nem een Spruce Loggers Are Asking For An All Out War Effort By HAROLD PRITCHETT Pres., IWA District Council No. 1 Many hundreds of British Colum- bia’s highly skilled loggers are en- gaged in the production of the famous Sitka spruce.~Under the direction of Aero Timber Products Limited, a crown company estab- lished by the government as a war measure, men, equipment and sup- plies are being directed to the Queen Charlotte Islands to step up production and meet the govern- ment’s requirements for high grade spruce. One does not get the significance and importance of this, wartime job without actually visit- ing the camps, and I was fortun- ate to be one who went and saw, met the workers and the manage- ment, and saw the conditions un- der which spruce is produced. In the first place, the main camps of Aero Spruce are situated in the northern part of the Queen Charlotte Islands, in and around Massett Inet; with the headquart- ers camp at Juskatla and the vari- ous other camps in that vicinity; namely, Johnson's, Sorn’s, Sun- rise, Shannon Bay and Vasey's. ‘The timber is heavy as the coun- try is rough, and production at times is delayed by heavy stormy weather. With Canada involved in a global war against fascism and the world famous Sitka spruce being in its entirety for the production of the May 31, 1948 Mosquito bomber, the worker's pa- triotic intensity and desire to do their part in achieving victory struck me as being very highly significant. A sound basis for real war partnership has ben estab- lished with the fact that 90 percent of the workers in these camps are members of the International Woodworkers of America and every bunkhouse displays the 100 percent union card. Kegular union meetings are held where the griev- ances, safety and health conditions are discussed and the Grievance Committee meets regularly with the management with a view to ironing out these difficulties. My tour came at a very opportune time, when the National govern- ment was asking the Canadian peo- ple for a loan of one billion one hundred million dollars. The quota for the Quen Charlotte Islands was $120,000 and all indication point to the fact that it will be well oversubscribed. « Every camp endorses the idea of its ranks, highly skilled workers to electing from trained and serve on a union-management production committee, The produc- tion committee will meet to con- sider bottlenecks that may exist and the answer to solve such bot- flenecks. The committee will also meet with the management on an equally represented basis, for the sole purpose of developing cooper- ation and good will for the elimin- ation of such bottlenecks. These Member In Army Sends Fraternal Greetings Greetings, Brothers! — I received from Brother Nigel Mor- gan a letter telling of plans to establish a Local at Courtenay; also of the success of the delegation on the ICA Act to Victoria, T have read in the Lumber Worker labor bill. Brother Ernest Anderson ration of the Local at Courtenay, of the passing of the new writes me of the inaugu- Brothers, this is great news. It sure makes me wish I was back in the movement. Still, I have a big job to do here. I only hope I can do it half as well as you are doing. You are off to a good start with the honor of be- ing the first local to sign a full union agreement in B.C. There are times here when many of the boys are impatient and dis- gusted with the slowness of their advance, but I think all of them realize the magnitude of what we must do and the knowledge that the workers at home are getting solidly behind them heartens them greatly. I am sure they appreciate it very much from remarks I have heard among them. I know that I am very glad to learn these things, Congratulations, Brother Higgins on your attainment of the presi- dency of the Local. Now for a bit of army news. I am sure you all know there is very little I can write on that subject for our own safety as well as oth- ers. I am in Calgary at advanced training. We get from two to three months here of intense work to prepare for draft overseas. It ig impossible to tell when we will move again. The work is clean and I like it leartiing all these new weapons, Boys, I can tell you— you learn. ‘There are many lads of nine- teen here who. must go to a spe- cial course until they are of age for draft. I guess you fellows will know about how they like it. Some of them nearly tear their hair out when they learn they can’t stay with the men, The Canadian Legion has a very fine centre in the city. A man can have a whale of a time at it. Just like old times. I have been telling the boys that we should all join the Legion, It is a fine organiza- tion and besides, you lads won’t be ahead of us then, Well, I think I had better close, You have my best regards, and, brothers, here’s to you, TO UNITY, AND DEMOCRACY! Yours sincerely, K69196, PTE. G. W. PETERS, D. Coy., Pit. No. 1, Calgary, Alta. production committees will not be considered in any way a grievance committee and must not be used as a means of sweating workers. Neither shall they be used for the purpose of taking over the man- agement. The main purpose will be to work cooperatively in the elim- ination of production problems, for the sole purpose of stepping up Production and meeting the gov- ernment’s war requirements of Sit- ka spruce. It is only natural that large numbers of men in such outlying territory, completely out of touch with the exception of bi-monthly mails, will have grievances, but it is my sincere opinion that where management recognizes that griev- ances will exist and cooperates in the establishment of the necessary machinery to eliminate such griev- ances in a signed agreement, the response of the workers in pro- duction, harmony and stability will be astounding. The consensus of opinion, as I found it, amongst the majority of loggers, is that this is a people's war and the responsibility of win: Your Income Tax And Compulsory Savings Many workers have openly ex- pressed doubt as to: the likelihood of ever getting back their “Com- pulsory Savings Tax.” There need be no doubt on this score. Your compulsory ‘savings will be returned—after the war is won, and with two percent added. The law of Canada states that the amounts refundable shall be paid to the taxpayer after cessa- tion of hostilities between “Can- ada and Germany, Italy and Japan.” The law further declares that in respect of the compulsory savings ning victory over fascism rest with all, At times sacrifices are neces- sary, but if such sacrifices are dis- tributed equally between worker, management and government, a sound basis for cooperation and all-out production is established. The workers are genuinely desir- ous of cooperation in production, war finance, equitable rationing, development of an auxiliary ranger force for defense; in fect, partici- pation in every phase of Canada’s war effort to bring victory for the Allies and the establishment of a just peace to follow such victory. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR... SAY WHAT YOU PLEASE Can You Help? Editor, Lumber Worker: writing to you to obtain some in- I am formation about my brother. He has been missing for about five years and in some of his papers we found evidence that he had been in your union. I know his membership has probably expired, but if you can give me any in- formation at all I will be sincerely grateful, His name is Harold Syd- ney Lucas and he is now 28 years old. If you find any information concerning him, will you please write to the following address: Betty Lucas, General Delivery, Trenton, Ont. (Former address: 33 Centre St, Ottawa, Ont.) - BETTY LUCAS. Trenton, Ont. Union 90% Now North Coast Timber Co. Cumshewa Inlet, Q.C.I. May 17, 1943 Dear Brothers: Just a short re- port on the activities of the camp and the progress that has been made. We have mved into the new camp and have found the facilities good although the camp is still un- der construction. Relations between employees and management are very good and any differences settled right away in a very satisfactory manner. When we arrived last January, the union membership was about 25 percent, We are now proud sto state that it has risen to 90 per- cent and promises to be 100 per- cent in the near future with the cookhouse erew coming in. PRESS COMMITTEE. tax collect for the year 1942—the refund shall be made not later than the end of the “second fiscal peri- od of the Government of Canada” after the date set (by the Gover- nor in Council) as being the date of cessation of hostilities.” Sec. 93, sub.sec. 3 of the Income War Tax Act, tells us that inter est of 2 percent per annum will be paid. It has now been decided that some form of certificate declaring the amount of compulsory savings for 1942 (and likely for each year that it may be collected) will be issued to the taxpayer. Such a certificate can safely be consid- ered as valid as & War Savings Certificate or a Victory Bond. The point to particularly note is that you must file your 1942 In- come Tax Return to get your cer- tificate for Compulsory Savings that you may ‘have paid. Returns are to be filed on or before June 30. After June 30 a penalty of 5 percent is added, This is an im- portant item, ag the 5 percent is to be -figured upon the total amount of tax payable for the year —not just on the balance you may j Still have to pay. Need Refrigeration North Coast Timber Co. Cumshewa Inlet, Q.C.I. May 17, 1943 Dear Brothers: We were asked at our regular meeting last night to write you regarding the lack of refrigeration for the meat on the boats coming to the Queen Char- lottes, . It was reported the various ship- ments coming to this camp have been very close to the spoiling spoiling point. ; ve The brothers here all realize that due to war conditions the space is limited onthe boats, but we were, wondering if you could bring it to the attention of the steamship company for with the meat ration- ing the way it is, it doesn’t leave room for spoilage. THE PRESS COMMITISE. : You will DEFINITELY get your “COMPULSORY SAVINGS” You'll Get Your Money le But!! You must file your “1942 INCOME TAX RETURN” before you can get your certificate for the amount Back plus RETURNS MUST BE FILED BY JUNE 30th’ After that date a 5% Penalty is added to the amount of Tax. 2% Interest After We will carefully prepare and deliver your Returns, including cor- resporidence, with former employers. OUT-OF-TOWN WORKERS—Please write AT ONCE enclosing cheque or money order. We will send tax forms and our. question- naire with instructions. the OUR CHARGE IS ONLY $2.50 - BY MAIL $3.00 War is Won cor now sunane Gy FLORENCE & ASSOCIATES Vancouver, B.C. “Accounting and Income Tax Service” SEH] Ee