The Tacoma times. [volume] (Tacoma, Wash.) 1903-1949, 1918-03-07
Profiteers
Editor The Times:

Editor The Times:
Shortly after this war began
we saw the origin of new and
heretofore unheard of species OF
man, the Stacker. The correct
definition and the classification
of this species has long been a
matter of divided opinion, but 1t
seems as IL of late we are getting
to our senses and placing the
American capitalist in this group.
l am a logger and have been
spending a few days of enforced
idleness in Tacoma, idling, not
because | was not patriotic enough
to work and produce lumber for
the construction of ships and air
planes for the use Of the govern
ment, but because a Puget Sound
logging outfit was too patriotic
to allow me to work in their
camps for the reason, that ] hap
pen to be of the opinion that we
loggers should have reasonable
working hours, good food and
good sanitary camps to work in,
so that nothing would hamper us
in producing the things most vi
tai to Uncle Sam in job of smash
ing the dream of the European
plunderbunds of worldwide SUI
premacy and the damnable things
that go with 1t. / was discharg-
ed few days ago for saying so
much along these lines.
On last Jan. 81 | heard Capt.
Carr of the U. S. army, who was
an organizer for the Loyal Le-
gion of Loggers and Lumbermen,
say that Uncle Sam wanted to
put 10000 airplanes on the west
ern battle front next summer, and
that each airplane represented
the fighting power of 5000 men,
He pleaded with us to be loyal
to Uncle Sam and not spend any
time in idleness this summer
In this camp | think the boys
responded nobly to Capt. Carr's
plea, as he succeeded in enrolling
the most of them in the Loyal
Legion, but the company seemed
to be anything but loyal, for just
as soon as the men began asking
that conditions be made so that
they could stay on the job they
began discharging them and when
they come to town they heard the
slur Stacker hurled at them.
A few days ago you printed a
front page editorial scoring the
Hercules Sandstone Co. of Tenino
about what you thought was their
unpatriotic attitude in allowing
their camps and machinery to lay
idle while Uncle Sam is crying for
more ships and airplanes.
The next day the sandstone COM
pany began accusing the Weyer-
haeuser interests in connection
with this.
Last night in local theater
heard a four-minute man say
in his short address on the Ger
man menace that this menace ex-
lists at home in three ways: in
capitalists, in laborers and in
German agents.
But why have so many labor
ers and German agents been Jail
ed and no capitalists?
President Wilson is pleading
for united nation in this strug-
gle. more than a half million of
young Americans are training to
back up his program, more than a
hundred so-called leaders of a red
organization are lying in Jail In
Chicago awaiting trial charged
with having INSTRUCTED his pro-
gram and several detention camps
are filled to the overlooking with
German agents.
So far no capitalists have been
even arrested for the part they
have played and on the other hand
they are becoming more and
more bold each day in their prof.
iteering exploits.
Right now in Europe we hear
peace rumors. What kind of a
peace? Merely an armed truce
and nothing more, leaving the
powers in a position to resume
at some fuNire date, all because
the allies have not been able to
deliver the death thrust to kais-
erism.
The allied nations have never
had united alliance because of
the greed of private interests in
their midst for profits. A house
! divided against itself cannot stand
and we will find it out when the
kaiser brings this war to our
front door and then no doubt we
will do what we should do now,
confiscate everything to win cap
ital and labor alike.
Capitalists in this country are
the worst slackers in our midst
and they are shouting patriotism
and hiding their brand of patriot
ism behind the folds of an Amer
lean flag and yelling sedition at
anyone that dare oppose them in
their damnable program.
Keep UP your exposures, Mr..
Editor; you have my hearty in
doreement in your campaign, and
I am sure 1t will receive the
stamp of approval from all Taco
ma patriots.
Yours truly,