Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-02-27
aim TO CLOSE
INLAND MILLS
|. W. W. Program Has That Its Chief
Object for Spring, According
to Common Report
TO CONCENTRATE ON LOCCERS
A Menace to Industry That Must Be
Wisely Controlled

The Elk River Qdaho) Sentinel
describes l. w. w. activities in that
section and outlines what it consid- |
ers this organization will attempt |
in northern Idaho this spring The
Sentinel says:
Plan to Close Mills.
Now that spring is approaching
the l. w. w. campaign to close up
or prevent the opening of Inland
mills is beginning to take form. Its
headquarters in Spokane, with prin-
cipal branches at Standpoint and st.
Maries, will concentrate all efforts
on the logging camps as they COM
mand the situation; the mills cannot
run without a regular supply of raw
material. Further, the number of
men available for woods jobs is much
decreased and there is hope of q
good lumber market when cars be-
come plentiful again.
There is no reasonable chance that
they will be able to shut any mills
down for any length of time, but
they can undoubtedly cause much
trouble and delay. In some places
they will surely cause loss of prop
erty in towns and woods and there
has never yet been an /. w. w.
trouble of any size without at least
one cold-blooded murder. In Idaho
and on the sound there are a number
of men wanted in northern Mime
sofa for murder but of whom de-
scriptions are poor, and others
against whom direct evidence is not
available These will form the back
bone of the movement.
Demands Are Not Known.
The demands for which the l. w.
w. leaders are working are not.
known, in fact they seem to be a
small consideration. There has been
no gathering of lumberjacks to de-
eide on what to ask. The leaders
simply got up list and are offering
it to the woodsmen as what they
will get for them. The list an
nounced last fall included a raise
which the scarcity of men has al
ready procured better camp accom-
modations, which are being intro
duced under the resolutions of the
Lumbermen's club passed last fall.
A further raise undoubtedly will be
promised by the /. w. W., but the
real point of disagreement is the
demand that all men be hired by
the foreman at the camp, which
means little as few men go to camp
until they have job lined up, or at
a hall of the |. w. w. through the
local secretary of the order.
Under the circumstances this re-
uuirement alone would forever pre-
vent any agreement.
Ordor. ie NOT q racnOnclb ltl
union like the trades unions and its
active members ar enot reliable, re-
sponsible parties, no agreements can
be made with them. The fact that
its local agitators or "job delegates
are for the most part yeggs would
make any dealings with them
wrong morally as well as foolish.
Take Charge of Train.
Within the last weeks there have
been several minor strikes that were
\ fomented by the /. w. W., and one
or two outbreaks. The only strike
of Importance was at the Rutledge
camp near Fernwood on Thursday,
and its cause was of slight import
ance. The teamsters had been car
ing for their teams and got Sun
day board free. 1t is understood here
that the company put in stable
man to do the work and thereafter
charged the teamsters for their
board on the same basis as other
men. Most of teamsters then quit
and the l. w. w. in camp persuaded
all the rest TO quit, although most
did not want to do so and were
moved by a desire to avoid trouble
with the reds. Then the next day
the whole bunch wanted to go to
st. Maries and about 100 took pos
session of the north-bound Milwau-
kee freight in charge of Conductor
Downey and rode it into st. Maries
The railroad asked for protection and
the arrest of the marauders, but
County Attorney Holsclaw of Ben
newah county, who will be remem-
bered in Clearwater for his invert-
ebracy, declined to do anything or
the ground that it was no offensC
TO take forcible possession of a train
That same evening Elizabeth G
Flynn, young and handsome woman
who is one of the principal orators
for the l. w. W., and has been sincs
the trouble at the time Chief OF
Police Sullivan was murdered il
Spokane about eight years ago, adj
dressed a large meeting at a thea
tire in st. Maries and took up {
collection. One small camp at which
a number of !. w. W. were EN-
ployed and which is contracting log:
for the st. Joe mill, quit in a body
and attended.
Always Look for Trouble.
The general plan of operations O
the l. w. w. in the Panhandle ha.
been revealed by their local agi
tators. 1t is to get a few member.
into each camp possible and hav,
them take advantage of the number
less little disputes that come vi
every day to make general trouble