The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1913-06-20
GREAT FIGHT
TN BALLARD
PRES. BROWN OF THE TIM
BER WORKERS TALKS TO
LOCAL UNION ABOUT THE
MAGNIFICENT STRUGGLE
WAGING AT THAT PLACE.

WAGING AT THAT PLACE.
International President J. G. Brown,
of the International Union of Shingle
| Weavers, SaWmill Workers and
| WoOdsmen, was a welcome visitor at
the meeting of the local union last
Tuesday evening. Brother Brown al
ways has something to say worth
listening to and he was given a hearty
welcome when he arose to speak
President Brown described at length
the progress of the Ballard strike and
paid a glowing tribute to the courage
shown by the Ballard shingle weavers
who have been on strike for two
months and a half. Out of 325 men
called out there has not been a single
desertion, said Brother Brown, and a
dogged spirit of determination marks
the conflict.
This strike has been full of sur
prises. At the outset we did not
| imagine that the strike could last
longer than a month. The result has
upset all our calculations. The boys
have shown spirit that has surprised
all of us. Though the mill men have
secured the entire country they have
been unable to find men to anywhere
near man their plants and they are in
| desperate straits today. 1t does not
seem possible that they can hold out
much longer, but our boys are pre-
pared to fight this thing out for an
! indefinite period. 1t means a great
deal to our organization to win this
strike. 1t will give an impetus and
encouragement to the movement OF
organizing the industry such as moth
ing else can. With the continued sup
port Of the boys throughout the state
we are going to win this strike"
Brother Brown could not find words
bitter enough to denounce the action
of the I. w. w. in the Ballard conflict.
They talk Of their class loyalty, said
Brown. Much of the strength of the
/ l. w. w. in the logging industry has
| been in two camps which furnish the
bulk of the logs for the Ballard mills.
From the day our strike was called
two months and a half ago, up to June
| 9Th, when they pulled their much
! heralded general strike" those camps
continued to cut logs to be made into
shingles by scabs. And then they
howl because we refuse to Join them
in an abortive strike, in the calling
of which we were not consulted.
Their big noise, National Organizer
Jas. p Thompson, came into Ballard
last Saturday night and held forth on
the streets for over two hours The
most of his time was spent denounciug
A. F. of L. unions and uttering false
hoods about our organization. A man
pretending to be loyal to the laboring
class, who would come into a strike
bound center such as Ballard where
the boys are waging one of the most
magnificent fights ever seen on this
| coast, and attempt to confuse the
minds of the boys and start dissensiOn
with the hope of making capital for
his own organization, is a traitor to
the class he pretends to serve"
President Brown declared that as
far as he was concerned he intended
to fight the l. W. W.'s wherever they
showed their heads
The local passed a resolution con-
demning the action OF Granite Falls
local in denouncing President Brown
through the columns of the Timber
Workers. 1t appears that several In
dustrial Workers crept into the Gran
ite Falls local and attempted to pull
out all of the boys in sympathy with
them when they struck. President
Brown refused to sanction such a move
and a resolution cOndemning Brother
Brown was passed by that local Ev-
/ erett local passed a resolution uphold
ing Brown and rebuking Granite Falls
for their action and ordered same
printed in the Timber Worker.
Local Organizer 10th was continued
for another month and was empower
ed to arrange for a monster mass
meeting some time in July 1t is
planned to hold this meeting in one of
the large halls of the city and secure
the services of two or three good
outside speakers.