The Everett Massacre: A history of the class struggle in the lumber industry — John Shaqi
The Everett Massacre: A history of the class struggle in the lumber industrySmith, Walker C.
History
The Everett Massacre: A history of the class struggle in the lumber industry
Smith, Walker C.
Industrial Workers of the World; Lumbering -- Washington (State); Lumbermen -- Washington (State)
At the same time the sawmills of the old type have disappeared with
their rotary or circular saws, dead rollers, and obsolete methods of
handling lumber, and in their place is the modern mill with its band
saw, shot-gun feed, steam nigger, live rollers, and resaw. Nor do the
mills longer turn out rough lumber to be re-handled by trained
specialists and highly skilled carpenters with large and costly kits of
intricate hand tools. Relatively unskilled workers send forth the
finished products, window sashes, doors, siding, etc., carpenters armed
only with square, hammer and saw, and classed with unskilled labor, put
these in place, and a complete house can be ordered by parcel post.
As is usual with the introduction of new machinery and methods where the
workers are not in control, the actual producers find that all these
innovations force them to work at a higher rate of speed under more
hazardous conditions for a lower rate of pay. It is true of all industry
in the main, particularly true of the lumber industry, and the mills of
Everett and camps of Snohomish county have no exceptions to test this
rule.
The story of Everett has no hint of romance. Some time in the late
seventies the representatives of John D. Rockefeller gained possession
of a tract of land in Western Washington, on Puget Sound, about thirty
miles north of Seattle. The land was heavily timbered and water
facilities made it a perfect site for mill and shipping purposes. The
Everett Land Company was organized, the tract was plotted, and the city
of Everett laid out. The leading streets, Rockefeller, Colby, Hoyt,
etc., were named for these early promoters. Hewitt Avenue was given the
name of a man who is today recognized as the leading capitalist of the
state of Washington. Even the building of those streets reflected no
credit upon the city. The work was done by what amounted to convict
labor. Unemployed workers, even tho they were plentifully supplied with
money, were arrested and without being allowed the alternative of a fine
were set to work clearing, grading, planking and, later on, paving the
streets. Perhaps it is too much to expect freedom of speech to be
allowed on slave-built streets.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account