_ the above point. (a)

Need Statistical

: By JOHN WIGDOR
Director of the Pacific Coast Labor Bureau of Canada

THE B.c. LUM

BER WORKHR

December 12, 1939

Facts

‘As industry expanded from the small individually owned concerns

huge mod companies it brought with it a complexity of char-
ter that pequieedy an expert skilled petal an accountant, or statis-
‘tician to unravel. The intricacies of double bookkeeping and of masking

of profits dividends not only served to the disadvantage of the gov-
oe iat ine it came to the paying of taxes but also to the worker when

familiar.
_ Two

it came to doling out of wages. Th

abili , and for the logger or C
for re tees eeiiced taveatigation of a field with which he was not too

4 standing examples of the trustification and complexity of
Sieeetal control of industry in British Columbia will serve to illustrate
The B.C. Power Corporation pamied pees and con-
trols .C. Electric Company and the B.C. Power and Gas Company;
the eee cone ara Seieals the National Utilities Corporation, Van-
couver, Fraser Valley & Southern Railway Company, Columbia Estate

e corporations generally claimed in-

millworker to secure a better wage

pany Limited, and Victoria Electric Company Limited; the latter
pray to be outdone, owns and controls the B.C. Rapid Transit Company,

the Victoria Gas Company Limited,

and the Bridge River Power Com-

pany Limited. (b) The Seaboard Lumber Sales Company and its wholly
owned a. the Associated Timber Exporters. Seaboard is owned

AC. ills and three log cut-up plants, Further, the officials arid
He cr ine Seaboard Lumber Sales Board Limited, who are the same
as those on the Seaboard Company, do the freighting and. chartering for
the group. This highly important company occupies a most prominent

in an industry employing 26,257 men, and whose production is the
most important from the dollar yiewpoint in British Columbia’s economy.

For a real wage estimate an ad-
justment in the steadily rising cost
‘of living must be made. An indica-
tion of how much this has risen is
the total of $15.78 for October, 1933,
as cost per week in terms of the av-
erage retail prices in 69 cities in
Canada of certain staple foods, fuel
and lighting, for certain quantities
and for rent entering into the family
budget, as stated in the Labor Ga-
zette. In October, 1939, the figure
indicated for the same factors is
$17.69. This is a very spectacular
rise as the figures that enter into
this do not intend to represent a
family budget and would not main-
tain a family of five anywhere near
approaching a decent Canadian stan-
dard of living. It does not include
such items as depreciation of pur-
chases, replacement of furniture,
new clothing, etc.

It is interesting to note that the net
gain of aggregate profits as represent-
ed by 157 corporations from 1934 to
1938 was 117% increasing from $78,248,-
926 to $168,131,768; while monetary
wages of the worker in logging and
sawmill camps for the same period
increased on an average only 35%.

In order to receive a better wage for
his labor the worker must be prepared
io meet the lumber operators on equal
terms of knowledge and be in posses-
sion of all facts as to cost of living,
comparative earnings of loggers, par-
teularly on the west coast, fluctua-
tions of price levels, cost of operations
of camps, profits of companies, etc.,

etc, And in the battle of balance
sheets he must be equipped with a
thorough understandng of the mighty
67 million dollar B.C. industry which
employs 26,000 men.

(Editorial Note): At the last B.C. Dis-
trict Council IW. of A. meeting the Exe-
cutive Board were instructed to arrange
a contract with the Pacific Coast Labor
Bureau of Canada to get an industrial
survey started. Already the auditing
services of the Bureau are being used
by the Council.

ALABAMA CONTRACT

(Continued from Page 1)

and including four to six feet, $2.12%
Per hundred; mine timbers, from 30 to
40 inches, both inclusive, $2.00 per hun-
dred; mine timbers 5 to 5% feet, both
inclusive, $2.50 per hundred; mine tim-
bers from 6 to 9 feet, both inclusive,
$8.00 per hundred; mine timbers, from
9 to 11 feet, both inclusive, $4.00 per hun-
dred,

Union officials here heralded the
signing of the contract in Alabama as
one of the most significant gains made
by the IWA in some weeks. The victory
in Alabama comes on the heels of. the
gains being made by the IWA in Arkan-
sas and Louisiana as reported in last
week's Timber Worker.

Providing for the settlement of griev-
ances that may “arise during the life of
the contract, which is to run for one
year. The agreement was signed Nov-
ember 27,

Open Letter Labor's

Challenae To Pearson

Hon, Geo. S. Pearson,
Minister of Labor,
Legislature Buildings,
Victoria, B.C.

Dear Sir:

We, the membership of Cumberland
Local, United Mine Workers of Amer-
ica, hereby denounce and condemn your
actions and attitude as Minister of
Labor, by your policy in the following
points concerning issues of vital import-
ance to Trade nUions:

(1) For using a private letter, held in
custody by the Court for use of the
Attorney-General, as the means of
entering a bitter attack on the miners
at Pioneer, B.C,

Said letter having come into your
hands by methods not made known and
therefore can only be termed a method
used by the Gestapo of the Fascist re-
gime. We demand it bt made known to
the public the means by which you pro-
cured said letter.

(2) For refusing to have the duly elect-
ed committee of Pioneer miners recog-
nized as flie official bargaining agency
as you recognized the same personnel
as such in June of this year.

(8) For not prosecuting’ the employers
at Pioneer as you did the employees.
Thereby establishing the fact that you
were more interested in the affairs of
the employers than the workers.

(4) For making regulations with re-
gards to forms and not conforming to
the spirit and letter of the LC.A. Act,
again demonstrating that you will in-
terpret the Act in such a manner as
being detrimental to the labor movement
and in the interest of Big Businzss.

(5) For a continuous attack on mem-
bers of Trades Unions by describing them
as outside agitators and use of abuse
against International Unions, inferring
interference from across the line,

‘The only interference in International
organization is on this side of the line
and you are responsible for most of it
by your attitude towards organized labor
generally,

Therefore, Mr. Pearson, honest efforts
on the part of labor to keep the wheels
of industry in motion are useless while
such vicious attacks are being employed
against labor by you and your associ-
ates, so we have suggested to our Dis-
trict Organization that a cessation of
work take place until Pioneers’ miners
are all working.

Perhaps it would be bentficial to the
majority of the people in B.C. if you
would resign your seat in the House as

OD 0 GED 0 ED 0 GED 00 GED 00 GD.

no sane thinking man could endorse

7

JOHNSON’S “BEST-FOR-LESS”

LOGGERS’ BOOTS

Regular $16.50 Value

Best of material - hand made - full vamp cut - leath
_ lined - heavy leather insole - light weight - eaarane
{| teed against any manufacturer’s default.

0” top 15.50 12” top 16.50,

Price includes postage, etc.
(Money order must accompany Orders.) .

any of your actions in regards the Pio-

neer situation.
Trusting you will give these matters

serious consideration, I am,
Yours truly,
(Signed) JAS. ROBERTSON,
Secretary,
U.M.W.A. Local 7298.

W.C.B. RULING

(Continued from Page 1)

workman is steadily employed, his com-
pensation is based on his weekly earn-
ings.

The Act provides that:

“,. where owing to the shortness of
time during which 2 workman was in
the employment of his employer or in
any employment or the casual nature
of his employment earnings in the
manner hereinbefore described in this
sub-section, regard may be had to the
average, daily, weeldy, or monthly
amount which, as shown by the rec-
ords of the oard, was being earned
during the one or more years of other
period previous to the accident by a
person isi the same or similar grade
or class of employment.”

‘This method is followed where due to
periods of unemployment a workman’s
actual earnings in the three months or
twelve months preceding date of acci-
dent could not fairly be considered as
his “average earnings,” which means
that we follow the average of the grade
or class of employment within which
the workman's employment falls.”

f >)

NOTICE!

ARE YOU GOING AWAY?—Suits
or Overcoats stored, 25¢ a month.
Pressing done while you walt. Buy
your next Suit or Overcoat from us.
Bargains in New and Left-over
Clothing.

SEVEN LITTLE TAILORS

336 Carrall St. Seymour 1134
S

Pennsylvania
Hotel

UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT
Carrall & Hastings Street

“The Loggers’ Hub”

FIRST CLASS ACCOMMODA-
TION at REASONABLE PRICES

Kenneth Campbell, Evans Roy,
Proprietors

e
MEET YOUR FRIENDS
AT THE PENN.

Money To Loan
On Men's Suits, Overcoats, Logging
Boots and Sleeping Bags,

San Francisco Tailors
62 WEST HASTINGS ST.
(4 Doors West of Beacon Theatre)

DENTISTS

LLEWELLYN

Dr. R. Douglas

Phone SEy. 5577
Corner

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Richards and Hastings