The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-03
SLAVES OF THE MILLS.
Cinnamon Making Lumber and
Shingles i'm Canada.
THEIR PAY ONE DOLLAR A DAY.
white Men kmpioysd ss the Same
Wages-How Can Puget sound
Mills Compstes
NEW WESTMINSTER Nov. 1. 1894.


To THE EprToR: The Iurn Der and shingie
mill interests OF this province have been
intensely stirred up by an interview pub
lished In your paper of recent date with
Co. C. W. Griggs, of Tacoma. ]. g. Scott.
manager of the Pacific Coast Lumber Com
pany, has written letter 10 the Column
ban. denying the truth of the coloneis
statements. and later P. A. Paulson, of
Tacoma and Victoria, has also denied the
truthfulness of Col. Griggs' remarks. /
shall no. take the trouble to answer the
statements of Mr.. Paulson. for where he
is known their worth and reliability will
be set at their proper value.
Col. Griggs was undoubtedly mistaken
when he said the employees of the mills
were all Cinnamon but the foreman. Ii
he had said that the price of labor in Brit
ish Columbia was down so low that few
Cinnamon could be found to work for the
wages offered. and that white men had
taken their places. he would have come
nearer the mark. Mr.. Scott makes the
following statements to which / wish to
refer: First. he offers to bear the cost of
taking g complete census of the employees
OF Canadian mills if the result OF such
census will show that one out OF every
hundred of these employees is China
man; second, he says that wages in mills
and cost Of living are higher in British
Columbia than on Puget Sound. As Col.
Griggs referred TO British Columbia mills,
Mr.. Scott adroitly avoids the question
by saying canadian mills" Ii he will
confine the assertions to British Columbia
mills. as Col. Griggs did, he would be
muctsd in the cost of the census. Mr..
Scott being undoubtedly acquainted with
the mills of his neighborhood, l will briefly
refer TO them. His own mill employs nine
Cinnamon and ten white men. The Bru-
nette Sawmili Company in their shingle
mill employ in the same proportion. The
same is true of the Fort Moody and VAN
couver shinge mills. II is we'll known
that the Spicer mill at Vancouver lately
reduced the wages of some OF their Chi
nese employees, who struck, and their
places were filled by white men at the re-
ductIon rate. The Brunette and Royal
City mills in this town employ Cinnamon
in their yards and about the mill in large
numbers. So do all the British Columbia
lumber mills.
As TO the second assertion. give you
the scale of wages as paid hereabouts in
the lumber and shingle mills. The Royal
City mills. both here and in Vancouver.
pay laborers SIC per month and board.
Board Is charged at the rate of so cents
per day, including all lay-offs. They are
also docked for ali lay-offs. A few shacks
are provided for the men TO sleep in, and
the balance have to pay room rent. II q
man desires to board himself the COM
pany allow him $40 per month extra.
That is 81 per day without board. The
average pay to laborers per month at their
mills during the past summer. am in
formed, was about 50. Tailymen receive
S28 per month and board. Other skilled
labor Is paid in the same proportion.
At the Brunette sawmill laborers receive
siS per month and board; taliymen, $40
and board. The same deductions are made
there as at the Royal City mills. As the
Brunette Company does not provide sleep
ing quarters for their men an average OF
50 per month must be deducted for room
rent. The average pay of laborer per
month in their employ. l am informed. is
about $3.50 The same scale of wages
applies To the Vancouver lumber mills.
Now for Mr.. Scott and his shingIe
mill: Two white laborers, am in formed,
receive 81 per day of ten hours without
board; two cutoff men. 81. 25 and ST. 50 per
day. respectively; the kneebolter not over
$50; the night Waterman. 81 IS per night,
p. m. TO a. M. /: the engineer, working
every day. about $40 per month. Mr.. Scott
pays his knot sawyers, who are Cinnamon.
81 per day. and his Chinese jointer sL25.
The packers are paid cents per thousand;
the Chinese lsborers 81 per day.
A mill manager who does not live |, 900
La Mr.
peatedly of lste said: III q white man
viii work for the same wages as a China
man wall give the white man the prefer
| enee." This remark will enable your
readers to understand more thoroughly
the foregoing scale of wages. You can
now. Mr.. Editor, gather fair idea of the
wages paid in British Columbia mills. IF
the above scale or rate of wages is paid on
| Puget sound. then Manager Scott Is
| correct in his assertion. II he is, God
help Puget sounds As TO the cost of
| living he is correct 1t does cost more. [
| am told. 20 live here than on the Sound.
| Ii the laborers or the majority of them,
| did not batch, they could not live on
| the wages paid. Mr.. SCOTS men, / am
| informed. mostly live at home with the
| old folks"
From the foregoing YOU will easily per-
| celye how Col Griggs was in error when
he claimed "ai the employees but the fore
/ man" were Cinnamon Why, colonel, dill
/ you not say the rate of wages was Chinese
wages and that very few Cinnamon would
/ work for the wages now paid white men,
/ and then, Col. Griggs. you would have hit
/ the nail on the head. Consistency. thou
4 arr jewel, whether sxempliiied by Ia
q -
/ man. HUGH AuLINGuAM
/ The Worlds Fair award To Dr.. Prices
! Baking Powder speaks tor itself 1t pro-
/ claims the superiority OF this popular
/ brand over every other.