The daily star-mirror. (Moscow, Idaho) 1911-1939, 1915-03-08
MONTANA EXPERT
FORESTERS' GUEST
ID. T. MASON OF MISSOULA PRE-
SENTS INTERESTING PAPER
AT BANQUET
Conditions Under Which LabOrers In
Forests Carry on Work Crap
hfcally Described

Saturday evening the Associated
Foresters entertained Mr. D. T. Mason
of Missoula, Montana, at dinner a,
Williamson's cafe Mr.. Mason is as
sistant district forester of district No
l, and is at present engaged in making
study of the lumber industry in the
Inland Empire. The work is being
done in connection with similar in
vestigations that the government is
making in other parts of the country
with a view of cooperating with and
aiding the lumbermen.
Mr.. Mason read a paper that was a
strong appeal for welfare work for
the lumberjack and other woods
workers. Regarding the paper he
said, Il have set the ideals high, and
realize that all of them are not prac-
ticable at the beginning, but lot can
be accomplished in the long rum" He
explained that the present labor con-
ditions are largely the result of mis-
taken belief formerly held by employ
ers that cheap labor meant low pro-
duction costs. Wages were cut to the
minimum and the laborers found it
necessary to organize unions to pro-
tect their own interests. 'In later
years, however, a different spirit has
been making itself felt in some quar-
ters. The most progressive employers
now recognize that the more their
employees legitimately earn and are
paid, and the better conditions under
which the employees work and live,
the more successful will be the busi-
mess. The United States Steel Cor
poration is ome Of the leaders in well
fare work" The lumbermen, how
ever, have been slow in adopting this
view and, as a result, the lumberjacks
of today are an ever-shifting, transient
group of men who take no interest iii
the work and who stay on one job
only long enough ito get the where
withal for a good drunk" Mr. Mason
illustrated this point by quoting re-
mark made by a certain manager:
I'VE require four crews to handle one
operation in the woods-a crew on the
job, crew on the way to town, a
crew on drunk, and crew on the
way back to work"
Speaking of the conditions under
which the woods workers live Mr..
Mason painted very vivid picture of
he unsanitary and unattractive quar-
.ers that are provided in most lumber
camps, and made number of sugges-
ions for the betterment Of such condi
ions That this welfare would call
or additional outlay, he admitted, but
le pointed out the fact that ''the COM
,aratively few progressive lumbermen
Who have installed certain features of
t find that the original cost is far
more than offset by increased effic-
ency." "a lumberman whom | met |
lot long ago." he said, STATED that a |
ertain group of saloons near his |
ogging operations had probably cost |
i'm $4,000 in a period of four years
through reduced efficiency in his
rews." Such things can be largely
ffset by the establishment of reading
ooms, music, and other attractions in
he camps. The Potlatch Lumber Co.
as tried it and found it effective.
Mr. Mason ended his paper with
lea that the workmen be treated as
ldividuals and paid according to their
-orth; and also that year-round labor
e provided. This latter, he pointed
ut, would tend to do away with the
oating laborers and bring in their
lace men with families who would
,ttle permanently in the region.
Short talks were made also by Mr. !
H. Shattuck, President Brannon, {
r. Donk, Mr.. GAIL and Ben Bush.
resident Brannon spoke apprecia-
vely of Mr.. Mason's paper and ex-
,esed his qualification that forestry
as being studied from the side OF |
GEOLOGY as well as from the side of t
ience. g