Wausau pilot. [volume] (Wausau, Wis.) 1896-1940, 1917-09-18
LABOR CONDITIONS
IN THE WEST
Also an Address Made by Miss Mona.
han Before the Commonwealth
Club of Seattle.


From letter written from Seattle
by Miss Anne Monahan to friend in
Wausau the Pilot has been allowed to
take the Following extract which tells
of the labor and lumber situation in
the west:
''The governor insists that the camps
and mills can give an eight hour day
and compete with the southern mills
in face of the proofs from the lum-
ber companies that it cannot be done
The workmen are insisting that eight
hours is long enough for any one to
work and refuse to accept the proof
that there is insufficient man power
to grant an eight-hour day; then the
governor had an inspiration and urged
an eight-hour day with nine hours
pay, but the workmen refused to have
their wages decreased. Now, the mar
ket has gone to pieces; there is no
demand for lumber and the workmen
/ wiz ha'S nv oOhC W WOA at AhO
ship yards and cantonments are hol-
lering for the mills to open up; as
final straw tile ship carpenters an
nounced they will not handle lumber
from any but eight-hour union mills.
Surely the crown of the lumber king is
lined with spikes these days in this
part of the country.
have been out to some of the
camps in the Olympic mountains. /
wish could describe them as they ap-
pear to me. The forests you have seen,
of course, and the huge machinery
they use nowadays; the bunk houses
and camp buildings can be placed
on wheels and pulled to new camp
sites. The hunks are all steel; all the
buildings are electric lighted, and the
new camps have hot and cold run
ming water, shower baths, and a re-
creation camp; one that was being
erected had made provision for a
stage and moving picture apparatus.
The average day wage now is $3.S7
and board is 1926 a week, and this
is what they had for dinner at the last
camp | visited: Roast beef, boiled po-
tatoes, creamed carrots, buttered
beets. baked beans and Boston brown
| bread, white and graham bread,
creamery butter, and coffee and tea
with sweet cream, and gooseberry pie.
The vegetables and milk and cream
are supplied by farmers in the vicin-
| ity.'
In the report Of the proceedings of
the Commonwealth club of Seattle,
Monday evening, Aug. 9th, the fol-
lowing remarks were made by Miss
Monahan, which will be interesting to
her many Wausau friends:
members of the Commonwealth Club.
When Miss Case honored me by In
yiting me to speak here this evening
she suggested the most desirable top
in would be aloag the lines of woman's S
responsibility in sharing the privilege
CT suffrage. II this privilege were
| exercised throughout the entire coun-
| try, little or no harm might result
| from the misuse-either by commits
sion or omission-of the western wom-
| ans power in making the laws OF the
| nation as well as those of her own
state, but until all women citizens
4 - 81 H. TTr-st I'D
| frage. double and heavy response
bili.y rests upon women voters.
| Your own state must be well and
wisely governed; every state has On its
statute books laws. that if enforced,
preserve order and justice, and your
representation at the nations capital
must be the reflection of the lofty and
mobile standard that you maintain at
home. Those who do not believe in
equal suffrage demand convincing