UNI RC Lenses Worker Published Bi-Weekly by the B.C. District Council. LW.of A. ON BULLETIN Make Democracy Work By Using Your Ballot on March 26th ———— IL. 10, No. 4 VANCOUVER, B.C., MARCH 20, 1940 OS No. 227 LWA. Exec. Issues Election Statement: Cites War As The Fundamental Question Next Tuesday, March 26th, a few Canadian industrialists and financial barons and a great mass of Canadian workers will go to the polls. Elec- tion day will have come and gone—GONE PERHAPS FOR ANOTHER FIVE YEARS OR EVEN LONGER! Canadian labor has its chance to make its voice heard—labor has definite needs and aspirations—critical times lie ahead and if labor wants to see its program put into life, NOW IS THE TIME TO SPEAK. : Since Canada became involved in theo Huropean war definite restrictions have already been placed on our democratic rights; freedom of speech, assembly, the press and radio have been gagged by the War Measures Act “Regulations;” the PROFITS vs. WAGES The capitalist class took in $2,000,000 more in January than it did a year ago. And how much less did you take in? What About The Much- Rumored Shutdown? By AL PARKIN Are the logging and sawmill operators “on the level” with their recent outcry of a falling market and a precarious future for the industry, or are they merely resorting to their annual maneuver of building up a case of poverty with the public as insurance against having to boost ‘wages for the working logger? right of “trial before punishment” has been removed by Regulation 21, thereby destroying the very fundamental of our constitution and the Magna Charta; and the Government has seized the right to arbitrarily outlaw any organization. Such repressive measures against the workers, have been looked on only as charactistics of a fascist state, THEY ARE A REAL THREAT TO OUR CIVIL LIBERTIES—THEY DESTROY OUR TRADE UNION RIGHTS AND PRO- VIDE THOSE WHO “OWN FOR A LIVING” WITH ANOTHER WEAPON TO MAINTAIN THE “OPEN SHOP” AND THEREBY PREVENT WAGE IN- CREASES AND THE IMPROVEMENT OF OUR SOCIAL AND JOB SECURITY, It is our responsibility to vigorously pro- test such reactionary*regimentation and proclaim frankly, clearly and with firm determination, our demand that this blackout of Canadian democracy cease. Vigilance to protect democratic princi- ples and to prevent the growth of totali- tarian methods at home and in the Bmpire, has clearly become the most important aspect of the fight against fascist aggression. If the prosecution of the war must mean a .corresponding destruction of labor rights and a “deaf ’ ear” to workers’ needs, then labor has no other course open but to Demand ‘ Peace. Stream-lined propaganda machines are interpreting the swift march of events to confuse, prejudice and inflame ie our minds; any labor paper or broadcast which fails to fall in line and prostitute itself to big business, is immediately pushed to one side, raided or banned. If we are to throw a barrier across the road to conscription, fascist reaction, and industral serfdom; if we are to halt ‘the rising. cost of living, curb war-pro- fiteering, speculation and monopoly and prevent depression, disease and famine which always follows in the wake of ‘war—THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO DO IT. The world's powerful industrial- ists and financial overlords are working in Canada as in all nations to involve us in a struggle which will not only destroy our lives, limbs and the créa- tions of our labor, but also our standards ‘of living, demoerate rights and lberty. At the Third Annual Convention of President Urges Support By HJALMAR BERGREN Since the I.W.A. renewed efforts to organize B.C. lumber, commenced on the lines agreed upon at our recent District Convention held on Janu- ary 3rd and 4th, on a program of “boost our pay a buck a day,” improved. working conditions, reduction of fatality and accident tolls, preferential hiring, seniority rights, the establishment of signed agreements and collective bargaining relationship be- tween employer and employees; much preparatory work has been dene and the field of organi: ational activity: broadened. The vital need of organization, the aim and objectives at stake, demand that it be still further broad- ened; that organizational activity be increased, and that additional forces be placed in the field. The Executive Board of the B.C, District Council of the ILW.A. meeting after the conclusion of the conven- tion and having heen gvien the responsibility of finding the practical ways and means of carrying the convention program into life, realized that these steps would be necessary in order to carry forward the program ‘and open the doors for the new members to come in. It was realized that this new activity was going to place an additional financial burden upon our organization which could not be met immedi- ately through an increased revenue in dues and initiations. To overcome this problem it was agreed that an organizational stamp be issued, these stamps to be sold at $1 each. The woodworkers in the Midwestern States raised $30,000 through this means. They constitute one of the strongest and most important section of the I.W.A. today. I believe we have as much at stake and certainly we can do as well, so buy an “T-Helped-To- Join the LW.A. and boost your pay a Organize-B.C.-Lumber” stamp. buck a day. Engineer Killed; T. Tatsumi, a Japanese millworker at Robertson and Hackett’s Vancouver miil died in St, Paul’s Hospital. He suffered a crushed head, when planks fell from a lumber pile near where he was work- ing, striking him on the head. The other woodworker was Gordon Smith, 39-year-old engineer at Camp 3, Lake Cowichan, Smith whose home was in Ladysmith, died from head injuries re- ceived when he bailed out of a run-away Woodworkers" donkey on a sidenm, | "woouwerse Moving the machine | jilled in B.C’s down a steep incline Tamper in wit dustry since h a Block and a | dustry smee half snapped the gooseneck on a moy- ing block, sending the engine careening down the hill, past the spar, across the railroad track and right through the “goat” whicch lay below the spar tree. So heavy was the impact with the Rigger Escapes “goat” that it tore off the boiler and main drum on the hall-back, Miracul- ously escaping serious injury was the rigger Who rode on the front of the machine, and managed to hang on and come through alright. Fortunately the “goat” did not have steam up. DIVIDENDS RISE! Dividend payments by Canadian cor- porations in February of 1940 were over one million dollars above the total for 1938. For the first two months of this year dividends are more than $1,700,000 ahead of the similar period of 1939. While inereases in wages have been effected in a numbr of upcoast camps during the past two months, according to re- ports from union secretaries and camp delegates, no satisfactory increase has been granted to offset marked increased living costs and in lin with generally ‘This qiestion was being asked on all parts of the coast this week as rumors began circulating regarding the shut- down of a number of major camps. No one man could say definitely that the rumors had any basis in fact. The writer was informed by the crew dur- ing a recent trip into one of the Camp- bell River camps that Fanny Bay and some of the Cowichan Lake operations were closed tight. Two nights later while visiting the Fanny Bay camps sup- posedly shut down for several days, he was told, in all seriousness, that Bloe- ael’s and Vanisle at Menzies Bay had sent their crews into Vancouver. The { were even wildy cumors of strit-ge-breae ing out at various points, There were many, of “course, who turned a skeptical ear to the reports, preferring to wait for events to bear out or disprove the rumors. They were skeptical for various reasons — partly because of long experience with the log- ging industry, where every setting is going to be the last, and partly because of the exceptionally high prices for logs and their acquaintance with log-hungry operators who are never happier than when contemplating price market and plenty of round stuff in the woods just waiting to be rolled down to tidewater. What about market, prospects? Un- doubtedly, operators are having difficutly in finding ships to export their lumber, But despite this fact, evports for the period from November 1939, to January 31, 1940, were some 33,000,000 feet higher than the corresponding period of last year, according to figures released by the B.C. government, Log prices are also a good barometer of market conditions— falling or rising according to the demand for sawn lumber—but there is no indica- tion as yet of log prices dropping from their present almost record high. Stocks of logs in the water are also slightly lower than normal. This is not to say that there may not be a general shutdown in the industry. for a short period. There have been shutdowns before and there'll be shut- downs again, But those who have spent years in listening to lumbermen plaintively tell the public—from the comfort of their gaudy baronial mansions n Shaugh- nessy Heights—that they're keeping the camps and’ mills running merely to keep the workers from hitting the breadlines, are inclined to believe that the latest threats of a shutdown are inteded to fool the public and give woodworkers a sense of insecurity for the future, ss It’s an old, time-worn maneuver, but it still works, The principle is to keep on telling whopping lies on the assump- tion that at least a percentage of the public will believe them, Then it's a comparatively simple matter, if their employees get so bold as to ask for a wag increase, to set up a loud and con- vincing wail about losing money to justify any action they might take against the workers. Their present outcry has all the ear- increased lumber profits. (Continued on Page 3)