_ April 27, 1950

B.C. LUMBER WORKER

Page Five

INVESTORS Ri

SVEAL STRATEGY

_ “KEEP LABOR COSTS DOWN

TO RAISE 1950-51 PROFITS”

J[NFORMATION supplied by B.C. lumber operators to invest-
ment dealers presents a rosier picture of B.C. lumber market
possibilities than was admitted by their bargaining agency, when
confronted with the IWA wage demand.

The fact is that lumber sales
market. :
Shipments from Coast sawmills |

were 35 percent greater in 1949 |i

orted for 1950 to date.
ie bulk of the demand comes
from U.S. residential construc-
tion, which started the year with
$1,250,000,000 of new housing in
January and February, 43 percent
above the demand of the corres-

ponding months in 1949,

U.S. Market

Total production in B.C. Coast
sawmills has been fairly constant
at 2% billion board feet through-
out the years 1947, 1948 and 1949.
The domestic market absorbed |!
roughly 40 percent each year. q

With decline of shipments to

the dollar situation, the U.S. mar-
ket has supplemented the U.K.
as the major export outlet.

The Am in market took 9
ercent of this production in 1947, |
‘ey in 1948 and 32 percent

1949,

The huge building program in
the United States, already boom-
ing, is confidently expected to
continue at least until 1952, with
present government support.

Legislation to enlarge this pro-
gram is now before the U.S. Con-
gress.

Advantages of B.C.
Operators

In reporting to the investment
market, the B. C. producers fairly
gloat over the advantages which
enable them to compete easily at
the Atlantic U.S. seaboard with
Washington and Oregon produc-
ers.

They point to the lower wage
seale for Canadian loggers; the
lower freight costs on bottoms,
other than U.S. inter-coastal ves-
sels, and the 10 percent discount
on the Canadian dollar.

i

forest reserves is carried
book value less than half of their
replacement value.

are again moving into a boom

in Canada. It is expected to sur- |
an in 1948, with further gains | pass last year’s total value of |
| $777 millions. |

‘The value of new housing con-
tracts awarded.
were up $19,896,000 above the
same month last year to a total |
of $30,168,000.

in March last,

All reports from trade sources

point to a high level of demand
in the domestic market through-
out 1950.

Higher Earnings Forecast

One of the largest of the B.C.
lumbering corporations, promises
investors a minimum of 75c per

share during the current fiscal

4 i year, up from 60% a share in
the United Kingdom, because of }1949’ Working capital has trebled t

in value equal to $3.00 a share.
The rate of return on capital

invested is estimated for the year | TWA, hold conference with record
at approximately 8 percent.

The value of the company’s
at a

The Loggers’ Share

Investors are told that labor
costs will be kept down, as it
will be necessary to offer the
IWA only some “nominal con-
cessions”. The reason given is
that the Coast labor market is
easing, and that there are now
more loggers available for
woods operations.

Evidently, the threat of un-
employment is expected to in-
fluence the loggers to tone
down their demands.

This provides a clue to the |

reasoning of the operators in
advocating an extended work
week, which can only have the
effect of artificially increasing
the unemployment threat.

1
i

e z et
ACTION PLANNED

SHOP STEWARDS, Local 1-217,

attendance of 150, to discuss ac-
tion in support of IWA negotia- |
tions.

AFI. Fail Again’ In
Anti-L\WA Move

* PORTLAND. — IWA-CIO ply-
wood workers at Mapleton, Ore.,
rejected an AFL try to bust their
Union by 148 to 14, Vice-Presi-
|dent Al Hartung reports. The el-
ection was held at the plant of
the U.S. Plywood Corporation at
Mapleton on April 6.

The plant has been under the
Plywood District Contract, Local
Union 9-436 of the IWA, for sev-

Jeral years.

FLY!
Ie Way Cost Less Than You Think

CHARTER FLIGHT SERVICE LTD.

VANCOUVER AIRPORT
© PHONE RICHMOND 1449 e
ONE, THREE, AND SIX-PASSENGER PLANES
Phone or Write For Information.

LOGGERS! IF YOU ARE IN ‘A JAM

wr LOAN MONEY
ON SUITS AND OVERCOATS

Redeemable Any Time Within 12 Months

HORSE SHOE Tailors & Pawnbrokers

325 COLUMBIA ST. VANCOUVER, B, C.
(Across from the Broadway Hotel)

Telephone MArine 5823

Canadian Market .

A veeord year of residential
construction is also shaping up

JOE MORRIS
THANKED BY
AFL UNION

Ready and capable response
to a call for help, won for Dis-
trict Vice-President Joe Morris
this week, the fervent gratitude
of Local 619, Hotel and Res-
taurant Workers Union, AFL,
Nanaimo,

‘The proceedings of 2 Concilia-
tion Board, apointed to hear the
dispute with the Plaza Hotel, Na-
haimo, were about to open, when
the Local Union officials discov-
ered that their representative,
Who had prepared the case, was
detained in Victoria,

An emergency call brought Joe
Morris posthaste from Lady-
smith. With a hurried briefing,
he presented the case to the
Board, and won a_ settlement,
whieh his new clients considered
quite satisfactory.

As proof of this, the following
letter has been received from the
Local Union President:

“To the Membership’ of the
TWA-CCL:
* “Local 619 of the Hotel and
Restaurant Workers, AFL,
wishes to take this means of
thanking your International
Organizer Joe Morris, for pre-
senting our case at the recent
Conciliation Board held in Na-

naimo,

“At the last minute, and des-
pite no working knowledge of
our trade, he represented us at
the Board in a most capable
and efficient manner, and it is

to his eredit that we suc-
negotiated a new con-
tract.

=

By Courtesy of Rose Marie Reid J

Mter Leggeug why
not Leceege comfortably ?

“MANHATTAN” SPORT SHIRTS

TIPTOE TO SERVE YOU |
for Aucther Seaton

TH ORDER

‘am
45 EAST HASTINGS STREET VANCOUVER, B.C.

E=Hus
Please send me the goods listed below:

mel Oo
CASH CHEQUE C.0.D.

MAIL

4 with BUTTON FRONT

$9.50

45 EAST HASTINGS STREET
45 East Hastings Street
“The Home of Union Made Clothing and Friendly Service”

WASHABLE GABARDINE, with pearled
Snap Buttons in latest colours:

$7.95

“O.V.? SWEATERS

Green, Yellow, Brown, White,
Beige, Brown

|. Just arrived another shipment of these
famous wind and showerproof sweaters.

Colours:

Beige, Brown, Wine, Green, Grey
with ZIPPER

$11.50

VANCOUVER, B.C.
Vancouver, B.C.

I enclose: | | |

NAME...

Blue,

ADDRESS.

Quantity} DESCRIPTION She Price