The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1911-02-24
CONDITIONS
OYERDRAWN
Everett Is All Right
But 1t WOn'tH Hasten
Prosperity to Flood
City With Idle Men
"A Sure Result of
Widespread Boom
Stories

Six hundred new dwellings completed
or under course of construction in Ev-
erett in the last few weeks. Big build
ing boom strikes this city Wow! Come
to Everett, c. d. Hilman, and take les
sons on how to promote boom. Hon
est, we hate to puncture that fairy
story, but its painful duty. No one
appreciates a good boost story more
than we do if it is founded on fact. We
want to see Everett prosper We've
got a good little city-they don't make
EN- any better But is a gross exag-
gcration of conditions in reality a
boost? Let's consider results of such a
story. Times are quiet throughout the
Sound country. Workmen are idle
everywhere. Story goes out that in Ev-
erett there is a big building boom on.
Hurried packing of tools by men out of
work who must have employment Des-
tination, Everett. Arrive here and find
more than half of Everett's building
tradesmen walking the streets. Build
ing boom exists only in imagination.
More men added to the list of unem-
ployed Is that right, is it fair, either
to the resident unemployed or to the
transient workmen?
Maybe We don't know what we are
talking about Maybe we're Just knock
ing for the pure love of knocking Well,
we've taken some pains to ascertain ac-
tual conditions in the building industry.
Figures given apply to the union trades
men, but bear in mind there are no non
union Jobs of any consequence going on
in the city at the present time. A few
small dwellings are being built by their
owners, but in the main what work is
going on is being done by union men.
SO the following facts and figures may
be taken as a pretty sure indication of
actual building conditions.
In the month of January, 1910, the
lathers drove sixty thousand lath in the
city; in Jan, 1911, they drove thirty
five thousand. In Feb, 1910, they
drove one hundred and sixty-one thous-
and; so far this month they have driven
but forty-siX thousand. Seventeen
fathers We're working in the city a year
ago this month; today there are five
working.
Painters report less than half OF their
men working.
Seven joumeymen plumbers are work
ing; under normal conditions there
should be between fiften and twenty
men.
Plasterers are all idle except for an
occasional days work and out of town
jobs.
Carpenters have a normal membership
of two hundred and thirty; less than a
hundred of them are working.
The business agent of the building
trades is constantly about the city. Aft
er careful examination he finds about
fifty buildings in the entire city have
been built or are under course of con
struction since the first of the year,
and they include every structure of
every kind, dwellings, additions, leantos,
business structures, whether built by
union tradesmen or owners.
Does that listen like a big building
boom? Were we allowed to hazard a
guess as to the source of this boom
story. we should say to the chamber of
commerce, tag. you're it,"
Whereupon, the gentlemen composing
that body would grow highly indignant,
for they claim to be the only genuine,
real, dyed-in-t the wool boosters. Yes,
they are, open shop boosters. We have
not forgotten their open shop resolu,
tion; we have not forgotten their pro
test against the eight hour workday for
women; we have not forgotten their pro-
president is connected with a business
concern which, as a member of the man
ufacturers' association. is fighting the
eight hour day demand of the metal
trades workers. we do not forget that
an influential percentage of the mem
bers of this body have as little time for
union man as the devil has for holy
water DO they propose to flood the
town with idle workmen and then raise
the issue of open shop2" Is that the
gamer Is it part of the coast wide
campaign of the manufacturers of the
Otis school to wipe out unionismi Or is
it what it appears on the surface, a
harmless little Jolly, a boost story for
Everett. If the former, the sooner or
ganized labor knows what il has to go
up against, the better; if the latter, it
is ill-timed for it is no Joke to the resi-
dent workman nor the transient seeker
for a job
So, if this IS a knock, we can't help
it,; the union workmen have stayed
with your city all these years, making
n