NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS | February 5 , 2016 | PAGE 9
Labor 100 Years Ago — Feb. 5, 1916
*Labor’s Letter-Writing Week
Resolution Number 17,
adopted by the thirteenth an-
nual convention of the State
Federation of Labor, deals with
“Letter Writing Week.” The
resolution says in part, “The
motive and intent of the pro-
moters was only to attract
*
tourist travel;” further the res-
olution instructs the officers of
the State Federation to prepare
a concise letter containing in-
formation, first, relative
“Wages and conditions in Ore-
gon industries;” second, “La-
bor supply;” third, “What In-
terests control the natural re-
sources of the state.”
In Oregon’s basic industry,
lumbering, there is scarcely any
activity at the present time. The
depression in logging and man-
ufacturing still continues.
Weather conditions preclude
the possibility of operations.
Though some might have been
misled by the action of the Ad
Club, which paraded the streets
of Portland in shirt-sleeves and
palm-leaf fans to deposit their
letters to “Eastern tourists,” this
in spite of the rigor of an un-
usually severe cold snap. They
are to be congratulated upon
their hardihood if not upon
their sincerity.
There has never been a short-
age of labor in Oregon despite
the low wages paid. The Winter
of 1914-15 saw more suffering
and unemployment than in pre-
vious years. This Winter the
same conditions prevail.
The Y.M.C.A. advertises,
“Labor at your own price.” In
the Morning Oregonian, of
February 1, these head-lines
appear, “Thousands of men
with families are idle.” Men
have stood in line for hours
waiting for a job shoveling
snow.
This is enough to serve the
purpose of the resolution rela-
tive to wages and labor supply.
In Governor West’s mes-
sage to the Legislature the
following relative to owner-
ship and control of natural
resources appears. “One
holder of timber acreage, the
Southern Pacific Railroad
Company, controls 22.5 per-
cent. Thirty holders control
19.5 per cent. Not over 5 per
cent of the holders of timber
acreage reside on the land.
Sixty-eight holders are re-
ported to control 56 per cent
of the privately owned tim-
ber acreage.”
In Oregon 58 per cent of
the developed water-power is
controlled by the General
Electric Co. In Washington
55 per cent is held by the
same company.”
The above is quoted from
“Other People’s Money” by
Louis J. Brandeis, who in turn
quotes from the United States
Bureau of Corporations.
Relative to the ownership
of the land and wealth the
following will suffice: “In
Multnomah County,” say
Roadmaster Yeon, “1.5 per
cent of the taxpayers own 75
per cent of the wealth and
only 20 per cent of the entire
population are taxpayers.”
Mr. Yeon doesn’t say, how-
ever, where the 1.5 percent of
the population gets its money
to pay taxes with.
In keeping with the spirit
of the resolution you are
therefore urged to write to
friends in Eastern states con-
veying this information in or-
der that the workers of the
East may understand true
conditions in Oregon.