In 1912 Agnes C. Laut was commissioned by muckraking Saturday Night editor Frederick C. Paul to report on why B.C. was exceedingly fearful of both Asian immigration and the Wobblies union movement. Her shrewd articles proved so popular that Saturday Night reprinted them in 1913 as a pamphlet. SFU labour historian Mark Leier has edited Laut's reflections on racial politics for Am I My Brother's Keeper? A Study of British Columbia's Labour & Oriental Problems (Subway Books, $14.95, 1819 Pendrell St., #203, Vancouver, V6G 1T3). "Nearly a century later,"; he writes, "we see neo-liberal governments, closely linked to big business, create chaos by attacking labour, reducing the minimum wage, breaking contracts and relying on the police for protection. They might heed Laut's warning that radicalism is caused by the injustice of the 'free' market and a lack of democratic process."; 0-9687163-4-2

[BCBW 2003]