathing indictment of the in
denture system ever written. The
conditions in Fiji, and especially
those iti the sugar mills and planta
tions, WfCfe cited as the very limit
of achievement in the way of brutali
ties and starvation. The result of the
report was that the Indian Govern
ment prohibited further recruiting af
coolies at least until the end of the
war.
Many of the private planters place!
blame for the findings of the com-!
mission and the subsequent action I
on the part of the Indian Government!
on the tboulders of the manager of;
the Vancouver Fiji Sugar Co., as the!
treatment of coolies there has been
far worse than anywhere else. Evl
denty Mr T. B. Rogers' personality
penetrates for afield. At least he is
the noise in the Vancouver Fiji Sugar
Co., and his peculiarities in the
“Nigger Driving” line are not alto
gether unknown in B. C.
The apologists for the indenture
system put up an argument, that
though the conditions of the coolies
are bad in Fiji, It is heaven compared
to the conditions that they live under
in India. If that is so It certainly
ih no credit to two centuries of Brit
ish administration in that country.
British Columbia Federationist.
BVILDKRS MAY STRIKE
NEW YORK Feb 6—Local Labor
officials stated that a nation wide
strike of all building trade uulons
is imminent as a result of a lockouts
>f Bricklayers and Engineers which
tccurred here when the latter two e
miens struck in sympathy with the t
:arpenters. The latter demanded 1
ligher wages but their demand being ]
•efused went on strike. The brick- f
ayers and engineers to assist them
n their struggle notified the builders 1
;hat they would go on a sympathetic ]
strike unless the demands of the car- '•
penters were granted, the employers '
inswering with a threatened lockout
pf both organizations.
Union officials claim that should
the national organization conclude to
strike more than two million men
will be involved, which woud com
pletely paralyze all building activities
in the United States. Hopes are ex
pressed here that the wage question
may be amicably adusted and that
the strike be settled without having
recourse to a general strike, involving
the whole country.
IS MADE CHAIRMAN
PARIS, Feb 3—American Secre
tary of State, Lansing, envoy to the
Peace Conference has been elected
chairman of the War Responsibility
Committee.
This committee will investigate the
charges made against those who are
supposed to be primarily responsible
for the starting of the world conflict.
REVENUE HILL
WASHINGTON, Feb 5—A revenue
bill has been submitted by the Con
ference Committee to the House of
Representatives which makes provi
sions for the raising of five billion
five hundred million dollars in 1919.
The normal income tax will be
twelve per cent on incomes of over
four thousand dollars and six per
cent on less than that. All married
persons are granted an exemption of
two thousand dollars on their in
comes.
The surtax ranges as high as sixty
five per cent on incomes of one mill
ion dollars and over.
The new revenue bill also makes
provisions for the raising of four
billion dollars in 1920.
WILL ADJUST GREEK CLAIM
PARIS, Feb 4—It has been officially
announced that the Inter-Allied
Council of the Peace Conference has
decided to refer the claims of Greece
for the adjustment of their bound
ary lines to a committee composed of
French, English, American and Ital
ian Peace delegates for settlement.
Should the claims of the Greek gov
ernment be granted in full more
than three million people will be ad
ded tot he population of Greece.
Some at least spirited sessions are
expected in diplomatic circles when
this committee meets to adjust the
claims made by the Greek government
as some of the territory claimed is
greatly coveted by Italy and Serbia.
REFUSED TO TAKE SEATS
LOSDON. Feb 4—It has been of
ficially announced that as soon as the
PriMsh parliament convenes, immed
iate attention will be given to the
British labor situation. Premier
Lloyd George will take part in the
debates concerning the labpr question
and all possible efforts will be made
to find a solution for the British laboy
problems.
Ireland will be unrepresented in
the next British parliament as 73
Shin Fein delegates have refused, to
take their seats.
—
MILLIONAIRE SENTENCED
j PORTLAND, Ore., Feb 5—Menry
Albers Millionaire flour milling man
i of this city has been found guilty on
two counts out of seven for violating
! or the f-ip'onage act.
i A I *'Tr is supposed to have talked
i cansldcrable about Germce affairs
^and has openly advocated that Ger
many should be favored at the Peace
Conference.
He iaces a sentence of forty years!
'ii prison and a maximum fine of
$20,000 dollars.
Albers’ attorneys h«tve moved for
a new trial.
FORBID STRIKE
LONDON. Feb 5—The British gov
ernment has forbidden the electri
cians who were contemplating goipg
on strike for a shorter workday to
quit their employment.
Any electrician going on strike in
defiance of the government will be
fnmsecuted under the defense of
TUalm act and will be severely dealt
With.
REVO $2.50 PER DOZEN AT LEH
MANN’S
GET THE NEWS RIGHT READ
THE WORKER.
NOTICE TO CREDITORS
In the United State* Commissioner’s :
Court for the Precinct of Cape i
Nome, Second Division, Territory i
of Alaska, in Probate. * I
In the matter of the estate of i
PR ED LARSEN, deceased.
Notice is hereby given that the un
lorsigned has been appointed admin
strator of the estate of Fred Larsen, 1
leceased, by the above entitled court. !
\
All persons taring claims against
aid estate are required to present
hem, with the proper Touchers, with
n Biz months from the date of this
lotlce, to the undersigned adhilnlstrlO
ofc »t Nome, Alaska. ^
J. C, WID3TEAI? “
Administrator ot thfl estate: *f £r*|
.arsen, deceased, l«,
NOTICE OP APPLICATION FOR
PATENT
M. A. No. 0339
M. S. No. 1215
IN THE UNITED STATES LAND OF
FICE AT NOME, ALASKA.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, that
Archie McDonald, a citizen of the
United States, residing at Nome.
Alaska, and whose post office address
is Nome, Alaska, has made applica
tion before the United States Land
Office at Nome, Alaska, for a United
States Patent for the PLUTUS AS
SOCIATION PLACER mining claim
situate on the left limit of Dry Creek,
between the heads of Peluk Creek and
Franklin Gulch, about 2 V£ miles N. E.
of the Town of Nome, in the Capa
Nome Mining and Recording District,
Alaska, Second Division, being Min
ral Survey No. 1215; said claim being
more particularly described in the
field notes and plat of the official sur
vey thereof now on file in said Land
Office, at Nome, Alaska, as follows;
Beginning at Cor. No. 1, identical
with Cor. No. 3, Sur. No. 1209, Mead
ow Associaton Placer, a fir post 4 ins.
sq., 2 ft. above ground, in earth
mound, scribed M.-3-1209 and 1-1216
P. whence U. S. L. M. No. 19 bears
N. 78 deg. 34 min. E. 4822.4 ft;
thence S. 22 deg. 43 min. W. (Var.
18 deg. 03 min. E.) 1473.60 ft. to Cor.
No. 2, a fir post 4 ft. long, 4 ins. sq.
in earth mound scribed 2-1265 P;
thence N. 63 deg. 05 min. W. (Var.
18 deg. 10 min. E.) 1218.10 ft. to
Cor. No. 3, identical with Cor. No. 2,
Sur. No. 1209, Osiris Placed; thenco
N. 17 deg. 51 min. E. (Var. 18 deg.
03 min. E.) 1226.70 ft. to Cor. No. 4,
identical with Cor. No. 1, Sur. Ne.
1209, Osiris Placer; thence S. 74 deg.
16 min. E. (Var. 18 deg. 03 min. S.)
1329.30 ft. to Cor. No. 1 and place ef
beginning; containing an area of 3B.
263 acres. Total area applied for be
ing 38.401 acres.
That said claim is in conflict with
antf overlapped by Survey No. 12#9,
Meadow Association Placer to the ex
tent of 0.589 acres, and by Survey Ne.
1209, Myrtle Claim Placer to the ex
tent of 0.263 acres, all as shown by
the official plat and field notes of sur
vey thereof, but that said areas 30 la
conflict with the Plutus Association
Placer are hereby excluded from this
; application and patent for same is not
hereby Or hereunder applied for.
That said claim is situated on ua
surveyed ground on the left limit sf
Dry Creek, between tho heads ot
Peluk Creek and Franklin Gulch,
about 2 Vj miles N. E., of the Towu
of Nome. U. S. L. M. No. 19, to which
this claim 1r tied, is a fir poBt, painted
white, 6 ins. sq. 5 ft. above ground,
scribed U. S. L. M. No. 19. in CArtk
mound, situated on the right limit of
Otter Creek, about 50 ft. from
railroad and 2 Vi miles North of Bar
ing Sea, in Latitude 64 deg. 32 min.
North, Longitude 166 deg. 17 min. W.
That the original notice of location
of said claim is recorded in Volume
190, page 5 of the records of the
Cape Nome Recording District
Alaska.
The adjoining claims are: On (he
North. Survey No. 1209, Mrytle Claim
Placer and Meadow Association
Placer, Eskimo Gold Dredging Co..
Claimant; on the East 40 Acre Tract
Association, unsurveyed; on the
South claims unsurveyed and claim
ant unknown; on the West, Sur. Ne.
1209, Osiris Placer, Eskimo Bold
Dredging Co., claimant. )
THOS McGANN j
Register.
NOTICE OF FORFEITURE t
To J. N. Flack, Nome Kougarok Con
solidated Mined Company and Jasok
i?etnan, your heirs, executors, admin
istrators and assign#?
You and each of you, are hereby
notified that the undersigned has ax
pended in labor and improvements
the sum of one hundred dollar's dur
ing each Of the- years of 1914, 1916,
1916, and 1917, upon the following
described placer mining claim, situate,
lying and being in the Kougarok Re
cording District, Territory of Alaska,
to-wit: The upper one half (%) of
[Ireek Claim Number Three on Dabl
"’reek in the Kougacok Mining Dis
trict.
You are further notified that if
within ninety t'90) days after tka
publication of this notice you fail or
leglect to contribute your proportion
>f such expenditure, your interest 1>
laid mining claim if any, will become
he property of the undersigned, your
10-owner, under section 2324 of tka
Revised Statutes of the United States.
AL CARET
Co-owner.
‘ublished—Nor. 23, 3*. Dec. 7, 14,
!1, 2*. Jau. 4, 11, II, 21. Fsb.i, I, If,