The Daily Missoulian. [volume] (Missoula, Mont.) 1904-1961, 1918-02-13
Collective Contract Needed
in Industry, Commission
Declares.
EVILS FOSTER l. w. w.
Correction Will Put Check
on Growth of Extremist
Organization.


Introduction of the basic eight hour
day in the lumber industry of the Pa
cific northwest and adoption of "somc
means OF contact between operators
;ind employees as a body" are urged as
necessary war measures in report
made this week by President Wilson's
mediation commission.
In the section of the report devoted
to the lumber industry Of the north
west the commission insists that "un-
complete strike will occur in the
spring. a situation which must be
translated in terms OF its significance
to the military program Of 1915"
Covers Wide Field.
The report. which covers the COM
missions Investigations OF labor dis
turbances in the southwest, the Pacific
coast and the northwest. reached Mis-
ecula yesterday 1t is dated February
10 and was sent out by the federal
committee on public information.
General recommendations for the
correction Of causes of unrest in
western Industries are similar to those
made In respect to the lumber in
dustry. They include:
Elimination of profiteering; collec-
tive relationship between manage
ments and men: prompt disposition Of
industrial issues. adoption Of the eight
hour day: surrender by labor of prac-
tees tending to restrict production,
and affirmative education as a coun-
ter-agent to extremist propaganda.
Will Check I. w. W.
Improvement Of existing conditions
will effectively check the development
Of the I. w. w. in the woods, the
commission says in the section de-
voted to the lumber industry. with
specific grievances removed" the re-
port says. destructive propaganda
extensively preached in the Pacific
northwest will lose Its strongest ad-
vocate. Counter propaganda and pos
Tive education will then have an easy
opportunity TO supplant fanatical doc
trines''
The survey of the lumber industry
begins with the statement that tho
raw materials produced by the forests
ana mills OF The northwest ARE in
dispensable to the execution of tho
aircraft and shipping programs of tn,
government"
Strike Threatened in Spring.
yet this basic war Industry" IN,
report continues, suffered break
down of several months In the summer
OF 1917 and is still in n state of seeth
Ing unrest. woefully short of It's pro-
ductivHy. For, while the strike Of
1917 was broken and the men wen
back beaten for the moment, the con.
nlict was only postponed and not com.
posed. Some of the men in fact prac.
ticc conscious withdrawal of eff
ciency,' the so-called strike on tn,
job and there Is every expectation |,
the minds of the best informed tina
unless present conditions are change,
complete strike will occur In tn,
spring."
Some Camps Still Bad.
Regarding camp conditions the re
port says.
we arc dealing with an indnstr,
s'i'l determined by pioneer condition,
OF life. Hardy contact with natur,
makes certain rigors of conditions in
evitable, but the riGors of nature hav,
been reinforced by the neglects o
men. The unlivablc conditions o
many Of the camps has long demanded
attention. While large Improvement.
In camp life have recently been made
many OF the camps still require mucl
betterment to make them fit human
habitations"
Condition Of Labor Dangerous.
The migratory condition of the
workers. due partly to the rough pio
heer character of the industry. bu,
largely to the failure to create Il
healthy social environment" is anothc,
serious problem, the report SAYS
Ninety per cent of those in the camps
are described by ono 81 the wises,
students or the problem, not too in
accurately, as 'wonanl"ss, roteless
ana Jobiess.' The fact is that about 90
per cent of them are unmarried Thci,
WORK Is most intermittent. the annual
turnover reaching the cxtraurdina =,
1isure of over 500 per cent. . 1t is not
TO be wondered, then. that in too man,
or these workers the instinct of work
manship is impaired
!. W. w. Result OF Conditions.
Discussing the hold of the I. w. w
upon the lumber industry the COM
mission finds that dominant reason
Tor the failure OF efforts to rectify
evils through the trade union move
msnt lis found in the bitter attitude