42 LOGGING 
CHARACTER 
During the early years of the industry, the woods force in the 
North and East was recruited chiefly from the native agricultural 
element, but to-day only 40 per cent of the loggers in New England 
and 15 per cent of those in the Lake States are Americans. The 
remainder include French Canadians, Finns, Swedes, Poles, and 
natives of Southern Europe. French Canadians come across the 
border during the fall and winter months to secure a "stake," and 
return when the logging season is over. Many Swedes and Nor- 
wegians, who are among the best woods workers from Europe, are 
employed in the Lake States and also on the Pacific Coast. Finns 
and Poles work chiefly in the Lake States. In all these sections, 
native whites generally occupy the more responsible positions. 
About 60 per cent of the forest labor in the Pacific Northwest 
is American, the remainder consisting of Scandinavians, Canadians, 
Finns, Austrians, Germans and a few Japanese. Americans 
comprise about 28 per cent of the forest labor in northern Idaho 
and western Montana, 31 per cent in the California redwood 
region, and 50 per cent in the California pine region, and native 
whites and negroes 100 per cent in most parts of the southern 
yellow pine region. 
The labor in the Appalachians consists largely of natives, 
some of whom combine agricultiu'c with logging while others 
follow logging as their sole occupation. 
Creoles and Mexicans are common in the Louisiana cypress 
swamps, and many Mexicans are employed in Texas, especially 
around the mills and on railroad construction work. The South- 
ern whites often are agriculturists who work at logging only for 
a portion of the year, while the negroes, except in the sugar 
country, follow the industry the year round with frequent shifts 
from one camp to another. Owing chiefly to the climate, the 
laborers are, on the whole, less energetic than those in northern 
regions. The color line usually is drawn on logging operations and 
mixed crews are not the rule. Creoles and Mexicans work with 
colored laborers, although Mexicans are inclined to be clannish. 
METHODS OF EMPLOYMENT AND PAYMENT 
The usual methods of paying labor on logging operations are : 
(1) A straight hour, day, or monthly wage basis; (2) piece- 
work basis; (3) contract basis. 
