The labor journal. [volume] (Everett, Wash.) 1909-1976, 1921-09-09
OFFICIAL BULLETIN
To the Officers and Members,

10 the OfflcerS ana MEMBERS,
Local Unions, l. U. T.
Greeting: Reports from all over
che United States show but little
Improvement in any particular Sec
zion so far as the timber industry
is concerned. On the contrary the
reports show for the most part thai
| the end of wage reductions and the
nation wide lockout by the employ
| ing interests, is not yet in sight
The United States Department
of Labor reports show that the cost
of living is increasing. Just how
the employers who admit that they
own industry, figure that there can
be a return to normally under eX-
listing conditions is hard for the
common garden variety of citizens
to understand.
Aided by their chosen tool, the
Four L, Northwest lumber opera
tors continue to reduce wages, the
industry is held down, on one side
by the boss loggers seeking to re-
tain a high price for material, on
the other side by the mill owners
who claim that the present prices
for the finished product will not
Justify them in operating the mills.
1t is reported that Northwest shin
gle mill operators are now in
Washington, D. c., pleading for a
high tariff on shingles to protect
the shingle industry from Chinese
made shingles from Canada. So
far as the shingle weaver on this
side of the line is concerned, it does
not matter whether Chinese made
shingles are shipped in from Can
ada or whether American shingle-
weavers make shingles for Chinese
is now the case. A tariff will
only add to the cost to the con-
sumner and will in no sense of the
word protect" the shingleweaver
on this side of line. Remember
1907.
WAGE RATES
Wells, Michigan: Common labor,
$3.50; Wausau, Wis: Common la
Dor, $3.50; Eureka, CAL: Common
labor, $2.40-$2.60; Seattle, Wash;
Donkey firemen, $500; Chokermen.
$3.50 to $4.25; second leaders,
$3.50; rigging singer, $3.50; chas-
ers, $4.25; fallers, $4.20 to $3.50;
head leaders $500; R. R. graders,
$500; section men, $3.50; board and
room from $685. to $940 per week.
Saw mills: Second doggers $500;
car leaders $3.50; gang sawyer,
s4.75; edgerman $3.50; re-sawer,
S4.75; Cosmopolis, Wash: Carpen.
ters $500; mill yard men and box
factory ????. Single mills: saw
yers, nights, Is and 20 cents per
M; packers 10k to 10 cents per
M; cutoff men $500 per day.
FOUR l. OFFICER ATTACKS
BUILDING TRADES
Under date of August 25th, the
Seattle Pr. quotes Mr.. w. G.
Ruegnitz, executive secretary of the
Four L as stating that building ma
terial other than lumber, and the
wages of building trades workers,
is the cause of the present stag,
nation in the timber industry, and
hat the stagnation would continue
until both were reduced. Hot
Dog! Having used the Four l. to
drive the wages of the workers in
the timber industry down to a be-
low the level of existence rate, they
now seek to hammer down the
wages of other workers to the
same level, they seek to prejudice
the public mind with an array of
senseless figures and statements
that lead to nowhere. The state
ments such as those credited to
Mr.. Ruegnitz do not surprise those
who know the tactics of the Four
L. The wages of the building trades
and other organized workers are a
standing menace to the non-union
shop, wage, cutting program of the
Four L. The officers of the Four
L have served only as business
agents of the lumber operators of
he Northwest, and of course they
have to make good or get off the
OBJ. and in that event may be COM
PEELED to perform some useful work.
The employers in the timber in
dustry own the industry, they mod
estly agree that it is right that
they should own it. They have it
within their power to open or close
The industry whenever it suits their
their fancy and unimpeachable
Judgment, it is but the widest fancy