Document 21: Executives Confer about the I.W.W., 1911
Mark Reed to Edwin G. Ames, 1 December 1911, folder 4/2, Edwin G. Ames Papers, accession 3820-1,
Special Collections, University of Washington Libraries.
Return to Document Concordance
[postmarked Shelton, Washington]
Dec. 1, 1911
Hon. E. G. Ames,
Walker Bldg.,
Seattle, Wash.,
My dear Mr. Ames:
We are in receipt of yours of the 27th ultimo [your letter written on the 27th of last month], calling our attention to the activities of the I. W. W.
We have been advised of the workings of this organization for some time, and our foremen have had instructions and have been carrying them out. When any man shows up in our works that is affiliated with this Order or a sympathizer with it, no excuse is given but he is quietly handed his time check and requested to leave our road. About two weeks ago an organizer appeared, and he was peremtorily [immediately] ordered on the train and returned to town, with instructions to the train men and to the foremen of the camps, not to allow him to solicit membership among our men. It is very difficult to eradicate this element entirely from our employees as they are certainly actively engaged in soliciting membership and stirring up discontent. For instance: Last week we had the misfortune to kill a man, and we had no idea until after he was dead that he was a member of this order, but found his membership card and by-laws among his effects. A concerted effort should be made to twart [thwart] the efferts [efforts] of this organization, for if they are allowed to continue, and increase in numbers, sooner or later it means serious trouble.
Thanking you for your courtesy in calling our attention to this matter, we remain
Very respectfully,
SIMPSON LOGGING COMPANY,
Mark Reed,
Gen. Mgr.