The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-02-09
EVERETT'S INDUSTRIAL WARFARE:
REPORT OF PRESIDENT E. P. MARSH

duce the mill owners to grant the in
crease asked. This meeting lasted the
entire afternoon and far into the
night. The weavers resented the idea
Oh calling off their strike after they
mad put up for months most wonder
1ul battle, suffered untold privations.
1T is always labor that must comnrise
and sacrifice and concede." thew said
But they did finally call off their
strike, knowing their motives would
be misunderstood by many, that thew
would be called cutters. The Everett
Shngle Weavers never rose to manlier
heights than in that hour of sacrifice
and sef-abnegatiOn. The sinking of
their own desires, passions and preiu-
dlces in that hour of stress and bitter
ness is the brightest chapter in all
the history of that organization.
After the strike was called off the
strongest kind of effort was put forth
to induce the mill owners to meet the
wage demands by business and pro-
IeSslonaI men prominent in the CITY.
Inc defiant, unyielding attitude of
the mill owners throughout this en-
tire conflict has been a source of
wonderment to the believer in fair
play. The weavers time after time
agreed to submit their case to anv
far method of arbitration. William
Blackman, representative of the fed
eral department of mediation and con-
citation, made trip after trip to Ever
ett IN an effort to bring the contend
ing forces together, but always met
oy the stubborn, unyielding attitude
Oh the mill operators that they had
nothing to concede. The only method
OF arbitration-if it could be so called
to which Governor Clough. repres-
entlng the owners, ever agreed. was
the following proposition made bv him.
Judge of its fairness or unfa;rress
Tor yourself. The mill owners or the
commercial Club acting for them.
were to select one man, the Everett
Iraoes Council to select one and the
Mayor to select third, these three
men TO constitute an arbitration board
Inc Governor would not agree to abide
by the findings of the Board and ba
would not allow the committee +o
nave access to its books or manufact-
urlng data in conducting it's investi-
cation. The Governor expressed II
that the price of logs was a matter
OF common knowledge, everybody
knew the price of shingles, the board
could easily figure it out" The pron-
osltlon was the merest farce and the
weaVers naturally turned it down bv
a practically unanimous vote.
Absolute failure for weeks unop tho
part of interceding parties to secure
the payment of the wage scale in con-
troversy, the strike was again called
on by the Everett union and is still in
effect at this writing. Wages have
oeen forced up, however. two of the
mills affected now being reported to
De paying the union scale throuebout
while others have materially advanced
the wage, though not up to the union
| schedule.
The splendid fincial support accord
ed the Everett Weavers by the labor
movement of the state has made If
possible to continue this effective
picket line. A universal car shortage
cut OH for time almost entirely out
SIDE support from other weavers as
pants were either closed entirely or
running scant time. In this emerg-
ehcy the trade union movement was
appealed to and splendidly responded
furnishing an object lesson in the
growing solidarity of our labor move
ment.
Official Investigation
Early IN December, l wrote each of
our representatives in Congress urg-
ing a congressional investigation into
the industrial situation in Everett.
received replies from the majority of
the delegation in Congress, expressing
sympathy for such an investigation
and willingness to aid if it could be
brought about, but at the same time
expressing the belief that it would
be extremely difficult to secure such
an investigation, because of the purely
.
local nature of the controversy. the
limited radius of territory and indus
try affected. l would urge upon this
convention that it renew the effort to
secure such an investigation. to the
end that all facts in connection with