B.C. LUMBER WORKER

Page 9

B

recently, would greatly facilitate

The Convention will no doubt |
je asked to declare its position |
ith regard to the results of

* present-day im-
' migration poli-
cies. The mass
meeting held last
weekend in Port,
» Alberni, under
the auspices of
the IWA, indi-
cates the bitter-
ness among our
members with re-
gard to the un-
planned influx of new Canadians.

Obviously, there are certain
features about this immigration
that we must oppose to the bitter
end. We cannot allow our mem-
bers to be displaced from employ- |
ment by immigrants through de- |
liberate action of the employers
to exploit them and break down

ade union standards. We will

lot ignore the fact that men
without knowledge of the Eng-
lish language are a hazard when

COLUMN

‘Problems For 1952

OTH new and old problems will face IWA delegates when they

assemble for the Annual District Convention in the Vancouver
Hotel, January 29, 1952. Some prior discussion throughout the
Local Unions on questions, which have not been featured until

By J. Stewart Alsbury

wise decisions,

Placed on logging operations.
Planning Needed

We may find it difficult to op-
pose all immigration, when our
country is subjected to population
Pressure from the rest of the
world. It is conceivable, that
properly planned and controlled
immigration would, in a period
of expansion, add to our wealth
and assure greater continuity of
employment for all. We must be
prepared, in such case, to stipu-
late the type of controls required.

Forest Management

We have advocated forest con-
servation from the earliest period
of the Union’s organization. We
believe that logging should be so
conducted as to provide for a sus-
tained forest yield. We have al-
ways opposed the reckless looting
of our forest wealth, which ulti-
mately will confront us with un-
employment, when these re-
sources’ are exhausted.

Now we must state our views

{sion of the Forestry Department,

with regard to forest manage-
ment licenses. The Port Alberni
Local Union has forced this ques-
tion to our attention. If all the
small legitimate lumber opera-
tors are to be forced out of ex-
istence by the large corporations,
many of our members will face
unemployment, for a period at
least. ‘
New Scheme

Up to this point, opinion
throughout the Union’ seems to
favor some scheme which will
make room for the small opera-
tor, provided that he maintains
fair employment conditions. Pos-
sibly we should examine the mer-
its of the scheme proposed, which
would group these smaller opera-
tors together under the supervi-

to log areas together on a sus-
tained yield basis, which they
could not log individually.

The joker in this proposal is,
of course, that the areas which
might be logged on this basis are
in remote districts, where logging
requires heavy capital invest-
ment.

Whatever may be the correct
solution, I am sure that the men
who work in the industry, and
who are alive to the dangers of
ruthless exploitation of forest re-
sources for profit, can come up
with a good solution. The prob-
lem is a challenge to the best
brains among our logging fra-
ternity.

Loggers’ Meet Next

Resolutions forwarded by the
Sub-Locals -of 1-71, IWA, for
consideration of the Annual
Convention, December 28, Ar-
cadian Hall, commencing . at
9:30 a.m. disclose an excep-
tional interest in next year’s
negotiations.

1950 amendments to the Local
Union’s bylaws made_ provision
for this annual convention to pro-
vide for direct participation by
the camp Sub-Locals in the policy
decisions on behalf of Coast log-
gers.

A general demand has arisen
because of last summer’s experi-_
ence when .men were shuttled
pack and forth as camps opened
and closed with serious loss in
transportation expense, for tra-
vel time and fare allowance.

Many resolutions demand the
union shop and paid statutory
holidays.

Wage increase is also on the
agenda. The argument most fre-
quently employed is that as the
employers have demanded over-
time, and found it profitable to
continue production with labor
costs at time and -one-half, this
indicates the feasibility of higher

wages.
Re-built Local

The officers’ report to the con-
vention, it is anticipated, will

Labor MP’s Atta

Trade Union members of the
House of Commons have been
using plain trade union lan-
guage in describing the Fed-
eral Government’s attitude to-
ward matters of interest to the
organized workers.

Clarie Gillis (UMWA) suport-
ed the views of the Canadian
Congress of Labor in protesting
the Government’s attempt to
side-track legislation to prevent
resale price-fixing.

Said he:

“This committee made two
anaemic recommendations which
the government considered and
decided to accept. In the throne
speech they said that legislation
on resale price maintenance would
be brought in based on the interim
report of this committee. Then
the invisible government came
along and said that they could not
do that because then they would
get through the little trees to the
middle of the forest. They were
told that this would affect the

manufacturers, the big fellow at
the top. “

“So the government decided to
appoint another committee to ex-
amine the evidence of the com-
mittee which had been appointed
to examine the evidence of anoth-
er committee. Before long there
will be so many committees that
we will not be able to keep track
of them let alone their recommen-
dations”

~ Old Age Pensions

A motion by Stanley Knowles
(ITU) to do away with the $60
ceiling on payments under the
special income tax earmarked
for the new old age security
scheme was voted down 118-27
by Liberal and Tory Members in
the House, November 3. The vote
came on a procedural issue, but
M.P.s divided on the merits of
the Knowles amendment.

Effect of the move by the Win-
nipeg North Centre Member
would have been to make the in-
come tax. portion of the old age

ck Govt. Policies |

security payment plan a straight
2% levy on all taxable incomes.

The government scheme calis
for a 2% tax on all taxable in-
comes up to $3000. But the $60
tax imposed on $3000 incomes
will be a flat rate for all incomes
above that level. If a taxpayer
earns $3000 or $3 million a year,
he will still pay only $60 to the
old. age security fund.

Backing Knowles in his protest
against the “spare the rich” tax
proposal were fellow-CCFers, So-
cial Creditors, a Quebec Indepen-
dent, and a handful of “Progres-
sive” Tories.

“Spare the Rich”

Knowles blasted Abbot's $60
ceiling on income-graduated con-
tributions. “The ister of Fi-
nance was... saying that we are
Boing to finance old age security
on the same tax basis as we fi-
nance other government responsi-
bilities and obligations. But then
we go a little bit further and we
find he vitiates the accepted prin-

ciple of government taxation by
putting in the income tax a mini-
mum of $60 per year which does
not appear anywhere else in any
system of government taxation.”
He accused the government of
trying to get as close as possible
to the premium payment system
of old age insurance rejected by
last year’s Parliamentary Commit-
tee on Old Age Security.

He was backed up on’this count
by Angus MacInnis (SRMA):

“I believe the government is
agreed that the insurance principle
is not workable. This measure
comes very close to being on an
insurance basis. I must express my
criticism, as others have done, at
the limitation of $60 which a
person can contribute as income
tax. It seems to me that a person
to whom this country bas been
so good as to provide a taxable
income of over $3000 per year
should not only be willing, but
glad, to pay an additional share
for those less. fortunate than he.”

show that Local 1-71, following
three years’ diligent effort to re-
build the Local Union after the
1948 disruption, has now become
fully representative of the Coast
logging camps.
recabaratie returns through-
out the year, despite the long
shut-down, have averaged 75%
above the returns for 1950.
Loggers’ Ball
The now-famous Loggers’

Ball, sponsored annually by Lo-
cal 1-71, will follow the conven-
tion on the same evening. The
program for the occasion will
make ample provision for the
usual merry-making and jovial
reunions of loggers from all
Coast camps for the Christmas
- Season,

May all our Members
and their Families enjoy
a Merry-Christmas with
Happiness and Pros-
perity throughout the

coming year. United in

the common cause we
go forward in good
fellowship.

ae

The Officers and
Executive,
LOCAL 1-357, IWA.

ett tt tt tet ot tet

The Best of
Good Wishes

to all Members of
Local 1-80, IWA

from the Officers and
Members of the Executive.

May your Christmas be a

Merry one, and may the
New Year bring fulfilment
of your highest hopes.

“All your strength is

in your Union"

ey

President:

JOE MORRIS

Financial Secretary:
EDWIN LINDER

Local 1-80, IWA

On behalf of the mem-
bership of Local 1-423,
we wish to extend to
all the Locals in the
District a Very Merry
Christmas and a Bright
and Prosperous New
Year.

*
Jack W. Strong,

Financial Secretary

GreeEtines for 2 Very
Merry Christmas and a
Bright and Prosperous
New Yéar
to all the brothers and
sisters of the Interna-
tional Woodworkers of
America throughout the
industry,

From the Officers
and Membership of
LOCAL 1-367
Haney, B.C.

Leto S oe at at nt et at ae ee

Seasons Greetings

Wishing All Our
LW.A. Brothers and
Sisters
A Merry Xmas

and a
Happy
and Prosperous

New Year

From:

The Executive and
Members of
LOCAL 1-118, IWA
Victoria, B.C.

Season's Greetings from
the Officers and Mem-

bers of the Executive of

LOCAL 1-363, IWA

to members of the Lo-
cal and all Woodwork-
ers within our Interna-

tional Union.

A Merry Christmas
and a
Happy and Prosperous
New Year
from
The Officers and
Members of

LOCAL 1-71, IWA
FRED FIEBER,
Secretary-Treasurer

Local 1-71, IWA
(CIO-CCL)

We wish to take this
opportunity of wishing
the membership of the
Local, along with all
Trade Unionists every-
where, a Very Merry
May 1952

prove beneficial to all

Christmas.
« workers engaged in the

Trade Union struggle
for the betterment of

als

The Officers and

man.

Executive

LOCAL 1-85, IWA