Regional Board Assists Wage d -Conference Meeting in a joint conference last week in Cranbrook for the ‘ose of job classification and paataation, g representatives of Local 1-405, IWA-CIO and the Interior Lumberman’s Associa- tion reached considerable under- standing on their problems. Under the chairmanship of M. M. McGeough, Chief Execu- tive Officer, Regional War La- por Board, the meeting com- pleted a job which has been sadly neglected in the area for ears. ithe. employers’ association, while not willing to grant a gen- eral increase, realize that some gross inequities do exist in the present schedule and based on a catalogue of classifications com- piled by the Union have agreed to a wage raise in many cate- gories if acceptable to the Re- gional Board. An agreement ‘was reached whereby contract rates would be made possible only by joint application of em- ployer and union. This is in di- rect line with Canadian Labor Legislation, A 40-page brief has been pre- sented to the Regional Board by the Union in support of their application for wage revisions and according to a statement made by Al. Parkin, president and business agent of the local . here. “The importance of this meeting to the lumber industry in the interior cannot be denied as it lays the solid basis for the future negotiations and stabil- ization of the industry. Ss =r Se ae Se GENUINE Fleck Bros. Safety Div’n Vancouver, B.C. GOOD LUCK TO THE IWA-CIO ! See Us for... Johnson “ARCH+KING” LOGGER BOOTS The Skeena Mercantile George McAdams, Prop. Terrace, B.C. THE BC. LUMBER WOR KER Good Old Days?.. | To the Editor: A friend gave me your January 14 issue and I saw your head- ing, “25 Cents Per Hour Increase, 40-Hour Week,” and it took me back to the so-called ‘good old days.” I remember in the winter of 1899-1900, I was offered a job 3 miles away from my cabin at] one dollar per day. I rode my cayuse to and from work, worked; ten hours a day; then never got paid because the boss said he made nothing. Remember, those were the days before the union. The boss said he was to get $1.75 per thousand for No. 1 fir logs, $2.00 per thousand feet for clear cedar, no rim rot; and $2.25 for clear white pine. delivered on the banks of the Shushwap River. River driving was $1.50 per day and board for ten hours in 1898. ‘The enclosed rhyme was written in 1944 when an article ap-} peared in a Vancouver paper saying how the axe was helping to} destroy the Axis, by cutting down Queen Charlotte Island spruce trees, which were being used in making airplanes. I sent it to a Sunday paper, but apparently it was not good enough for them to print. The editor claimed that such types of men as loggers, miners, etc., couldn’t write poetry anyway. So, I’m sending it to you and perhaps you might have a different opinion. Anyway, you can only dump it in the wastepaper basket like he did. THE SONG OF THD AXE One night I lay a-dreaming, and in a vision clear, I heard workmen’s tools start talking, not knowing I was: near. They talked among themselves, Some in the corners and some on shelves, And they said how helpless man would be, If the tools failed to work for Victory; If the shipwelder’s torch refused to burn, Or the gunmaker’s lathe refused to turn, And the riveter’s hammer failed to pound Or the polishing wheel to go ‘round and ’round. Then some began to argue, and others began to fight, Each of them saying, the other never did anything right. The Axe said the shovel was useless, and couldn’t cut down a tree, And the*hammer was only a knocker who did nothing for Victory. Then the Axe began loudly boasting, bragging what he could do, It he ever got near the Axis, he could cut them all in two. And the rest of the tools began singing in accents loud and strong, “When the Axe starts after the Axis, the War won’t last very long.” In my dream I saw the Axe travelling, in far off enemy lands; And it pmee to be searching and seeking, as if held in invisible ands. Of course, I must have been dreaming, but I’m telling you the facts, That I heard | Der Fevhrer screaming, “Look out for that damned axe.” Then Musso started yelling, “That Axe, he wanta me.” “Excuse it please,” said Tojo “axe killee Japanee.” The Axe was on the rampage, cutting both left and right, If the Axe catches up with the Axis, they’ll darn soon quit the fight. Then the Axe returned from its journey, telling what it had done; How the three head men of the Axis had all been on the run. And the tools once more began working, making shot and shell. They were willing to work both night and day, to give the Axis Hell. And I dreamed I saw the tools working, and as they worked they sang. Some of them sang like a Russian, and some like a Chinaman. I heard English voices, other nations joined in too: “When the Axe catches up with the Axis,” the war will then be through. (The above was written in 1944; now, in 1946, we can say:) The Axe has caught up with the Axis, and the war is said to be ‘won; But the pron auemen all over the world know there’s still much to je done. What was good enough for father, isn’t good enough for his lad. There must be shorter hours, higher pay, with a decent pension for Dad. —H. J. BLURTON, Enderby. P.S.—I am getting the wonderful old age pension of $30 per month and can’t write as neat as I used to—but hope you can read my writing. FROM B.C. DISTRICT UNION NEWS ——='People Be On Juries Miners Demand Informed COPPER MOUNTAIN. — A coroner’s jury sitting at Prince- ton on the death of Brother T. W. “Wally” Beckman returned a! verdict of accidental death and in the absence of eye witnesses of | the accident, were unable to ascertain by what means he had happened to fall through the grizzly. Interior Activities FROM CRANBROOK, NELSON, PRINCETON, KELOWNA, KAMLOOPS AND PRINCE GEORGE LOGGERS | For a Good, Reliable TAXI Phone VERNON 190 Kal Taxi (Bob Carswell) 21 Eighth St. Res. Phone 515 VERNON, B.C. Beckman had the reputation of being one of the most careful workers on the job, and from the fact that powder was found in the raise, it can only be assumed that he had removed his safety belt to set a blast, and in so do- ing had in some manner fallen through the grizzly. No miners sat on the jury, and it was evident that business men and clerks had much difficulty in following the evidence. It seems so ridiculous to have a jury composed of members to whom mining terms are “so much Dutch.” This is the second coroner’s jury that has sat in Princeton on mine fatalities at Copper Mountain, and of both juries only one miner sat on them, a coal miner. Beckman was buried in Prince- ton on January 16th, from the United Church, Rey. J. C. Good- fellow officiating. The union pall- bearers were Brothers P. Paul, F, Hamilton, 0. Aardal, P. Mc- Aleese, A. Bognar, Jr.; and L. Musta. Brother Angus Campbell read the union burial service at the graveside, The Most Complete P.O. Box 158 For LUMBER WORKER'S to Outfit is W. D. MacKENZIE & SON (Bill MacKenzie) VERNON, B.C. Store in the Interior Phone 155 Agreement Reached At Prince George Meet Prospects of breaking the interior deadlock and signing agree- ments brightened considerably last week when a delegation from the IWA, headed by International Board Member E. Dalskog and District. President Harold Pritchett, met with a delegation of operdtor’s representatives, headed by Mr. Ruddok, in Prince George. Two days of deliberations re- sulted in an agreement being reached that will be presented to the local for adoption. If adopted, the agreement will cover 18 operations in the Prince George area. Based on the 1945 coast agreement, the proposed contract has been improved on some points. The 67 cent mini- mum wage was agreed to and improvements in the vacation clause. All range rates were eliminated. Negotiations on all wage categories were not com- pleted although most of the log~ ging camp scales were agreed to. Negotiations on the rest of the wage categories are continuing. Demand Penalty For Kurt Meyer The following resolution had unanimous endorsation at the regular monthly meeting of Local 1-405 at Cranbrook on January 20th, 1946: WHEREAS Kurt Meyer, a fascist S.S. Gestapo General, was convicted by a Canadian military court of committing mass murder of non-combatants and Canadian prisoners of war and sentenced as 2 murderer to pay the penalty that all right thinking people demand, and WHEREAS we recognize the danger of forces im our own country who want to protect fascist criminals; THEREFORE BE IT RE- SOLVED that IWA Local 1-405 (CIO) demands a review of Kurt Meyer's reprieve, to the end that the murderer of our Canadians may not go unpun- ished, and that the just penalty be carried out. CASH for your empty BEER BOTTLES THEY ARE URGENTLY NEEDED! Department of Labor officials have expressed pleasure at the outcome and are now expressing the hope that this will lead to| signed contracts throughout the! interior, A statement by Mr. Ruddok, representative of the interior operators, adds strength to this opinion and it is possible that a signed agreement may be reached at Cranbrook, thus avoiding the arbitration board. The quantity of bottled beer which can be made available to the public is directly affected by the number of empty beer bottles which are returned by the consumer. A definito shortage of empty beer bottles now exists. You can help alleviate this condition and help to ensure the future supply of bottled beer by returning empty beer bottles promptly to any of the addresses listed below: You Will Receive 25¢ Per Dozen If You Deliver Them To Any Of The Following Addresses: 115 E. Second Ave. 6 East Second Ave. 608 Main Street 1445 Powell St. 1090 Hamilton St. 2240 W. 11th Ave.