The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1917-02-02

supplemental report to the Washing
ton State Federation Of Labor. In
that part of the report Mr.. Marsh
narrated the causes and events lead
ing up to the disturbed condition in
this city.
Continued from last week.
Activity of the Everett Commercial
Club.
wish it were possible with a short
homily to end the story here, for the
sorriest part of it now begins. 1t is
to be expected that when two men
are in a fist fight, the bystander will
at least keep his hands off, or, when
one has been terribly beaten, insist
that the fight end and the men patch
up their differences. The business in
terests Of the city were the bystand-
ers in this struggle, but by no means
innocent They had every right to
say to the Contending parties: "You
fellows have fought long enough; why
don't you quit, find out what it is all
about, and see if you can't be good
friends again"
The business interests were suffer
ing keenly because of this struggle.
The strikers were living on short ra-
tions, little money to spend for gro
ceries, meat and shoes. The strik-
breakers were being housed on mill
property, fed from a commissary,
spending none of their money with
Everett merchants. If the CONNER
cial Club members had right to take
hand in the proceedings, and natur-
ally they felt they had, for they were
being hurt, it was their bounden duty
to honestly investigate the truth Of
the statements of the contending
parties, approach the whole problem
in spirit Of community good, offer
conciliation and mediation to both
contending parties. Now notice how
they went about it.
+ Some months previously the Com
mel cial Club had been reorganizec
on the bureau plan, the various activ-
tiles of the business life Of the city
being chartered out and turned over
| to various bureaus. There was an
advertising bureau, a transportation
bureau, etc. II became a stock con-
cern, stock memberships being issued
in blocks to employers and business
houses and same distributed among
employers and their employees. What
a field for an industrial bureau that
would have kept in touch with the
human side of the city's industries,
striven for industrial peace by study
ing the veXatious labor problem with
an eye to helping along friendly re-
lations between employers and their
men. But there was no such bureau
at least not equipped to function in
the social relationship of industry
Mistake No. l of the Commercial Club
Presiding over the destinies of the
club at that time was Mr.. Fred K
Baker, owner of one of the struck
mills, a gentleman who had but little
love for unions, a believer in the
"divine right" of employers to run
their own business" The Commercial
Club resolved to Investigate" the
shingle weavers strike and a commit
tee was appointed for that purpose.
Along what line of information it CON
Quoted its Investigations is not known
to the writer. The writer does know
that no union official, local or inter-
national, was ever spoken to by any
member of this committee. The men
in charge of this strike might reason
ably be supposed to have some slight
knowledge of its causes, but they were
ignored. The committee completed
its labors and reported back that after
careful deliberation it had been found
that the condition of the shingle in
NuSlIN ulu IOl warrant JI6 increase
of wages asked for and the report
was adopted. Now, mark you, this
in the face of the fact that Inter
national President Brown was in the
city for the express purpose Of ap-
pearing before the club and giving
the weavers' side Of the contention
and he was refused the floor This
episode would have been sufficient to
make the Commercial Club lose caste
among many Everett citizens. But
this was but the beginning.
Dominated by few powerful finan-
cial and manufacturing interests, the
club was again placed on record in a
still more positive way as being op-
posed to trade union activity and de-
termined to give it the coup de grace.
Everett had for many years been
known far and wide as a strong union
town. 1t erected the first union