The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1922-10-10
The -Four |"
Interesting
Labor. N owe
~ DAVID hAwRHNC1
Copyright BY The lntslligencer)


at a general strike. What has happened
In this section since constitutes an
evolution ut especial Significance 20
employers and employees throughout the
country.
Radicalism. talk of d!rec, action and
revolution. the propaganda Of the |. w.
W. for one big union. powerful enough
10 hold the nation at its mercy. reached
It's crest with the efror; 10 bring about
general strike In February. 1919. II
may not have seemed the climax then.
bu; events since prove concluS!vely that
the turning point came a. that time.
For the move nearly disrupted the labor
movement here.
Many OF the so-called paper unions.
embracing nearly every class Of em-
ployes from office boy to janitors. have
disappeared. DSplcased with the tao
ties Of their radical brethren. thousands
of workers in the trades who own their
own homes and prefer orderly methods
OF collective bargaining ceased paying
dues and dropped out. The membership
IN the unions VAS materially reduced.
Gradually since 1919 the conservatives
have gotten the upper hand. and. while
the Central Labor Council today con-
tains some men who may be classed as
radicals they speak a different language
from what they did three wears ago.
One almost never hears the old tax or
direct action
the Pour L."
In the wake OF Il all has come some
interesting and successtul experiments.
Admittedly the l. ". " had irs strong
es, hold In the lumber industry. but
some has developed instead in the mills
and camps % Washington. Idaho and
Oregon which probably has no parallel
anywhere IN the United States. and.
therefore deserves study. because II in
wolves n sincere srtcnpt 10 solve labor
problems across the conference table
and without rhc coercion OF federal or
state Law
The name of the organization IL the
Loyal Legion OF LosSers and Lumber
men. commonly known now "a The
Four L." I, started in wartime WITH.
the bal" s-~s-"rh~ federal soNernmcnt
when srrucn production for airplanes
was 50 much IN ncad 80 stimulus in the
northwest When the var vas over. tho
workers themselves voted !" continue
the orxanlzsrion. Il had hard s'Ndding
At first. but has successfully wi'hstood
attack
Successful Experiment
Unlike most unions Of employees or
COO rra.ive associations OF employers.
tnr -Four l. Is combination Of both.
I'm 'o.ers and employees belong 10 II
and ~acr pays the same dues. Neither
ella. controls Each mill W local work
ing ur,t has a ccnfercn"" committee
con sting Of an equal number OF repre-
seniat'ves Of the management and the
WORKERS
They know tho conditions az th"'r
mill better than any out sjdcrs. they
reach 'he cruz oc the problem directly
and quickly. Ru, - they disagree.
the can be neither strik" or lockout
as 'hN matter mus. bN referred {" q
dist Ct board. There are IL districts in
tho northwest. The district boards arc
elcr ID annually ny the local orEanza-
r;or: Each board has four representa-
tive q: 'he workers and four "f the
en-, oy"rs They hear all appeals in
the respective Districts
Tn above that is the board ot dirc"-
tors 81 ne whole organization. This
con ,;s of % members. the same being
each chairman "r the cnployc sections
Of the IL district boards and one repre-
sentative uf mana cement from each or
the dtstric: boards. Thus - men
familiar with tho industry as a whole
sit 8 4 court II they sat simply as
two srnr3S. N:;lc progress would he
made Thcy have developed judicial
tempcranNr,. II thor" Is Il 10 vote.
the whole question mus, he submitted
abide by the result. II federal Judge
Is available hc is 20 bc selected as an
arbitrator. Otherwise somebody Of sim
liar standing in tho community is re-
que ;ed 20 a"'.
No STRIKES In Three Years.
Eut N" Interesting thing is that in
three years ;he-r have been no strikes.
There has never been case requiring
arbitration Only ~" cases were not
settled hy district boards and had 70 no
referred - N" hoard of directors. The
latter has IN IN" last few years both
lowered and raised the wage scale when
e,ornmIc cond!tj"nS required il.
Ahnut t"', 'h"uSani workers belong %
,hc -Four L. This is by no means a
majority "f m" workers many Of whom
are secretly affiliated s..ll with III" I.
W W and soms ~ whom belong 70
unions related % he a. +. ot l.. But
tho membership is gradually growing.
PROF. that the Four L. Is neither IN"
too of M workm~r nor The employers
,s -ssn in N" fac, that u is often
bitterly rouShs by both groups. Several
oc 'ho employees of the extremist TYPO
who want NO kind Of organization 70
solve labor problems and who Insist on
.hs free play of ec"rom.'' Law. believing
human labor ," 90 a commodity just as
mich as an 'nan'mate piece % goods,
declare ,her don't wsnc any "oro -nittee
or hoard - toll iham what wages should
he ,aid what hours will no worked.
1hc board -: directors ~ rho -Four L."
~ mo way. voted 20 maintain the eight
hour Aav. e"~!"rhins witch many ON
,io,e-s s',U rss"ut
srnnds rho Test.
When d.ta,ior came. IN" Legion canr
" 60 s","rN criticism from both sides.
FrpIoyerS claimed wages w"r" not