The Wallace miner. [volume] (Wallace, Idaho) 1907-current, 1918-03-07
SPOKANE HEADQUARTERS
FOR NORTHWEST |. ". v.
MOSCOW PEOPLE PROTEST AT
INAcTIoN OF SPOKANE
AUTHORITIES.

A few weeks ago the Latah County
Protective association, an organiza :
ton courageously combating the l.
w. W., adopted resolutions calling at
tention to the fact that |. w. W.
headquarters are maintained in Spo-
kane which rendered the work in La
tab county much more difficult, and
appealing to the authorities of Spo-
kane to clean up the gang that infest-
ed that city. The city council and the
civic bodies of Spokane resented the
imputation coming from Moscow and
denied that Spokane is the rendezvous
of the wobblies. Whereupon the Latah
County Protective association, which
is composed of the most reputable and
responsible citizens of Moscow and
following reply which has been sent to
the Miner for publications:
Headquarters in Heart of City.
Moscow, Idaho, March 2, 1913.
The City Council of Spokane,
Spokane, Washington.
Gentlemen: We have your letter in
organization.
Your reply thereto is to the effect
that the city of Spokane has done all
that is possible to overcome lawess-
ress, and state the action taken by the
Latah County Protective association
was due to lack of information. We
are somewhat astonished that your
committee would take this position.
We are sufficiently informed to
know that within the heart of your
city is maintained the headquarters of
Local No. 500 of the l. w w. That
all Of the activities of that organiza-
ton throughout the states of Mon
tana, Idaho, Washington and Oregon
ere directed from said headquarters
that during the past several years our
farmers have lost many thousands of
dollars from the destruction of thresh-
ing machines and the burning of
crops; that our lumber industry has
been hampered, it's output curtailed;
property destroyed, honest labor has
been intimidated, and this county has
been called upon to spend large
amounts of money in preventing the
carrying out of plots and criminal ac-
tivity initiated in Spokane.
Investigation had by federal officers
proves quite conclusively that the loss
do
struction of property mentioned above
was caused by the I. w. w. in large
part Sufficient evidence was procur-
ed to warrant the arrest of the form
err I. w. w. secretary and treasurer
Rowan. During the past several
months Latah county found it neces-
sary for it's protection to arrest and
hold at considerable expense for the
protection of it's grain crop and its
lumber industry, a large number of
members of this organization. During
all our trouble it was found that the
large part of it was caused by agita-
tors and organizers who were sent in
to our communities from Spokane, and
WORKING under the INSTRUCTIONS or IN
divduals in your city, and at the first
opportunity these individuals again
returned to their Spokane headquar-
tiers. Those who were held under
criminal charges received financial aid
and their attorneys are employed from
the headquarters in Spokane.
When an endeavor was made by the
governor of this state, and the state
labor commission to settle the strike
that was called in the lumber indus
try in north Idaho, they called upon
the men to ascertain what could be
done to settle their difficulties, asked
them if they could go back to work
in the event that steps We're taken to
bring the men and the employers To-
Fether. Their answer was: mo, we
will have to receive instructions from
Spokane"
There has been sent into this coun-