The Western news. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1933-current, 1935-01-10

that we were forced to buy elsewhere
was shipped to Libby, unloaded and
worked out again as required by
orders. If we had been allowed to cut
up to what we were able to sell il
would have meant much more employ
nsent for our men in the sawmill and
in the woods"
After discussing many of the prob
lens that had developed in the first
attempt at code control of the industry,
Mr. Neils remarked that he believed a
number of changes would be made
Whatever these changes may be-" said
Mr.. Neils. Il hope they will retain the
minimum wage provision and tie
maximum hour requirement ! take
this stand for the reason that the un-
fair. competitor, the chiseler, the price
cutter, is one who generally takes it
cut of his labor by imposing long hours
at low wages. If we can all work on~the
same relative wage and hour basis
am willing to meet any competition
and get our full share Of the business. :"
Mr.. Neils was literally applauded
when he finished and later was COM
plimented by the Lions for the highly
interesting information he had i'm
parted.
Opposed to Government Competition.
Lion Veldman then spoke of prac-
tice the national relief administration
is adopting of establishing sawmills to
cut lumber from forest reserves. giving
labor to the unemployed and selling
the lumber in competition with es-s
tablished mills. He then read resolu-
ton he had prepared petitioning the
government to cease this competition
with private industry and moved the
adoption of the resolution which was
seconded by Carleton Joughin. The dis
cussion brought out the interesting in
formation that state relief officials had
proposed to r lief Administrator
Church that sawmill be put in at
Rexford to saw lumber from dead trees,
said lumber to be distributed to farm
ers in the drought districts of eastern
Montana. It was not done because there
were not enough men on the relief rolls
to make such venture feasible. Others
argued that every stick of lumber put
on the market by such means comes
into direct competition with the estab-
lished lumber industry. reduces the de-
mand for their products. thereby max
ing less labor and retarding recovery
j. A. Krall suggested that this matter
be taken up with the Lions Interna-
tional and their support of it obtained
After considerable discussion the reso-
luton was unanimously adopted. 1t
is printed below.
New Member Speaks.
County Attorney Marshall Murray,
a new member, was called on and re-
sponded briefly He told how it was
thought at one time Lions club was
10 be orparized in Eureka but later was
given up. He said, Il believe in the
benefits Of g civic ORGANIZATION of this
kind | will try to do my share and all
| can to help in this essential work
The meeting then adjourned and the
Lions broke up into informal groups
for few minutes of visiting.
The resolution introduced by Lion
Veldnan and adopted was as follows:
Resolution.
Whereas. it has come to our atten-
ton. that at Custer. South Dakota. in
the Harvey National Forest the Fed
eral Eemereencv Relief AdH1inistra-
ton has entered in the business Of pro
ducing lumber in immediate and direct
competition with present established
operated mills with the in
tention Of producing forty million feet,
said operation including the construc-
ton Of drv kilns and complete planning
mill facilities, and
Whereas. said Administration has
leased a mill at Coram. Montana, and
in various other parts of the pine region
federal agencies are renorted to be
negotiating for. or actually conducting
by lease or otherwise similar lumber
operations. oil in direct COM
netition with established commercial
lumber producers: that said operations
are being conducted by the use of
transient laborers thus precluding the
OF hundreds of lumber
workers who would be employed BY
present established commercial opera
tons. and
Whereas, the humber industry Of the
United States and of the Western Pine
Division of the Lumber Code. in partic-
ular, is not now producing over 500
of normal and that even such produc-
ton is in excess of demand, and
Whereas, the President, of the Unit
ed States continues to exhort private
business to assume even further bur-
dens, and responsibility to increase en-
plovment, and
Whereas. this industry cannot sue
cessfully carry on under the present
burden of code costs. taxes and stump
age. against the constant threat Of com
petition with its own government and
Whereas, Libby. Montana is and has
been for more than thirty years a
lumber producing point and its citizens
are principally dependent upon the
continuance Of operation of its lumber
plants established in this community.
and the welfare of the community is
directly affected by government com
petition, and
Whereas, confidence and incentive
to expand is destroyed in any bust
ness if that particular bushes sees
the government enter as a competitor.
Now, therefore, be it resolveda that
we, the Libby Lions Club, do this day