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Q: Are you a married man, Mr. Hillary?
A: Yes.
Q: And you live in one of these houses?
A: Yes.
Q: What would happen if a man put up an apartment
house - if he had a nice room to accommodate two, and have
it furnished neatly and heated properly, and surroundings
good and effort made to make it as pleasant when you are out
of the mine - would it be an inducement for man to come
there, or would they not appreciate it? A: They would
appreciate it.
Q: Would foreigners appreciate it?
A: Now it's pretty hard work driving anything into these
foreigners. You are up against something trying to deal with
those fellows.
Q: By W. F. McNeil: As a matter of fact, wouldn't a
foreigner rather live in a hack and batch for himself?
A: Yes, any old dugout satisfies those fellows.
Q: By H. Shaw: Couldn't he be kind of educated to
these things and eventually make a better man and a better
citizen?
A: Providing these men are willing to be educated. The
majority of them you can't teach them anything.4
Bercuson's book includes testimony from an Italian miner,
S. Centazzo, who is listed as an unemployed miner from
Edmonton. He is 23 years old and single and he indicates that
he has worked in the mines in different parts of Alberta for
15 years. He arrived in Canada in 1913 from London England
and says that he is not a member of the united Mine Workers
of America but is a member of the One Big Union. He states
that he has been locked out of mining jobs because of his
union activities including being Chairman of the Humberstone
miners. He appears very articulate and knowledgeable and
would certainly have been viewed as a dangerous militant and
says himself that he cannot get employment because the bosses
consider him an agitator.5
Centazzo, when asked by Chairman J.R. Stirling if he has
anything further to say, states: "Well, I don't know;
according to the previous speaker I shouldn't be allowed to
speak for the simple reason I'm not English speaking. I don't
know if you will allow me to." He is giving his
testimony after G.S. Montgomery, General Manager, Alberta
Coal Mining Co. Ltd., Edmonton, who has indicated that
foreign workers should not be allowed to become union members
and has made an issue of citizenship and speaking English.
Centazzo, I believe, is speaking tongue-in-cheek. He is
challenging authority but then proceeds to deal with concrete
miners' concerns about what they are entitled to but do not
get, for example, hot water to wash themselves, heated
washhouses as they come off shift and drying boxes to dry
their clothes. He is challenged to state which mine he is
referring to and he replies: "I will not take just one
mine. I take in general. Because it's not fair to ask one
fellow and leave the other out." He also makes
recommendations with respect to safety lamps requesting that
miners be allowed to carry small electric lamps in their
pockets as a safety precaution in case of an explosion:
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