10 B.C. LUMBER WORKER 1st Issue December CCL Unions Advocate Better Job Planning Attention of the trade union movement was directed to the alarming increase in unemployment in Canada, and the relationship of this problem to the huge surpluses of primary products on hand, in a resolution recently sub- mitted to the Vancouver Labor Council by Local 1-217, IWA, and adopted by that body. WHEREAS: Unemployment figures in Canada have increased substantially since a year ago whereby, as of October 8, 1953, there were 177,396 unemployed, as compared to 130,094 unem- ployed for the corresponding time last year, and: WHEREAS: A_ substantial amount of Canada’s unemploy- ment can be attributed to the surplus basic products in the country, and: WHEREAS: At the present time in the Dominion of Can- ada, we have: 1. 603,796,000 bushels of wheat on hand that is largely made up of the 362,212,000 bushel carryover from last year: 94,137,000 Ibs. of butter. 46,807,000 Ibs. of cheese. _ 4, 59,383,000 Ibs. of fish. 5. 1,040,865 MBF of timber and lumber. 6. 61,969,000 Ibs. of meat prod- ucts, and: : WHEREAS: Britain in the past years used to buy millions of dozens of eggs a year, hun- dreds of millions of pounds of meat as well as a great variety of other products, and: WHEREAS: Britain has bought little or nothing in the past few years of our surplus products — yet Britain has pur- chased $397,000,000 more Can- adian products than she has been able to sell to Canada, and: WHEREAS: If we allowed countries like Britain, Sweden, India, etc., to sell more of their products in Canada, so they could earn dollars, they in turn could buy our surplus products, and: WHEREAS: The basic prob- Jem .exists between the Dollar countries and the Sterling bloc, though we must realize 4/5 of the world is in the Sterling bloc NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED: The Canadian Gov- ernment press the United Na- tions to set up the necessary monetary machinery to make it possible for countries that want to buy our surplus products, to work through an International Currency Stabilization Fund, whereby we could accept payment in sterling for our products and: BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED That if we cannot draw on ac- cumulated Sterling balances, pro- vision be made for investment in under-developed countries in the Sterling bloc, with the object of raising their living standards, and: BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED: That if such a program is devel- oped it would contribute greatly to stabilizing and preventing eco- nomic crisis, in the near future. Housing A further resolution intro- duced by Local 1-217 IWA urged the immediate introduction of a national housing program in the following terms: WHEREAS: Prior to World War Two there was a tremendous demand for a million housing units to adequately provide dec- ent accommodation for the people of Canada, and “OLD DOC” Dr. R. Llewellyn Douglas hos moved his Dental Office from 9 East Hastings St. to 712 Robson St., Vancouver, B.C. NEW ADDRESS WHEREAS: Between 1945 and 1952, 789,250 immigrants have come to Canada to take-up citi- zenship and make this country a permanent residence for them- selves and their families, and also there has been 35,735 Canadians who have returned home to Can- ada and: WHEREAS: Recent. statistics issued from Government. offices show that the population has in- creased from 11,507,000 in 1941 to 14,900,423 in 1952, and that there are approximately 735,000 housing units still needed at the present time to adequately house our present and ever increasing population and: | WHEREAS: At the end of World War 2 the Federal Govern- ment instituted the National Housing Act to assist. in the many thousands of homes that haye been built throughout the country, but with the institution of this Act we have failed to keep pace with the ever-increasing population, and: WHEREAS: The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has urged that immigration be stepped up so that by the year 1975 Canada will have doubled its population, thus making it clear if such a program is carried out we will be faced with a disastrous situation unless our housing program is immediately stepped up, and, WHEREAS: At the present time there are a number of small- er lumber operators who are find- ing it increasingly difficult to sell their products on the export mar- ket and: WHEREAS: This lumber could be adequately used and absorbed along with other Canadian pro- duced material necessary for erecting homes which at the pres- ent time is piling up in the ware- houses across the country, and: WHEREAS: If a housing pro- gram was immediately started in Canada it would take care of this situation, using up our surplus lumber and provide a greater de- gree of employment, and make available to all Canadian citizens the opportunity to acquire decent living accommodation in respect- able neighborhoods, THEREFORE BE IT RE- SOLVED: That on behalf of the Greater Vancouver and Lower Mainland Council _ representing 25,000 members in the Vancouver area, we hereby press for immedi- ate action by. the Federal Govern- ment to: 1, Establish a Federal Planning Commission to work with the various Provincial Governments to provide one million housing units, 2. Revise the National Housing Act to grant loans, interest free, and lower down payments to 10% of the total cost of construction and land: 8. Enter into contract with Local supplying and construction firms to acquire the necessary materials for building these units and therefore benefitting all com- munities across the country and: BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED That we solicit support of all ma- jor labor unions in Canada, farm- ers’ organizations, service clubs Sectarian Exemption Vetoed Requests from the Canadian Union Conference for Seventh- Day Adventists that members of that denomination be ex- empted from the payment of trade union membership dues, and the performance of strike duty was vetoed by the Cana- dian Congress of Labor re- cently. The Congress stated that there could be no justification for the refusal of a worker to join the Labor Union established in his plant or industry, which provided protection of his rights as a worker. The church officials were in- formed that the Congress would find it impossible to establish a special category of union mem- bers for Seventh Day Adventists, as this would constitute a form of discrimination. SECURITY STRENGTHENS HARRIMAN, NY (LPA) —So- cial security, workmen’s compen- sation and similar measures, in- stead of stifling initiative and] making Americans softer, have made us “a stronger people,” the American Assembly on Economic Security reported. The conferees included representatives of busi- ness, labor, government, insur- ance and welfare groups. They called for expansion of social security. GB “aS = WHITE BREAD RYE Sliced prod > SANDWICH WHITE BREAD ‘Sliced BALANCED RATION Shicepread riched Flour. an ald to better nutrition all G.B. White Bread fe now made with Vitamin. Envioned White, Flour, The White flour content of such loaves as Balanced Ratlon, Brown, Rye and Speolal Me “Listen to G.B., CKWX — 5:30 p.m. Monday thru Friday” EN fege is | hroas Canale OTTAWA—The CCL called on the government to step up aid to the UN Technical Assistance Program. The CCL Executive stated that the continuation of the Program may well depend upon Canada’s contribution. OTTAWA—Canada’s index of farm prices fell to 235.4 (1935-39 equals 100), DBS reported. This is the lowest point reached since 1947. TORONTO — Cleve Kidd, re- search head of the United Steel- workers; charged that Ontario Premier Frost was “failing to meet his responsibilities” in the gold mine dispute in the northern part of the province. He accused Frost of siding with the big mine operators who are “paying the shot” for the Conservative party in the province. “In a blistering attack, Kidd described the Premier as a “hypo- crite, a reactionary with an oily smooth tongue who never squares up to a situation.” ROME — Food production has caught up with the world popu- lation increase for the first time since before the war, the UN Food and Agriculture Organiza- tion announced. FAO ieported, however, that 70 percent of the world’s people do not eat enough to maintain their health and strength, OTTAWA — The National Council of the CCF called on all members of the party to give moral and financial support to the striking gold miners in north- ern Ontario and Quebee, follow- ing a meeting of the Council here. OTTAWA — Total Canadian wheat supplies were estimated at 957 million bushels in October. Carryover stock totalled 362,- 700,000 bushels and the new crop, 594,300,000 bushels. OTTAWA — Cabinet Ministers who met a delegation of 200 tex- tile workers held out little hope of government assistance for the plight of the industry’s workers, No reply was given to a re- quest for a labor-management government meeting to discuss textile problems and a sugges- tion that Canada oppose Japan’s admission to GATT. A promise of tightening dumping regula- tions was given by Revenue Min- }- ister McCann. OTTAWA—The CCF National Council called on the government San Pras of The B.C. LUMBER WORKER NOUN ACD LIMITED PRINTERS AND LITHOGRAPHERS An Employee Owned Co. 944 RICHARDS STREET PAcific 6338-9 to aid communities hit by shut- downs and layoffs. Following meetings in Ottawa, the Council suggested (1) Special assistance in cases of hardship; (2) New industries in affected communi- ties; (3) Assistance in re-settling in another community. OTTAWA—Canada_ registered an adverse trade balance with the rest. of the world for the eighth time this year in Septem- ber. For the nine-month period Canada had a deficit balance of $231,300,000 against a credit ba- lance of $245,400,000 for a simi- lar period in 1952. OTTAWA—Clarie Gillis (CCF Cape Breton S.) charged in the Commons that DOSCO was “an octopus that roams from coast to coast” sabotaging the coal and steel industry of eastern Canada. Gillis said that while large numbers of Nova Scotia miners were losing their jobs through mine closures, DOSCO was im- porting U.S. coal. He called for an examination of DOSCO to see whether the terms of a govern- ment loan were being adhered to. The coal industry should be brought under the jurisdiction of the coal board “right from east to west,” said the Cape Breton member. C. of C. FIGHTS HIGHER WAGE WASHINGTON (LPA)—Rais- ing the federal minimum wage to $1 would be bad for the worker, the US Chamber of Commerce said in its November Labor Re- lations Letter. Such a minimum “may damage many an employ- er’s ability to make suitable ad- justments in event of an economic recession,” said the Letter, and thus he’d have to fire workers. A Canadian Whisky distinguished for its smooth light taste TRSHE(QD) Colne EXPORT Canadian Whisky THE BRITISH COLUMBIA DISTILLERY CO. LT, mew wasanaten ne. a This advertisement is not published or displayed by the liquor Control Board or by th |_Government of British Columbia |