Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1917-04-10
WON'T EMPLOY
L.W.W. MEMBERS
LUMBERMEN WILL USE REFER
ENCE CARDS SIMILAR TO
THOSE OF RAILROADS
AVERT THREATENED STRIKE
Employees Asked to Declare Them
selves or Quit.

Inc lumDermen OF Northern ludnO
have recently taken steps calculated
to protect them and their workmen
against the threatened strikes of the
/. w. w. in the woods and on the
drives.
Discussing the situation in the st.
Maries country the Elk River Sentl-
nal last week had the following to
say: ;,
pal logging outfits asked all woods
employees to fill out cards which gave
their name, age, nearest relative, de-
pendents, last job and rate of pay,
and other information of the usual
kind. They are asked the questions:
care you an l. w. w? Or sympa-
thizer?" The back of these cards
contain spaces to be filled out later
by the foremen giving his estimate
of the mans skill, character, etc, for
the information of the employer.
Taken in connection with the no
tees posted last fall that |. w. w.
or sympathizers would not be hired
this amounted to the discharge of
all who declined to fill out the cards
stating that they were not affiliated
with or friendly to the objects of that
organization. Apparently loggers
have decided that if they are going
to have the threatened strike they
might as we'll beat the other fellows
to it.
"At Bovill the cards were intro
duced Monday and large part of the
men at Camps 2, 10 and quit and
went on to Spokane, st. Maries and
Missoula. Here they were introduced
at Camp Wednesday and as re-
suit large part of the crew there
quit yesterday. At Camp c the cards
will be introduced today and it is an
ticipated that a large part, if not
most of the men there will also quit
this morning. Along the st. Maries
closed since the snow got so deer
in February and there are few mer
to be affected.
"Now the loggers propose to rur
with what men they have left, con-
solidating camps where necessary
and opening up as fast as thew car
get crews that are not connected with
the |. w. w. To this end they have
opened a Joint employment office IL
Spokane where all men will be hired
except those hired on the job.
The outcome of the situation is un-
known Many of the men who out
would have left anyway now that
general work outside is opening up
and others are due for a layoff, 81
there is no way of knowing exactly
what proportion are members of the
banned order. 1t is known that there
are very few active members, al
though there are many who sympa
thize with the skillful talks Of the
"job delebates," occasionally give ;
little toward the expense of the muir
der trials that are so frequent where
the /. w. w. congregate and quite ;
number wear the campaign buttons
of the order. However, time will
soon show the result.
'The general situation is different
Many concerns have been unable t.
log to any advantage during the win
ter and will be unable to start VI
until they can get their woods fore
at work. Men for unskilled outdoo
work have been scarce for two year
owing to the stopping of immigration
by the war and the plan to draf
100000 men into the army will maxi
them scarcer. The l. w. w. woul,
not have relieved the situation mucl
if they were all working, becaus
there are not many of them and the,
unually work very irregularly any
way, but the agitation may frightel
good men to other regions in som
cases.
In all parts of Northern Idaho tn
employing lumbermen will requir
that those asking work furnish
reference card from the last EN-
ployer. These cards bear a Unite
States flag in colors and contain tn
information of how long the beare
worked, what his occupation was an
whether or not his services wer
satisfactory.