26 



HARDWOOD RECORD 



October 2ri, 1921 



Northerners Will Put Few Men in Woods 



Statistics Presented at Northern Logging Congress Indicate That Only One-Fourth 

 of Normal Number of Lumber-Jacks Will Be Employed This Season 



Loggers aud lieads of lumber concerns in northern Minnesota, Wis- 

 consin and Michigan, members of the Northern Logging Congress, 

 were in session in Minneapolis, Minn., on Octot)er 20 and 21, at the 

 West hotel, this being the annual meeting of that organization. 



The membership consists of the district associations of loggers in 

 the three states, but the organization of the congress was never com- 

 pleted until this meeting, when a constitution and by-laws were 

 adopted. 



According to this document, the membership consists of two classes, 

 active and associate. The active members are the logging associations, 

 while associate members are manufacturers and wholesalers of logging 

 appliances and logging camp supplies. 



J. D. Twomey, of International Falls, Minn., has been the president 

 of the association during the past year, and presided at the opening 

 session, at which routine business was the chief feature. In the absence 

 of E. A. Fultz, secretary, E. V. Norbeck, secretary of the Minnesota 

 Loggers' Association, acted as secretary of the meeting. 



In opening the meeting, President Twomey outlined the purposes 

 of the Congress, saying that it sought to serve the northern loggers 

 as the eastern loggers are served by the Ajipalachian Logging congress, 

 and the western loggers by the Pacific Logging congress. He said tliat 

 a constitution and by-laws had been prepared and asked tliat a motion 

 be made to create a committee to which they could be referred and 

 which would report them to the meeting. 



On motion of L. A. Page, the chair appointed a committee, con- 

 sisting of L. Peterson, W. F. Merril and S. D. Switzer, who retired 

 and after a brief period reported, presenting the constitution and by- 

 laws, which were adopted. 



The constitution provided for the election at the annual meeting of 

 a president, a vice-president and a treasurer, and an executive com- 

 mittee of nine, three from each state covered by the organization, and 

 on motion, a nominating committee was named to present a list of 

 candidates. 



While the nominating committee was preparing its report, the 

 regular program was opened by an address by H. S. Gilkey, president 

 of the Minnesota Loggers' association, on the "Benefits of Organiza- 

 tion." 



The address follows: 



Benefits of Organization 



Orip of the objects of our association has l)pen to try ami standardize 

 the living conditions in our camps so that employes would have com- 

 fortable quarters to live in, having in mind that wc would get more 

 efficiency and loyalty on the part of employes and no criticism on the part 

 of the public, which might result In state legislation that might prove to 

 be obnoxious or impracticable. 



It has also been our object to try and standardize the conipcnsation as 

 well as the working conditions of our employes, for wo think that they 

 are better satisfied and more contented and will better their efficiency 

 by having a standard wage scale that is fair and reasonable to them as 

 well as to ourselves. Employes naturally get discontented when they 

 hear of one camp paying more wages for certain work than another camp, 

 and the result of this inequality makes the turnover in camps so great 

 that it is impossible to get the efficiency and loyalty that wc should have 

 to make our industry successful. 



Before we adopted this plan we procured legal advice, ami after they 

 had looked up the federal laws, the Minnesota statutes and had consulted 

 with the legal department of the state of Minnesota, they advised us that 

 we had a perfect right to agree upon a reasonable wage scale. Whtther 

 the statutes in Wisconsin and Michigan cover this point I am not advised, 

 but when you take Into consideration that the government fix their wage 

 scale a.-: well as the wage scale of railway employes and other large indus- 

 tries, it would seem as though they would advise co-operation of this kind 

 rather than to discourage or object to it. 



Have Legislative Committee 



We have a legislative committee, whose duty it is to represent the 

 association before committees when the legislature is in session, and you 

 can ivadily appreciate that they will get more recognition through a com- 

 mittee representing an association than they possibly could individually, 

 because one of the first questions a committee will ask if you appear 



before them is who you represent. If you only represent the company 

 ' that you are associated with it does not carry the weight that it would if 

 you represented a large proportion of the industry in the state. 



An organization of this kind naturally discuss at their meetings the 

 various costs of production aud certain equipment that can be utilized for 

 tn« different kinds of work, and an exchange of ideas often results in cer- 

 tatj kinds of work being accomplished at a lower cost. Naturally, men 

 eA.^aged in the same line of business work and think along the same lines, 

 ii.jd there is no reason why they should not be friendly competitors as well 

 • I personal trtends and get the benefit of each others ideas, which should 

 inake them more efficient and their business more profitable. 



Owing to the present abnormal condition throughout the country the 

 production in this state will be materially curtailed. Some of our mem- 

 bers are not going to do any logging this coming winter, but we think 

 that they will still keep up their interest in the association. I think that 

 one c'^ the secrets of the success of an association of this kind is to meet 

 often and exchange ideas, for the fellow that stays at home and does not 

 attend the meetings is liable to get suspicious that the association is kept 

 up tor the benefit of a few members and soon loses his interest in the 

 work, where if he will come to the association meetings he will know that 

 this is not true and that the benefit to him, in proportion to the amount 

 of work he is doing, is just as great or more so than it is to every other 

 member. 



The report of the nominating committee was then presented and 

 adopted, as follows: President, S, D. Switzer, Wabeuo, Wis.; vice- 

 president, F. H. Gillmor, Cusson, Minn.; treasurer, Albert Lang, Michi- 

 gan; executive committee: Minnesota, H. S. Gilkey, T. S. 'Wliitten, T. 

 M. Partridge; Wisconsin, K. .1. McQuillan, .John Boss, H. H. Stolle ; 

 Michigan, Joseph Boice, W. J. Merrill, M. J. Fox. 



Presidentelect Switzer took the chair, and after a brief discussion 

 of labor conditions, the congress adjourned until Friday morning. 



During the evening the members of the eongiess enjoyed a dinner 

 and vaudeville entertainment at the West hotel, tlie music and enter- 

 tainment being furnished by the members of the Minnesota Loggers' 

 association. 



Opening the morning session Friday, B. C. Haven, manager of the 

 Minneapolis division of the National Safety Couneil, addressed the 

 congress on the subject, ' ' Wliat the safety movenu'nt means to in- 

 dustry. ' ' 



Mr. Haven tlicn read from one of the publications of the National 

 Council a somewhat lengthy article telling the aims and purposes of 

 the council, and closed his address with an appeal to the loggers to 

 join the Council and receive its benefits and its literature. 

 "Money Value of Safety" 



"The Money Value of Safety"' was the subject of an addre.ss by 

 E. F. Merriam, of the Kansas Casualty and Surety Co. 



Mr. Merriam said that in former days the lumberjack did not think 

 of safety and if anyone had suggested that his occupation was a 

 dangerous one, he would have laughed. He scoffed at danger and acci- 

 dent, and his employers were equally thoughtless of these questions. 

 The operations were simple and men could easily be replaced without 

 causing delay or lo.ss to the operation. But now days, with the com- 

 plicated machinery used in logging, requiring experts, the loss of a 

 man means more. Unfortunately, the careless fool does not pick his vic- 

 tims from among the least competent, and accidents may throw the 

 operation all out of balance by taking men who cannot be easily 

 replaced. 



Until recent years the loggers did not carry liability or compen- 

 sation insurance, but it is necessary now, and the premiums are baaed 

 on experience. Every accident that might be prevented contributes to 

 make the cost of this insurance greater. 



Safety appliances make up only 20 per cent of the safety work. 

 The other 80 per cent is in education of employees to be careful. 

 Statistics of Employment 



O. T. Swan, secretary of the Northern Hemloi'k and Hardwood 

 Manufacturers' association, then presented some statistics of estimated 

 employment in the camps of northern Michigan and Wisconsin during 

 the coming winter. 



