THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER By BEN THOMPSON Local 1-71 First Vice-President Logging during 1970 was curtailed for almost the entire year with many loggers unemployed and forced to seek employment in other in- dustries. The log stock - log price situation has _ not drastically improved and loggers again face another tough winter. Camp shutdowns of indeterminate duration are once more being repeated and the list of unemployed loggers is daily growing larger. Unemployment has to be the largest single problem which an individual must face. In spite of this self-evident truth the elected represen- tatives who form the govern- ment have decided that unemployment is ‘‘good” for us. Quick Cabinet and Minis- terial action is interjected when contract negotiations be- come a little too sticky for some industrial employers association, but, ‘‘We are studying the situation’, is the answer given to the unem- ployed. Too often are the legislative halls of this country reacting to headlines focusing attention to some pending labour negotiations problem. The problem of the unem- ployed receives little attention as it is with us every day and therefore not “news’’. Unemployment is not good, it is bad; bad for the individual and his family, bad for the community, bad for the province and bad for Canada. The truth of the news is found by examining the statistics as gathered and published by the government’s Dominion Bureau of Statistics. The total of strikes and lockouts in Canada during the first seven months of 1970 involved: 348,788 workers — 4,554,000 man days lost time. Every day in this same period the unemployed and actively seeking work in- volved: 400,000 workers — 60,800,000 man days lost time, It is totally wrong to consider unemployment percentage rates as ‘‘tolerable’’ or ‘‘sood’’. Surely this fast SNOWMOBILE DEATHS INCREASE BY Snowmobile deaths soared by 50 per cent last winter. Predicted high sales of the motorized snow vehicles make a further increase in casualties most likely this winter unless operators take more care. In a national report prepared by the Canada Safety Council, public road collisions are singled out as by far the leading cause of snowmobile deaths. Of the 93 snowmobile deaths last winter, 47 resulted from collisions with other motor vehicles. One of the victims was a nine-year-old boy whose snowmobile collided with a car on a main highway. The Canada Safety Council recommends that snowmobilers using their vehicles for recreation stay off 50% public roads. The Council also says that snowmobilers should tow their vehicles across public roads manually although driving them across under power is generally legal. Driving snowmobiles at night proved to be the most hazardous practice of all. Of the fatalities, 28 took place at night. Broken down by location, 22 of the total number of deaths took place on municipal roads, 21 on secondary roads and four on main highways. While legislation varies widely from province to province, snowmobiles are generally allowed on roads except on main highways. Where snowmobiles are allowed on roads, registration is compulsory. growing city of unemployed (reported to number 419,000 at the end of October) can no longer be ignored by any thinking person. The truth today is that Canadian em- bassies, trade missions, etc., around the world can only say, “Come to Canada — Join the unemployed’. The picture for the wood- worker in British Columbia and the coastal logger is far from encouraging. Lay-offs for the ‘‘winter’’ shutdown commenced in October when logging weather was actually at its prime. No one is able to answer the loggers’ question, “How long will the camp be shut down?’’ The Loggers Local (1-71) which had a membership of 5,140 in April 1969 had only 3,500 working at the 15th of November 1970 and less than 1,000 working on December 15th 1970. Many small contractors were among the first to be closed but these were swiftly followed by the giants — Rayonier, Crown Zellerbach, MacMillan Bloedel and Weldwood of Canada Ltd. Where is there any action to try to reduce such fluctuations? We do not cry when com- panies introduce machinery which reduces the logging force. Many machines makes the loggers’ tasks less back- breaking and safer. We note that company supervisors ask, “Where are the loggers?”’ when they choose to log. Our concern is when companies too frequently choose not to log is the fate of the individual worker even considered? When the economy of British Columbia is so dominated by the forest industry we believe it is time that one should question the “sole” right of a company to open and close their operations overnight. More serious thought and long range planning for the individual woodworker must be con- sidered. Hot summers, cold or snowy winters and machinery breakdowns create enough hardships without additional time off through log price, log stock, log market fluctuations. The individual cannot endure this constant pressure and the nation cannot afford the ‘luxury’? of a vast army of unemployed. CREDIT BUREAUS SHY ABOUT DISCLOSING CONSUMER RATINGS There’s about eight million bucks owing in consumer credit in Canada now, yet around half the applicants for time - payments get turned down. How come? Who knows who is a good credit risk? The Agency The local credit bureau is the agency which usually tells the local merchant if you’re good for the payments on the furniture, appliances, etc. But how accurate is the credit bureau? And how can you find out what it’s saying about you? As you might expect, the credit bureau gathers inform- ation from a variety of sources — department stores, ban credit unions, other accounts. And — sometimes — from your boss or your neighbours. Make Mistakes The credit bureaus try to be accurate, but the people there are only human like the rest of us. Sometimes they make mistakes. How can you find out? Try asking. Sometimes, they'll tell you. But just “sometimes.” The Associated Credit Bu- reaus of Canada claim that their members will disclose to any consumer the informa- tion they have on file. But it isn’t always so. The Consum- ers Association of Canada did some investigating. AC members who partici- pated in a nationwide survey reported “a wide range of at- titudes.” Some are willing to show credit files. Others just refused flatly, even after prop- er identification. One bureau wanted a $2.50 fee — and then would let you look only if you’d been turned down for credit. Married Women In some places, a married woman just automatically as- sumes the credit rating of her husband, and can’t see her file unless her husband is with e r. The Consumers Association of Canada is calling for “real- istic” legislation and enforce- ment. It wants credit bureaus to be licensed so that their activities can be regulated. Why regulate? To protect individual privacy and repu- tation, and to safeguard the consumer’s economic security. Most agencies are honest and try to give correct inform- ation — but mistakes do hap- pen. And there’s always the fly-by-night operators. The CAC suggests that you approach your local credit bu- reau or similar agency and ask to see your file. THEN LET THE CONSUMERS AS- SOCIATION OF CANADA KNOW WHAT YOU FIND OUT. The address: 100 Glou- cester Street, Ottawa 4, Ont. The reputation you save may be your own, too! LIGHTER SIDE Kamloops Katie says that a bachelor is a man who leans towards women — but not far enough to fall. * * * A backwoodsman was leav- ing home for a hunting trip of several days during the cold fall. His wife wasn’t happy to be left alone with snow due any time “Zeke, » she complained, “youre going away for a week and there’s not a single stick of wood cut for the stove,” “So what?” Zeke replied. “ain’t taking the axe.’ JUST TYPE ECIRCATIONS, x