The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1919-01-24
DOES NOT
PROTECT WORKERS
By HARRY CALL
in the Spokane Labor World


GERS of the Spruce Production Di-
vision are trying to force the work
Inland Empire to contribute finan-
cially to the Loyal Legion of Log
gers and. Lumbermen, the employees
are for the most part staying in the
International Union of Timberwork-
ers of the American Federation of
Labor. These men have been in the
Al for some time and they have
learned that it has not protected
their interests; that it is autocratic
and boss-controlled.
In quite large number of places
the men have by secret ballot vot-
ed to discontinue the Ais; that did
not satisfy the employers so the
men have been called together in
these places and compelled to vote
by raising their hands in the pres
ence of the bosses and some army
officer. When in some instances the
men have openly declared that they
would no longer have anything to
do with the AL, they have been
discharged. In a large number of
cases men with large families have
been let out of their jobs.
General Disque has finally con-
scented to act as president of the Al
as long as he may remain in Port
land. There has never been any
doubt in the mind of anyone that
he would consent" to act in that
capacity, or in any other capacity
that the employers wanted him to.
He never failed them during the
war and it is not at all likely that
he will do so now.
General Disque organized the
Ais in the Inland Empire because
the Employers Association asked
| him to. They love military rule;
they would like to exercise it them
selves but the General has had more
experience in that line. Then his
experience as warden of state
penitentiary gives him a very lib
eral view in regard to labor. He
is very successful when dealing with
enlisted men in the Army-men
who cannot have anything to say
| for themselves.
In no other industry in the Unit
ed States has a war agency been
retained. In every other industry
| the right of the men to join Labor
unions has not been questioned. In
March, 1918, just few days after
the eight hour day had been put
into operation by direction of the
Federal Government, the employers
in the Northwest, through the col
umns of the West Coast Lumber
man, their official organ. served no.
tice that after the war the question
of the eight hour day would have
to be fought to a finish.
Now they say that the eight hour
day is here to stay 1T WILL NOT
STAY IN THE NORTHWEST UN-
LESS 1T is ESTA LISH E D
THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE IN
DUSTRY. If they can keep the men
in the Ais long enough to get them
thoroughly chloroformed, then they
can take away the eight hour day
without a struggle.
General Disque says: 81 gave you
the eight hour day" He did not
give you anything, but a reduction
in wages. Under the direction of
cabinet officer in Washington, D.
c., General Disque was ordered to
put the eight hour day in operation.
He did not do it until he had to-
General Disque says that the mill
owners did not make large profits
| during the war. Before the war,
spruce had practically no CONNER
cial value. The price was from 50 to
$11 per thousand feet. During the
war the price for airplane spruce
went as high as s135 per thousand
feet. The price on other lumber
was raised to a very fancy figure,
May be the operators did not make
large profits, but they were large
enough and none of them went broke
so far as we have been able to learn.
Seventy-five per cent of the en-
listed men in the Spruce Production
Division were so glad to get out of
it that they bought tickets for home
just as soon as they were paid off.
In some places the non-commis-
stoned officers were also company
foremen. In one place the men had
to pay rent for the barracks they
lived in. At the cut-up plant at
Vancouver, Wash, 8 per cent of
the mems pay was deducted to help