Page Two

THE BC

LUMBER WORKER

LETTERS

Camp

OPEN LETTER TO
UNION STEAMSHIPS

Mr. Caral Halterman, Gen. Mgr.,
Union Steamship Company

Dear Sir—I am writing to you in re-
gard to the accommodation received on
your SS Camosun about three weeks
ago as a second-class passenger, if we
can call it so. When I saw the bunks I
thought perhaps the mess boy had for-
gotten to put clean linen on. So I saw
the purser, Mr, H. Gill. Ho said, “You are
don’t furnish that” I said, “You are
not very accommodating here on this
ship, are you?” He said, “I’m sorry, sir,
but it's company orders.”

At Allisons Camp, I saw Mr. Gill and
asked him to whom I should write about
this, He told me I should write to you.

Now, Mr, Halterman, about the treat-
ment handed out on your boats. It is the
lowest and cheapest, the most raw that
I have been handed out in all my years,
I don’t know a name for it; it is pre-
posterous. I heard one man say, “It is
a hell of a hole. I'm going first class,”
which, of course, is your idea of “take
your dirt or dig up another $10.” It was
not that I did not have the $10, but I
think it was a noble way to save $10.
It would be a noble gift to my aged
mother and to the bombed-out people in
England. I am glad now that I was sport
enough to take second-class rather than
first.

I did not sleep much for three nights.
I heard one old man say the first
morning, “My, this is tough. My back!
I can’t move. I’m used to a soft bed at
home.” We stopped in at Margaret Bay
and an old gentleman came aboard from
the whaling station. When I came below
deck to retire—if I can call {t that—this
old man just said two words: “Pretty
dirty.” What would the board of health
say to this? Do the board of directors
in your company at their general meet-
ing ever discuss anything so cheap as

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[Conditions In Camp 6
Need Immediate Action

To the Editor:

I was wrong.

The food is not good and the trouble
seems to He in the cookhouse and not
in the quality and quantity of supplies.

Another complaint is that the crew
has to be out of camp between eleven
and twelve hours to get in an eight-hour
day. Much of this is unnecessary and
could soon be checked up by a wide-
awake camp committee. For instance,
the crew is on the job more than half an
hour before starting time. Waiting half
an hour for starting whistle is not pleas-
ant at any time and is very unpleasant
in bad weather.

Why there isn’t more action I will try
to find out in the near future when I
get better acquainted. -The camp must
be getting pretty well unionized as the
bunkhouse I am in and also a couple of
others are nearly 100 per cent.

What is wrong with the married peo-
ple in this camp that there is not a post
office? Mail for three hundred people
more or less, is thrown on an open
counter, Take what you like and leave

this? or is it your personal doings so
that you might show big profits?

Mr. Halterman, I know you are a big
man and in a high position, but do not
misuse your power. After all you are in
the transportation business and a servant
to the public. How would you like to
meet Ernest Bevin and talk about this
condition? No mention need be made
about the worthy occupation and the
worthy part we play in preserving what
we have.

Be a good sport, Mr. Halterman. We
loggers invite you and all the highest
officials of the Union Steamship Com-
pany to reserve all second class bunks
for a tour up here. It will accommodate
thirty persons; sleep and dine right here,
just the same as the staff treats us, then
please write us how you gentlemen en-
joyed the trip. After all, we are all in
the same boat here on earth and in a
very short time we will all lay with our
toes up.

So let us be a little more agreeable
to one another. It would be so much
more pleasanter to everyone. Let us not
kick the underdog. The public should
know through Vancouver's leading news-
papers, how you treat your second-class
passengers. We know that leading maga-
zines pay cash for true articles like this.
We say this because you are the man-
ager; but who knows, maybe they are
orders given to you.

‘Will you please give this your earnest
consideration immediately for us loggers?

Yours truly,
CARD 71-4371,

Join Your Friends at

COURTENAY HOTEL
Headquarters”
“The Loggers’
G. TATER - - PROP.
Courtenay, V.L

Comments —

“Every Reader a Correspondent”

I have not noticed any reports in the Lumber Worker from Camp 6,
Youbou, since I arrived here and I do not remember seeing any for
many months while working in other camps.

I always read the camp reports in the paper. That is one of the reasons
I am here, as I thought if there were no reports then there were no com-
plaints, hence it must be an exceptionally good camp to work in.

the rest, According to figures from the
recent census, Camp 6 is the largest vil-
lage in Canada without a post office.
This camp has been in the same loca-
tion for 14 years and has timber enough
to keep it another 14 years. Several of
the workers have been here since the
camp first opened.

Another question is the so-called com-
munity hall, built by and for the peo-
ple but now controlled by the company,
the people not even being allowed a hall
committee.

Now, somehow, things don't look just
right to me — a tamp highly organized,
yet all these things needing adjustment
and no action.

Come on, boys, let’s get going. They
may have been able to get by with that
stuff when jobs were scarce, but now
the boot is on the other foot.

Anyone in Camp 6 wishing to contact
me can do so through the local Union
Organizer providing they show a Union
Card in good standing.

I hope through this letter to be able
to get in touch with some
timers in this camp.

Here’s wishing the Lumber Worker
and the IWA every suocess.

Yours fraternally,

GIBSON BROS.
FAIR TO LABOR

To the Editor:

In our last letter from
Chamis Bay, to our paper, we rey
a wage increase, adding, “The
(Navy has been threatening to invade
coast very shortly,” seemingly in
ing that being the reason for the rai

While the average boss-logger’s
tude towards labor may justify such
marks, we would like to point out,
order to clear up any misunderstandi,
or hard feeling our remark may h
caused, that this company always pr
themselves willing to peacefully nog
ate with their employees any -
or dispute which may arise, somethin,
we appreciate, as it does, we feel sur
help to eliminate a lot of so-called
trouble. ‘

Haven't much union activities to repor
on the camp, Committee rounded up
couple of good talents for the Can:
Tribune drive; got about 20 subserib
so far.

The delegates report the camp abou
eighty per cent organized. :

As this will be our last letter for this
season, we wish you all a Merry Chri
mas and a good time at the Loggers’
Dance, where we hope to meet you all

CAMP COMMITTER,
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