ANGRY HIGHLANDERS

Dominion, Volume 10, Issue 3042, 31 March 1917, Page 12

ANGRY HIGHLANDERS

• 'displaced in"theis- work by ," , .■■■;•::; german-prisoners.;-.; : > ■ . The crofters and cotters 'of the Islands: of. Skyo and Rasay recently waxed iff- .. (lignant'svt the;action of a landlord 1 who .employed a large number qf German . prisoners—not '.'because.' there is no local ; labour, but because the islanders' would . hot accept his terms of'payment. ; The , .trouble centred'.in the Island-of Raasay, ; : VvJ f icß ? .lrifs7a' :i r^pula.ti6'ij;b'f ; -about, 4a": : The"--island ; is-Wvncd. by.--tlvo. family ;of■'it virdhma3'ter,'''ahM : n't'tire /south-: i-'-errii erifl are iroV; mine's; since ' the wai' : begaiii-'.kave' belli extended, '■ and : are.'noW, working at a much ; 'greater : capacity-' than, e'yeT"'hefore.' ■ ;■' '. . -The islanders live mostly iii tjie north , . of the arid", many, of tiipm.. hav'o.j ~ been employed in tlie' mines -aft wages | , from 155,, to' 18s; a.week'.';Smhq outsido- . labour had:tb s bo,employed, at rates from 18s.' : to '. 245.: , :a. l ;Ve"?fci;..hs -the'- islanders'' 'did not care'to work for the-low wages offered theni., "■-■■''.'■ ' :". In r'order'.to attract' local /people to the. • mines cottages were:built,-and for these ' o rent of. Its. per month -was charged.. When war broke' out and the -necessity for more iron ore became- acuta, work at'the Raasay mines became'more active-. It was necessary to■-build light railways and to improve the harbour to deal es- . peditiously with the output. This work would have suited the islanders, who have never cared much about work undffri ground, but it wasmiado'known that.the islanders who -had' refused to work in - the iuihes'.would, not bo employed'ou.thc 1 surface work.. The' indignation, of the ■ islanders can be imagined when one daythere arrived-a. party about 20 Gcr- ■ man prisoners,'-who .we're put to -work. on the railways and ' harbour. Further batoh'es of German prisoners■; arrived at intervals, until there were orai-200 employed: on, the island.- The Land .League'; nassed a resolution, protesting against the introduction, of tierman prisoner labour under such circum 7 ' stances,-' and falling, upon the .Government immediately, to stop injustice;. •'to the Highland people.'-;Capies ; .qf thw.-; resolution were Jof warded-to -Mr. Lloyd., Geore/e Mr.'-Henderson, a.nd the leader .•;;:.■• "••' '