Sawmill Employees at Bend, Oregon Initiated Campaign to Promote use of Wooden Boxes

By Stewart H. Holbrook

Some time before the present lumber extension campaign got under way a group of sawmill employees in Bend, Oregon, used to meet in their 4L Hall and discuss the subject of rvood boxes. At first these discussions took on the nature of a vag'ue analysis of reasons for the inroads of substitutes, but slowly yet surely there was developed a consciousness that .something should be done about the matter; and that possibly the employees of the lumber industry could help. That is the manner in which the 4L campaign to promote the use of wood boxes was started.

Late in 1925 the 4L members of the Bend district got together "to start something". Under the leadership of George Pearson, sawyer at Brooks-Scanlon Lumber Company, who had been the moving spirit in the discussions, they appointed committees to present the matter of box shooks to the Bend Commercial Club. Hearty co-operation was voted by the club. The committees got busy. They first had some rubber stamps printed with the legend :

"All shipments on this order must be made in WOODEN containers. Goods shipped in fiber or paper containers will not be accepted. Advise at once if you cannot comply rvith this request."

Members of the 4L presented these stamps to local merchants, buyers and wholesalers and explained fully their rlse. 'l'he ccmmittees made out lists of goods shipped in wooden containers and distributed them to the families of the hundreds of 4L members in the Bend district. Merchants began to use the wood box idea in their local advertising. The 4L committees_ drew _up _advertisements which were run in nervspapers and paid for by 4L employer members. These announcements brought the message to the merchants and people of Bend that "more than $20{),0@ was paid out in wages yesterday by the trvo mills of Bend. Insisting upon the use of wood boxes will assist in maintaining or increasing that amount to us. Are you doing that?4L B'ox Committee."

About this time the Board of Directors of the 4L organization-composed of 12 employees and 12 employers, elected by ballot in the l2 districts of the 4L in Oreeon, Washington and Idaho-held its fifteenth semi-annual medting in Portland. The Bend locals asked Mr. Pearson to go before the board, tell them what had been done for wood boxes by the Bend 4L, and urge their ofificial support of the movement. Mr. Pearson did so and the board appointed him chairman of a general 4L committee to work not only for wood boxes, but to interest employees in the industry in promoting the use of lumber. This was May lSth of the present year. The board also voted its hearty support of the various lumber extension campaigns now being conducted by associations.

Through the general offices of the 4L in Portland Mr. Pearson. got in touch rvith active 4L members in all parts of the three states, and as I write there are reports lrom a large number of lumber producing centers in the western pine and fir districts indicating that 4L members, all sawmill or logging employees, are earnestly and activelv engaged in carrying the message of lumbei to the merchants, the business men and the people of their respective towns and cities. Committees have been appointed and the whole movement is being co-ordinated through the central clearing house of the 4L in Portland.

So far as I know this is the only instance of the employees of an industry initiating such a step as is here outlihed. The movement is the result of. organization-minded employees and I can think of no other organization than the 4L which could have brought about such a state of mind. When employers and employees are brought together on common ground, as in the 4L, and when men and manage- ment are given opportunity to learn that co-operation is as economically sound in industry as it is elsewhere, then we may expect from all industry the harmony that for nearly eight years has prevailed in 4L logging camps and sarvmills.