The Brattleboro daily reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1913-1955, 1922-10-10

loyal Legion of Loggers and Lumber
men, commonly known now as The
-Four LIS" 1t started in war time with
tie help of the federal government when
spruce production for airplanes was so
much in need of stimulus in the North
west. When the war was over the work
ers themselves voted to continue the or
ganization. 1t had hard shedding at first
but it has successfully withstoed attack.
Unlike most unions of employees or
cooperative associations of employees,
The Four LIS is combination of both.
Employers and employees belong to 1t and
each pays the same dues. Neither class
controls Each mill or working unit has
u conference committee consisting of an
equal snuniber of representatives of the
management and the workers.
They know the conditions at their mill
better than any outsiders. They reach
the crux of the problem directly and
quickly But if they disagree. there can
be neither strike nor lockout as the mat
ter must be referred to a district board.
There are II districts in the Northwest.
The district boards are elected annually
by the local organizations. Each board
has four representatives of the workers
and four of the employers. They hear
all appeals in their respective districts.
Board of Directors Over All.
Then above that is the board of direc-
tors of the swhole organization. This
consists of "A members, the same being
each chairman of the employees section
of the II district boards and one repre-
sentative of management from each of
the district boards Thus 24 men IA
inilar with the industry as a whole sit
as court. If they sat as two groups
little progress would be made. They
have developed a judicial temperament.
If there is a tie vote, the whole question
must be submitted to arbitration and
each side agrees to abide by the result.
If federal judge is available, he is TO
be selected as arbitrator, otherwise some
body of similar standing in the cOmmun-
ity is requested to act.
But the interesting thing is that In
three years there have been no strikes.
/ There has never been case requiring
arbitration Only two cases were not
settled by district boards and had to be
referred to the board of directors. The
latter has in the last few years both
| lowered and raised the wage scale when
| economic conditions required it.
About 10000 workers belong to- The
/ Four LIS This by no means means .
! laa iority of the workers. many of whom
| are secretly affiliated still with the i
| w. w. and some of whom belong tC
unions related to the A. F. of l.. But
the membership is gradually growing
Proof that The Four LIS is neither the
/ tool of the workmen nor the employer:
| is seen in the fact that il is often bit
terly fought by both groups. Several o
the employers of the extremist type, WHIT
| want no kind of organization to solv'
labor problems and who insist on tn
free play of economic law, believing hu
| man labor to be a commodity just al
much as an inanimate piece of goods, de
clare they don't want any committee o
board to tell them what wages shoult
be paid or what hours shall be worked
The board of directors of The Four Is
by the way, voted to maintain the eight
hour day, something which many EN-
4 ployers still resent.
Subject to Sharp Criticism.
When defation came, the legion cam
in for severe criticism from both sides
Employers claimed wages We're not bein
reduced fast enough. while employe
cried out that wages We're coming dow
too fast. Some of the employers witt
drew from the organization. But it ha
= stood the test The forword-looking en-
. ployerS are supporting it whole-heart
eddy One of the members of the boar
of directors. for example, is A. C. Dixol
president of the West Coast Lumbe
mems association. The chairman