Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1911-02-07
PAPER MILLS
SUBJECTED TO
EIGHT HOURS
IMPORTANT FACTS BROUGHT OUT
IN HEARING on DIMICK EIGHT.
HOUR BILL FOR OREGON CITY
INDUSTRIES - MUCH OPPOSI.
TION TO THE MEASURE.

The most important bill before this
session Is the Dimick eght-hour law,
to apply to industries that are oper-
ated through the "a hours or for over .
23 hours without stopping machinery |
This bill affects some of the largest
Industries in the state, and is espec-
Tally aimed to change conditions in
the Oregon City Paper Mills. Mr..
Dimick made a strong and able argu-
ment for his bill, which passed the
senate once, and was recalled and
sent back to the committee.
Hearing Monday Night.
On Monday evening there were
about 100 business men and employees
Of the paper mills at the state library
to hear arguments for and against the
bill. The committee is composed of
Senators Chase, Patton, Nottingham,
Locke, and Kellaher.
The Dlmick eight-hour law is limit
ed by section three to apply to paper
mills almost exclusively 1t reaches
other industries. The health of oper-
atives was to be considered but the
wages paid at Oregon City were bet
ter than eastern mills, and health of
operatives was excellent. Competing
mills were on a two-shift basis. This
bill was to put the Oregon City mills
on three-shift basis. 1t was blow
at single industry. Mr. Francis, a
foreman at the mills, was introduced.
Men at the mills thought they were
going to get 10 hours pay for eight
hours. Men on shift labor prefer to
work indoors and at shift labor for
two dollars to working 10 hours for
$1.75. In changing shifts, some of the
men work IS to 20 hours, once a
week Mr.. Dimlck cross-examined.
He got out one fact, that boys off the
farm liked this work better. It was
easier than logging.
Geo Pusey superintendent of the
Hawley Pulp and Paper Mill, who had
worked up from the yard, gave a
graphic exhibition Of how a man
tends a wet machine. The work in
wooden mills was harder than in the
paper mill. The hours were long but
the labor light. The witness had
worked in the acid room and the sui
phide room and it was not unhealthy,
Men were hardly asked to do a decent
days work. Men came and asked in
advance for this employment. The
men got wet some but not enough to
hurt Five cords of wood run a
grinder "a hours Mr.. Sheehan had
worked 26 years in the paper mill.
Shifts changed at noon and midnight
Ground four cords in "a hours. One
man tended two grinders. On wet
machines men cut pulp in 25-pound
bundles The shift work was moi
hard work. Skilled men were re-
quired on the paper machines. The
men on the shifts make arrangements
as to hours,
Mr. Patton: Would the men worl
eight hours for $1.S4?"
Mr.. Sheehan: "No sir, they woult
not take the job on an eight-hou1
day. They could not make a living a
It,"
Mr.. Buchanan said there was n
hard work on the paper machines
Eight men were employed to do tn
work that six could do The mill
run off 100 tons in a day, 1t tool
$40 men to run the mill on two shifts
Mr. Lovett, of the pulp mills, said h
had one-armed men feeding grinder
and in the wet machines. Young me
of 16 to Is run wet machines. Da
men handled IA to 16 cords of WOO
and piled 1t up around. The men VIII
run three grinders got $3.50 a da!
Men preferred to run the three grinC
ers for the extra pay. The men VIII
do 10 hours hard work, do thlr
more work than a shift man. Th
men suit their own convenience an
work 1OlS to 1917 hours on a shift
Mr. Patton: What do your labo
ers think of increasing the pay {
some of the judges a thousand dollar
a year?"
This was ruled out OF order.
Mr. Dalton said he had worked
years on sllft work and could kiC
as high as any man present. tt
men on shift work made their own a
rangements as to length of hours.
Mr., McBain, assistant treasurer
the acting manager of the Leblanc
Paper company, and showed fgur
to prove that the average pay WI
S6S2S per month
The annual payroll was SSl9.St
Sl6S,S72 additional pay was involv
in putting an eight-hour day in pla
of the present two-shift day Some
the men work through "a hours so
to have "a hours of for certain pu
- poses None OF the men were fore
he to work IA hours or "a hours, but d
he so of their own choice, A good m
DIS chine tender sat down 90 per cent
the time In the east FIVE men to t
nd mAchina Mns the rlln- and M Nrnr-