Jack Wimberly

Date of Award

8-1960

Document Type

Thesis

Department

Economics

Abstract

The lumber industry had its beginning in Louisiana during the 1880s. Since that time, it has been one of the state’s more important industries. With the depletion of the extensive stands of virgin timber during the 1920s, lumbering in the state underwent a transition. Once characterized by large and intermediate sized mills, it became more and more an industry of small operations. The ease with which these mills have moved into and out of the industry has given it one of the basic characteristics of perfect competition.

Once of the purposes of this thesis was to examine various trade unions which have operated in the industry and to determine the reasons for their failure. Compared with other industries in the state, lumbering has always been characterized by substandard wages and working conditions. As early as 1902, independent unions had begun to appear among Louisiana’s lumber workers. Later attempts at organization by the I.W.W. and the A.F. of L. ended in riot and bloodshed. No unionization presently exists in the state’s lumber industry.

A second purpose of this work was to discover the effects of minimum wage legislation on the industry. Due to the low wage rates which have characterized the industry, these effects have been pronounced. Coincidental with increases in the minimum, the average wage in the industry rose by 11 cents in 1950 and 16 cents in 1956. At the present time, it appears that higher wages are forcing employers toward a higher capital to labor ratio. This promises to bring about larger mills, increasing productivity, and a more secure market for the state’s lumber operators.

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