The Weight of the Mill: A Logger’s Victory on Puget Sound

For the past three weeks, the mill companies on the Sound have particularly been found to be possessed by the official scales. The loggers, who, until recently, have been practically subservient to the mill companies, have been compelled to accept the scales as rendered by the mill men, and the government scales simply refused to show the actual weight to the loggers, a loss that owing to circumstances they were unable to avoid. The mill companies have never questioned the correctness of Mr. McTaggart's scales, but simply insisted upon their own scales (which averaged five percent below that of the government scales) because the loggers remained to it. The increased demand for logs during the past season has enabled the loggers to assume a more independent position and demand their rights. The Shagit loggers who own their own outfits, being less under the obligations of the mill companies, held their logs for sale subject to the government scale. The Papal Mill Company was the first to break the loop. This caused a general break on the part of the loggers to the Papal Mill Company's buyers, and a corresponding scarcity of logs offered on the part of the Papal Mill Company, which includes Quailady, Port Gamble and Port Ludlow, was immediately followed by the Blakely, Tacoma and Discovery Companies, and finally all the mills on the Sound have signified their willingness that that harmony which must result beneficially both to loggers and mill men, now prevails throughout the Puget Sound District.