Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1907-06-10
LUMBER MILLS
ARE CLOSED DOWN
Employers Give Men Until We'd
nesday to Return to Work
Under Open Shop.
ASK SYMPATHETIC STRIKE.
Carpenters Urged Not to Handle Any
Mill Work Turned Out in Local
Shops During Trouble.

Outside of railroads the lumber
field has probably been the seat of
more industrial warfare than any
other braach of commerce, and to-
day sal; Lake Is experiencing tho be-
ginning of what may be pitched bat
tie between those who handle lumber
in rough bulk, and those who prepare
st for buildings in mills and as out
side carpenters.
1t isn't a question OF wages, as the
lumber workers are already among
the top notshers but of a closed shop.
TODAY ali the lumber mills are closed
IN Salt Lake. The mill owners have
sent notices To their men that they
must either return TO work hefore
Wednesday. in open shops, or viii
lose their positions permanently. The
mill workers are looking 10 their fell
low laborlng men. In other unions. es-
recislly the carpenter union, TO help
them out by refusing 10 handle the
output OF any mills until the strike Is
settled.
THREATEN TO RETALlATE.
Because they are demanding that
men employed In the mills he all
union men the min men threaten TO
retaliate by announcing that after
Wednesday, they win not employ any
union man whatever, and VIII have
only non-uniou employees, Of whom
they declare they can obtain large
number from tho east whore wages
are much lower than the local scale,
A mill man who refused to allow the
use of his name called at the News
today To declare that the News was
wrong In saying that the average ga
ary paid millworkers is SSs per week
He declares that It Is nearer to $50
per week and that the big majority
of the men receive between $50 and
$40 The salary list as printed was
given out by the publicity committee
of the employers.
WORKING RULES.
The same millman gave permission
for the use of set of rules. which
form the basis for the trouble, nom
their standpoint. These working rules
call for an absolutely closed shop, q
nine-h hour day, n wage OF 66la cents
per hour for all outside work, aud for
bid union carpenters 70 handle nateri-
al got out in non-union mills. They
also forbid n union man to work for
more than three days In any SHOP
where nom union man Is given cm-
ploymeni. The employers give II out
that there are only so union men. with
A non-union men now At work. but
the union claim is larger tIldH liilS'
While several hundreds of small
buildings were abandoned this spring,
after plans had been drawn during
the winter there is stlll enough build
ing going on TO make "a strike OF min
men somewhat annoying to builders
and TO cause delay in the finishing OF
what buildings are in process of
erection. as well as the abandonment
OF any that may have been recently
projected
STATEMENTS ISSUED.
The publicity committee of the mill
owners gives out today statement of
the situation, in which II Is stated that
TOO much publicity can only have the
effect of frightening away capital, and
that the union only came into exist
ence year ago. receiving official rec
ognitlon within the past so days.
That wages do form an item in tho
controversy Is also maintained, as they
set forth that the present demands, II
granted, would open the way for de-
mand In the very near future for
raise of 1b per cent over the present
wages, and II is To make this demand
that the owners believe the men are
organizing. Union labels on al goods
was another demand.
REVIEW OF STRIKE.
Reviewing the strike, the owners set
forth that the Taylor Armstrong peO-
pie walked out on June without giving
any notice. and that other mills were
able TO keep their employees as they
employed non-union men, except the
SieTla-NeVada mill, where walkour
followed the discharge OF the union
president for using obscene language.
The statement concludes by urging
that no reasonable demands would have
been refused, had the milmen APP
preached their employers instead Of
walking out on strike, and that since
they had done this II might be made
necessary to employ only non-union
men in tho future.