Members of the International
Woodworkers of America will be
interested in knowing the facts
behind the “Sun” editorial en-
titled: “‘Who’s Smearing Whom?’
of March 7.

The editorial appeared after
I had spoken to a public meet-
ing in Courtenay, sponsored by
IWA Local 1-368, dealing with
the subject, IWA and the Post-
war,’ Obviously, the editorial at-
tack is an attempt on the part of
the publisher to justify the
smear campaign that has spread
throughout Canada on the alleged
spy activities. I am therefore
printing in full my reply which
was submitted to the editor of
the Sun, for publication:

“Like many other citizens, I
‘was somewhat surprised to read
your editorial of March 7, en-
titled; ‘Who Sniears Whom,’ and
its child-like implications. In
my public address at Courtenay,
acting in the capacity of Presi-
dent of the International Wood-
workers of America, District 1,
I stated:

“. . . If the Government had
evidence of spy activities or in-
trigue, then the person or per-
sons charged, should be given
the full penalty of the law but
the government should not lower
the prestige of Canada in the
eyes of the world, in any way,
by using the spy question to
smear one of the greatest allies
(Canada ever had.” a

Later, this statement was sup-
plemented by a more rounded
out statement issued by myself
and other officers of the union,
on behalf of our executive board,
which the Sun did not publish
in its entirety:

“The Executive Board fully
endorses prosecution of anyone
who would reveal Canadian of-
ficial secrets to any power with-
out proper authorization from
our Government. .

A warning must be given
against allowing the current spy
seare campaign to become a
smoke screen to distract the at-
tention of the Canadian people
from the issue of winning the
peace, and gaining for Canadian
people, a higher standard of liv-
ing, and allowing the labor
movement to be split and divid-
ed on false issues.”

It is a well-known fact that
the authorities were in posses-
sion of the facts as early as
September, 1945, and it is no
accident that following the ar-
rest of the alleged spies, the
Prime Minister named no coun-
try. Not only that, he explained
that the entire case is sub judice
until the commission which is
carrying on the investigation in
camera, makes its report. In spite
of that, the commercial press al-
most without exception, printed
anti-Soviet headlines, using the
arrests for provocative propa-
ganda, designed to lay the,
basis in the minds of tha
public, suspicion and mistrust
against the Soviet Union. It also
gives comfort and support to re-
actionary minorities in Canada
and thoughout the world to in-
tensify their attacks on all
zens and organizations friendly
to the Soviet Union. Could it be
an accident that such a National

should start when the
Union are in disagree-
the United Nations

British policy in

THE B.C LUMBER WORKER

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 2

Reply

such as faces the IWA leaders
without their knowing just what
attitude the members of the
IWA throughout B.C. would
take.

Our union leaders at all times
have been tirelessly working for
the benefits of all the logging
employees in B.C. Should we
not remember that not so very
many years past, some of our
present leaders were forced to
run through the woods like pur-
sued animals, because certain
operators of the larger camps
absolutely refused the IWA
business agents admittance to
the camps for the purpose of
speaking to the employees in
the bunkhouses on the subject
of union, “Today,” we are told
in Don Herd’s column, “union

will” or words to that effect.
And just why shouldn’t they?
We are still living in a free
country.

Granted, that we have today
far better living conditions in
the majority of camps than has
ever before been realized. Is
there any reason why the log-
gers should not have just as
decent living quarters as any
other working man? To many
men who are out in the camps
for months at a time, these
bunkhouses are home. Then, it
is only right and fair to these
men, that they should have a
really worthwhile camp in which
to live. Recreation in some
camps is quite good, even going
so far as to have a first class
gymnasium, ie. APL Camp and
several of the camps enjoy a
weekly picture show. Right
about here we are forced to ask
a question. We would like to
know the locations of the camps
which through the thoughtful
generosity of the management,
supply a radio set in each bunk-
house? My—just think how
lucky those boys are going to
be now that television is so near
to every common logger. Should
we for one single moment ac-
cept the fallacy that all this
comfort has been brought about
SEE es ere
Greece, Iran and Indonesia, for
their apparent disregard of the
San Francisco Charter of the
United Nations, since then sup-
plemented by Mr. Churchill’s
belligerent and provocative at-
tack against Russia, in his Mis-
souri speech?

Contrast this treatment of our
northern ally with the actions of
our Government when we were
involved in a war against Hit-
ler Germany and full recognition
was given to a Hitler satellite
representative of the Vichy Gov-
ernment, in Ottawa. It was also
a well-known fact that the Ja-
panese Government organized an
intricate spy system on the Pa-
cific Coast with it Black Dragon
Association while Japan gave un-
limited support to Hitler and
Mussolini, prior to Pearl Har-
bor, Our Government later found
it necesary to move all Japanese
from the Pacific Coast, but no
attacks were made on the Japa-
nese Imperial Government while
they were busily preparing for
war,

There is no apology for my
contribution in building and de-
fending Canada, As a British
subject and a Canadian citizen
since 1912, I have striven, and
will continue to strive, to ad-
vance the interests of the Cana-
dian people and our great coun-

try.

Page Three

agents may enter the camps at].

aie

IWA Executive Board meets in Portland.
Ist Vice-President Karly Larsen; Secretary Ed. Laux;
Ohnemus, Boommen’s Council; William ©
men; Joe Huber, Klamath Basin; Eugene
Fisher, Northern Washington; Burke Christie,
tion; B. Dalskog, British Columbia; Imar Koivunen,

£ :

Left to right seated: 2nd Vice-President Bill Botkin;
President’ J. E. Fadling.
‘rawford, Southern Washington;
Miller, Plywood; Claud Hale, Columbia River; A.
Plywood; Ray Kroeger, Asst. Director of Organiza-
Mid-west; and Cecil Johnson, Inland Empire.

Standing: Ken
George Willett, Boom-
AL A.

through any kind gestures on
the part of the logging bosses,
then it is high time we pinched
ourselves and returned to
consciousness!

Any gains the logging employ-
ees have received in past years,
especially in the war years, have
been through our union leaders
working together with our camp
grievance committees and also
safety committees. Add to this
various factors such as the acute
man-power shortage caused by
the war. Then we can easily see
just why the boss loggers have
so readily accepted our union
leaders and the standards set by
the IWA.

Not without great considera-
tion, and a complete survey of
all available facts, have our
leaders presented to IWA mem-
bers the new program to be
adopted for 1946. In this world
today, with all the wonderful
prospects of a new and brighter
fukure, should sve not expect
better conditions for all? The
year 1933 is long past, and is
now a ghost, but one to be re-
membered, for through the tire-
less efforts of our leaders and
the cooperation of the logging
employees, or members of our
union, the government set up a
basic rate of 40c an hour.

We are the union, and if we
are to have future security then
we should all back our leaders
to the limit. If we are to keep
good camp conditions and enjoy
a good and a fair living wage,
we should most certainly vote
for the new agreement. To have
a strong united union we defin-
itely should have a union shop,
and with a union shop the
check-off system naturally allies
itself. Neither one is too de-
manding.

Would it be any more difficult
to establish a check-off system
than to keep track of a black-
list? The wage increase is a
normal and a temperate one if
we are to have a country free
from unemployment. Greater
purchasing power will necessar-
ily create employment for the
workers, and if the workers’
buying power is such that it
enables himself to expand for
his own comfort through his in-
creased wages, then the produc-
tion of all commodities in our
country will rise accordingly.

Is this wage increase too
great, for the tmber operators
to stand? Here is one example
of a large corporation. The H.
R. McMillan Export Company
(as quoted from union bulletin)

“showed a net profit, of $1,218,-

IS THE LABOR LOBBY OVER?

By E. DALSKOG, International Board Member

This question was asked of me on my return from Victoria
last week. My emphatic reply was NO! It certainly is' not over!
Although the United Trade Union-Veteran delegation returned
from Victoria after placing its demands before the Cabinet Minis-
ters and individual Members of the Legislature, we will continue
to lobby for enactment of our demands at this session of the legis-

lature.

Keep getting endorsement for our proposals by business and pro-
fessional people, by your neighbors, farmers, ete. Send letters and
telegrams announcing such endorsement to your MLAs afid Pre-

mier Hart.

Be ready for further lobbying in the parliament buildings at
the call of the steering committee.

Dominion Parliament will meet on March 14 in Ottawa. This
will be the second session of the twentieth Canadian Parliament.
Now is the time to prod our M.P.’s into taking a stand against
any further lifting of price controls. The wage demands of Labor
can be met by industry out of the present enormous profits without

raising prices. Lifting of price

controls means wage cuts, and

almost every day the list of 300 articles removed from the con-
trols grows larger. On March 1 the subsidy on jams and jellies,
in effect since June, 1943, was lifted with a resultant increase in
price of approximately four cents; on February. 27 certain fruit
juices increased by about three cents; more recently, lifting of the
subsidy on milk has been hinted.. These actions amount to wage
cuts and are inflationary. We should bombard our M.P.’s, Prime
Minister King and Reconstruction Minister Howe with letters and
resolutions asking that price controls be maintained.

Now is the time, also, to interview your member of Parlia-
ment on labor’s demands for a national 40-hour week, a national
minimum wage of not less than 60c per hour, amendments to P.C.
1008 to provide for a national Labor Code embodying labor’s de-
mands, and Abolition of P.C. 9384, the iniquitous wage freezing
order-in-council. So far, there has been no response from the Local
Unions to our request for information as to what was done by
them in the provincial lobby. Please write in and offer suggestions

for this column!

789.00 after all taxes had been
deducted (for year 1945). To
this should be added $269,864.00
recoverable under the provisions
of the excess profits tax order.”

In closing might we remem-
ber that thousands of fine,
young, sincere Canadian boys
died for the principles we are
now trying to put into effect.

Our American brothers are
with us in any struggle we may
be forced to meet. The public
will kmow and understand that

INCOM

our demands are not encroach-
ing too greatly upon the timber
operators. We certainly are not
going back to the “old days” of
slavery, poor conditions and low
wages. We surely did have an
unemployment situation at that
time! Of course, we know that
it is not true, but if Mr. Don
Herd had been writing his col-
umn for the advantage of the
boss loggers, then he should
certainly receive ithe Hemlock
Medal.

LT

‘AX RETURNS

for
TRADE UNION MEMBERS ONLY

Charge — $1.00 to $3.00
ALSO MAIL SERVICE ON INCOME TAX

Trade Union Research Bureau ~

1412-13 Dominion Bank Bldg.

VANCOUVER. BC. PAcific 5831