>. B.C. LUMBER WORKER - Would We Be?” By BARRY MATHER How much better we would all be without unions. -Yes,, how much? A gentleman and no doubt a scholar, had a letter in one of the other papers advising workers against getting organized. He said that employees joining unions lose their liberties as in- dividuals and become dominated also regimented. How true this is! Before the unions came a man was free to do an honest day-and- a-half’s work for an honest day’s pay. He was at liberty to stand on his own heels and bargain with the boss. He could be pushed around at any time, Nobody regimented him against it. Set tae The unions have changed this. Today, not even the non-union, employee is free from the evils of unionism. As a result of union people being ~dragooned into accepting raises, many non-union people have been intimidated into ac- cepting raises, too. I speak with sad personal ex- perience—I once, misguidedly — helped organize a union. My hopes for greater individu- ality were high. Imagine my re- morse when I saw what unions really do to you! The good old six-day week that we employees knew so well and were so attached to, was scrap- ped! In its place the five-day week was foisted on us! Instead of being free to work 70 hours in 6 days we were quick- ly dominated into working 40 hours in five! And from the very moment the union got us we had to take more pay! _ To show you how unions treat you—for every $20 a month raise the union forced on us we had to pay, I believe it was as much as $1 a month in dues! How we longed to get back to the old days of every man for himself! in a ae The fate of union members’ wives must be particularly try- ing. In place of the happy times of long hours, low pay and per- sonal insecurity, unions have dom inated entire families, indeed, en- tire communities, into a better standard of life. The fact is, these darn unions have commercialized work. —Reprinted from The Vancouver Sun. LEVINSON URGES ECONOMIC AID TORONTO (CPA) — The Canadian government “gravely underestimates the importance of economic and social factors in the maintenance of peace,” Martin Levinson, Canadian Congress of Labor Interna- tional Affairs Director charged at a CCL Weekend - Institute here, He urged reconsidera- tion of the government’s deci- sion to delay support: for a United Nations International Development Fund until “the time is ripe”. The proposed Fund would have made capital assistance available to underdeveloped countries to assist them in building up their economies and standards of life. The governments position is that the establishment of the Fund must wait until “the time is ripe”. Support Inadequate Levinson said that Canada is spending approximately $188 per capita on defence and less than $2 on all forms of economic aid. “While I do not question the necessity of defence expenditure, 'I contend emphatically that this proportion is completely illogical in view of present world prob- lems.” A U.N. committee had esti- mated that the International De- velopment Fund could be initiat- ed with a capital of only $250 million, the CCL Director said. He noted that if Canada were to provide the whole capital for the Fund, it would only constitute one-eighth of what we were spending on defence alone, “The Canadian government professes faith in the United Na- i tions,” he added. It professes a desire to build and strengthen that organization, yet when an opportunity arises to establish a vitally functioning section of that body it hesitates to give the U.N. its full support. Calling for a reconsideration of the government’s decision, Mr. Levinson said that while it was unfortunate that the “economy- minded” U.S, administration had seen fit to oppose the Fund pro- ject, “there was no reason for Canada to refrain from making our voices clear for a peaceful and better world.” Unions Sponsor Housing Project ARVIDA (CPA) — Plans for what may be Canada’s first union-sponsored housing project are under way in this small Que- bee town and a tentative target of 400 housing units has-been set. The CCL National Syndicate of Aluminum Workers is consider- ing sponsoring the project for its members who are employed by the Aluminum Co. of Canada plant here, 100 miles north-east of Quebec City. No formal application for as- Sistance has yet been made to.the Central Mortgage and Housing , Corporation and plans for the project are still in the prepara- tory stage. Should the go-ahead |signal be received, however, it is thought likely that union mem- bers would take a hand in part of the contsruction work them- selves. INDUSTRIAL FIRST AID CERTIFICATES Approved by The Workmen‘s Compensation Board of B.C. Classes and Correspondence Courses for Beginn peer Henewal of Certificates, “oes 804 for 30 West Industrial First Aid Attendants S$ For Further Informat Are Invited to Membership. ‘Write to: tion 8 ‘The Industrial First Aid Attend: sie, lestruatory ie Baty ttendante Vancouver, B.C, paper plans to look at. The Toronto Metropolitan Home Builders Association have taken the initiative in an attempt to prove their charge that public housing, especially when it’s sub- sidized, costs too much and that private enterprise can do the job cheaper and better. ie The catch is that these build- ers, bitter foes of public housing, are asking for public aid from both federal and provincial gov- ernments to put their scheme across. What’s sauce for the gander isn’t sauce for the goose —to them. The TMHBA have done a good selling job with the public. They deserve credit for that. They’ve put up two demonstration homes at Weston, just outside city lim- its, and invited the public to take a look. Good Arrangement The homes are semi-detached and pleasing to the eye both in- side and out. They depart just enough from traditional design to make them interesting. Ground floor is in effect one large room with one L-shaped partition set- ting off a kitchen and dining space from the living room, Windows at back and front are floor-to-wall size giving ample light. Wide stairway about four feet from the front door leads up to two bedrooms and a bathroom. Front bedroom is fair-sized, rear room is small. Some Problems The bedroom space is where the problems start. Two bed- rooms mean Ma and Pa in the front room, and Johnnie, or Jack and Johnnie in the other. But what if you have Jack and Jill? Worse still, what if you have several Jacks and Jills? The price is low enough to fit a medium-sized budget, but the house won’t fit any but the smal- lest families—two adults and one or two children of the same sex. Yet over 5,000 people who viewed the house signed cards that they are definitely interest- ed. This is indisputable evidence that rental housing is needed — not necessarily evidence that this particular accommodation is good enough. It isn’t. Financial Setup » What is the financial set-up? The builders propose to build the units with 90 percent government funds, retaining the other 10 per- cent equity and ownership while renting the houses at $58 a month. The houses built in lots of 500 would cost $8800 each including $1,000 for government-assembled land. Here is how the monthly -ren- tal is arrived at: Mortgage payments Taxes (estimated) .. Maintenance ... Vacancy, bad debts insurance ..... Management, overhead, profit .... Land .. Total monthly rental........ $58.00 Can’t Match Regent Park Anyone who claims that this is a better buy than the public housing provided at Regent Park (Toronto) is off the beam. These homes do not include electric refrigerators and stoves or heating. Regent Park dees. So when you start to analyze the $58 figure you have to figure a few important extras. With heating, the homes would cost about $70 a month, out of the reach of low-income groups for whom low-cost public housing is intended. For three or four bed- rooms, cost would go up another 10 percent to 20 percent. It doesn’t go up that way in Regent Park which is the fore- most public housing development in Canada. It goes up as income goes up. Low-income, low-rent. Higher income, higher rent. Large family, small rent, Small family, higher rent. Good Effort Nevertheless TMHBA deserve an E for Effort. They have what looks like a sound proposition for low-income groups once the bed- room situation is straightened PHONE TAtlow 7140 FOR DAILY HOME CARRIER DELIVERY A Real Unicn Shop And No Mistake! No fess than TEN unions work in harmonious association with the management of The Van- couver Sun to produce the daily issues of Western Canada’s leading newspaper that go into two out of three British Columbia homes. The Sun is happy to be a real Union Shop throughout, with agreeable relations with all its organized crafts and personnel. V PRIVATE BUILDERS’ PLANS" SEEN AS INADEQUATE By MORDEN LAZARUS OTTAWA (CPA)—I£ the provincial government will buy land, service it and turn it over to them at cost and if the federal government will put up the money at 334,% interest a group of Toronto builders claim they can provide homes for rent at $58 a month. The deal looks good on paper but there are more than up. They can’t match the needs of the Jow-income groups—for example, those making under $2500 to $3000, or larger families under $3500. Public housing only can fill that bill. Incidentally the T. Eaton Co. furnished one of the two demon- stration homes. Very modestly and tastefully, with few frills really — and you can buy the whole houseful of furniture for just about $2650! All they forgot was the kitchen equipment like pots and pans... and dishes and cutlery . . . and brooms and shovels , . . and garden tools. So make it $3000. Demonstration low-rental housing, did you say? MLA’s TO” MEET UNIONS Trade unionists will have the opportunity to inform their representatives in the Legislature on their views regarding labor legislation at the pre-sessional confer- ences with CCF M.L.A.’s to be held in the Steel Hall, 33 East Broadway, Vancouver, January 31, and in Victoria early in the session. Both CCL and AFL affil- iates are invited to send dele- gates, and the agenda will deal with such matters as amendments to the ICA Act and the Workmen’s Compen- sation Act. Full information regarding conference has been forward- ed to all Local Unions on the Lower Mainland. Forest fires destroyed nearly a third more timber in 1952 than in 1951—a staggering 289,656,000 cubic feet. + oe Forests of Canada contain 349,580,000,000 cubic feet of mer- chandisable timber, of which 159,- 529,000,000 are accessible to com- mercial operations. Bee Printers of The B.C. LUMBER WORKER AANA EO LIMITED PRINTERS AND LITHOGRAPHERS An Employee Owned Co. 944 RICHARDS STREET PAcific 6338-9 | representation at the first-}—