BRITISH MINERS

Dominion, Volume 21, Issue 291, 8 September 1928, Page 9

BRITISH MINERS

SENT TO CANADA FOR HARVEST WEEK ALLEGATION OF ROUGH TREATMENT INVESTIGATION DEMANDED (United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright.) (Australian Press Assn.—United Service.) Winnipeg, September 6. After making a personal investigation among British harvesters stranded and receiving rough treatment, Mr. David Kirkwood, Labour member for Dumbarton, conferred with the Dominion immigration officials and representatives of the railways on Thursday. Mr. Kirkwood termed the present system of looking after the men as “disgraceful.” He described the Baldwin' plan of sending British miners to Canada as “criminal” in view of the absence of organised efforts to see the men looked after all the time. At a conference on colonisation on Thursday between the British Labour members and delegates of the Empire Parliamentary Association a bombshell was dropped by Mr. Thomas Johnson, Labour member for Stirling, who declared that he witnessed the spectacle of British harvesters kept in underground cages at Winnipeg Railway Station, guarded by an armed.solder and two dozen police, the men not be-, ing permitted to leave and being herded together like sheep. “British citizens,” he declared, “are not in the habit of being treated in this way.” Mr. Thomas Shaw, Minister of Labour in the Ramsay MacDonald Government, declared that he accompanied Mr. Johnson and had seen the conditions with his own eyes. Viscount Peel, chairman of the delegation, said he had no personal knowledge of the conditions, but he felt that it was the proper time for an investigation to be held and the charges aired thoroughly. . ; . The Winnipeg Board of Trade is likely to petition the Federal Government to investigate. ALLEGATIONS OFFICIALLY DENIED (Australian Press Assn.—United Service.) (Rec. September 7, 9.20 p.m.) Ottawa, September 7. A Winnipeg message states that the Immigration Commissioner, Mr. Gelley, in declaring that the statements alleging improper treatment of British harvesters were false, said the immigration authorities had not detained any British harvesters in any way, shape or form since their coming to the country. He denied the charge made by Mr. Thomas Johnston. Labour M.P. for Dumbarton, that British harvesters were kept in an underground cage in Winnipeg.