The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1914-08-14
MILL WORKERS
ON STRIKE
CENTRALIA MILL WORKERS
REFUSE TO LABOR FOR ST 81
A DAY-FOOD PRICES SOAR
AND COMPANY REDUCES
WAGES.
(By E. P. Marsh.)

(By E. P. Marsh.)
Centrala is just now the scene of a
labor struggle which will have an i'm
portant bearing on the work of organ
ization of the timber industry. In that
city, where the shingle weavers union
has tried for years to gain a foothold
has always been lower than in other
parts of the state, where men have sub
mitted to petty industrial tyrannies
without protest, an undercurrent of
discomfort has been famed into open
flame by the actions of one of the
large mill companies in cutting below
the cost of actual subsistence the
wages of it's men.
| Food prices are soaring sky high
what height the necessaries of life
will climb before the European war is
over Yet in the face of that this mill
company, which had been paying but
171ac per hour, put into effect re-
duction from that figure of ten per
cent. The munificent sum of $1.57 a
day for a man to feed, clothe and
school his children. Imagine if you
can the kind of rations, the kind of
clothing, the kind of furniture, $1.57
day will provide at the cost of living
where it was prior to the outbreak Of
the war With war prices in effect
for foodstuffs actual hunger would be
their portion.
These strikers are not foreigners.
They are pure blooded American stock.
Most of them came from old Missouri
and they have the Missouri tWang, the
homely but picturesque phrasing, to
their speech. They lived most of
them, in Centralia for many years and
have worked in the same plant. They
are slow to action but when they get
started don't get in their way. That's
the history of Missourians.
| 1t was the writer's pleasure to visit
Centralia last Sunday in company
with President Brown of the Timber
workers Union and speak in the open
air to those strikers and their fam
lilies. They sat with eager, upturned
faces in a semi-circle before the speak
ers' stand. There was deadly earnest
ness, grim determination, stamped
upon every face These were the de-
scendants of the men who fought for
their homes against the invading
armies of both north and south, for
Missouri was the battle ground of both
| armies. 1t was pathetic to look into
the faces of the women, faces lined
with the battle of industrial existence.
Only they knew how they kept their
children in clothing so that they might
attend school. Only they knew of the
midnight hours spent sewing and
patching and planning, the mother love
weaving itself into stitch of the needle.
They with their men were ON
go more hardships if it meant in the
end that their children would be given
more opportunity for self advance
ment No man could face that audi
ence without being thrilled with the
consciousness that in all the ages
there has been just one movement
worth while, that in all the ages yet to
come there will be but one struggle
worth the fighting, and that is the up
ward movement of the working peo-
pie of all ages.
They may win in Centralia, they
may lose. Win or lose they will be all
the better men and women for having
made the fight and the cause of human
progress will have advanced another
milestone along the road because of
their sacrifice.