B.C. LUMBER WORKER 1st Issue, March “SHOES ... BREAD ... FREEDOM” By MARTIN LEVINSON SAN JOSE, COSTA RICA—“Our people must have shoes, bread, freedom. The democratic trade union move- ment in Latin America is vital in the struggle for these goals. I wish it every success.” These are the words of Jose Figueres, President of the Re- public of Costa Riea. With them, he publicly opened the Executive Board sessions of the ICFTU’s Inter-American Regional Organ- ization (ORIT), in San Jose, the capital of this tiny Central Am- erican country. Over 5,000 Costa Riean workers, assembled in the National Theatre, cheered their President, one of Latin America’s outstanding liberals. Costa Rica is a pillar of de- mocracy in a continent rife with dictatorship, and Figueres typi- fies the country’s faith in demo- cratic principles. Because he was only recently elected to office, ORIT decided to hold its Execu- tive Board sessions here as a symbolic gesture of its friend- ship to his administration. Led Revolt Figueres is a young man, only forty-three years of age. An en- gineer who trained at Massachu- setts Institute of Technology in Boston, he believes that, Costa Riea can develop democratically and provide its people with a bet- ter way of life. In 1948, when a coalition of communists and conservatives re- fused to accept an election defeat and tried to seize power, he led Costa Rica’s only revolt in a hundred years and turned them out in order to restore democracy. In July 1953, his National Liberal Party took 30 out of 42 seats in the legislature, and defeated his millionaire opponent, Fernando Costro, by an overwhelming mar- gin, Figueres won the campaign on a progressive, liberal program. In a country where illiteracy is still great, he emphasized the need for more school facilities. Better housing, liberal labor leg- islation, technical training, sup- port for small agricultural producers and faster economic de- velopment were also planks in his electioneering. Costa Rican trade unionists and liberals gave Fi- gueres their full backing. Seeks Better Deal A major aim of the NLP ad- ministration will be to get a better deal from companies oper- ating in Costa Rica for his people. The Costa Rica President frankly stated his opposition to inereased private investment in the country and singled out the United Fruit Company and the Electric Bond and Share Com- pany (which controls the coun- JOSE FIGUERES try’s power supply) as reasons for this attitude. He stated that out of every dollar paid by North Americans for bananas, only 20 cents came back to Costa Rica—the rest went to the United Fruit Com- pany headquarters in Boston. He compared this with coffee production in Costa Rica which is produced by small-scale in- dividual owners, and said that for every dollar paid by North Americans for coffee, 75 cents’ came back to the country. Figueres wants to buy up United Fruit Company lands and parcel them out in small lots to the workers. He also pointed out that the only important area of communist strength in Costa Rica was to be found among the 20,000 employees of United Fruit. Smear Attempted Certain business interests in the United States are already at- tempting to smear Figueres with the communist label because of his stand on this question. While making it clear that he would continue to fight for a greater share of the wealth produced by U.S. companies in Costa Rica, Figueres asked North American trade unionists to help counteract these attacks on his administra- tion. In the few months which Fi- gueres has been in office, he has demonstrated decisively his sup- port of democracy and his friendship to the free trade union movement. A day after his in- auguration, Figueres broke off diplomatic relations with dictator- ship-ridden Venezuela. ICFTU College What is more, Costa Rica is the only country to date which Publication date of the next issue of the B.C. LUMBER WORKER is March 18th. Deadline for ad copy March 12th, copy is March 11th and for news BCLonsentVornen Representing the Organized Loggers and Mill Workers of B.C. PUBLISHED TWICE MONTHLY ON THE FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAYS BY International Woodworkers of America B.C. District Council No. 1 DISTRICT OFFICERS: (CIO-CCL) =. Joe Morris William N. Gray art M, Hodgson .. Fred Fleber ee H. Mitchell ‘Walter F, Allen Address all communications to GEORGE H. MITCHELL, Secretary-Treasurer 45 Kingsway - Phone FAirmont 8807-8 Vancouver, B.C. Subscription Rates____$1.50 Fol annum Advertisi: Authorized as 24,000 COPIES PRINTED IN THIS ISSUB Ae Beye _CANV STANDARD COAT Note the “tailored” de- sign, giving maximum comfort and freedom; the cape and sleeves all’ one piece, and seams only un- der-arm. Note also the more generous use of ma- terials with interlining away down at back. (Also made without ioeerlin ing. STANDARD PANTS See the extra depth of double thickness, front and back, and interlining down entire front. Lots too. (Also THE THINGS YOU SHOULD LOOK FOR IN AS RAINWEAR YOU WILL FIND IN ‘DRY-BAK’” Ree From Your Local Dealer or Commissary IT IS MADE IN VANCOUVER, B.C., BY JONES TENT & AWNING LTD. CRUISER'S COAT Notice how it is moulded to ft with comfort and freedom. Double thick- ness over shoulders, thest,, ‘back and sleeves: Look at the four pay outside pockets and - cil [eek and belted inside breast maj then look at Hees and see the large pack pocket ‘ with openings both sides. (rhis desiga of coat Comes, ia featherwerghe olive drab water repellent Poplin, too.) FALLER’S SHIRT ‘The fallers’ and buckers’ shirt is an original ‘“Pio- neer Brand” design, built to give.full freedom with extra protection where needed, and with extra long skirt at back. (This comes in olive drab featherweight water- repellent poplin.) HAT | * You will find that it is substantial and water re- pelleat . .. a real hat + + . but soft, pliable, and light in weight. BUY ONLY GENUINE “PIONEER BRAND” “DRY-BAK” has refused to attend the 10th Pan American Conference be- cause it is being held in Vene- zuela. As for the free trade union movement, Figueres has indicated he would make available facilities for an ICFTU trade union col- lege in Latin America similar to the one already established in Asia, if ORIT decided to set it up in Costa Rica. What the more industrially ad- vanced nations of the Western Hemisphere do to assist people like Figueres in Latin America will be the test of our belief in democratic institutions, In my opinion, we can neither afford to ignore or remain indifferent to the fate of his administration which is dedicated to freedom and social justice. He, and a few like him, represent the hopes of de- moecracy and progress in Latin America. Farmers Want Rand Plan REGINA (CPA)—A demand for the Rand formula to be ap- plied to the agricultural indus- try in Saskatchewan was made by the Saskatchewan Farmers Union recently. Joseph Phelps, SFU President, made the sug- gestion on behalf of his orga- nization recently when he pre- sented an SFU brief tothe cabinet of the Saskatchewan Government. The formula was devised by Mr. Justice I. C. Rand as arbi- trator in a dispute between the Ford Co., and the United Auto Workers in January 1946. It pro- vides for the compulsory check- off of union dues from all em- ployees in a bargaining unit whether or not they are union members. Thus, if they are benefitting from the action of the bargain- ing agent (the union) it is fair to-assess all members within the unit to maintain the bargaining agent. However, while paying a levy to the organization, the de- cision of whether or not to join the organization is entirely vol- untary, Check-off Levy ' The SFU brief maintained that: “Farmers and others are... becoming increasingly aware of the fact that the benefits result- ing from the efforts of the Sas- katchewan Farmers’ Union bene- fit all farmers, whether they are members, and thus pay a fair share of the maintenance cost, or whether they are more or less classed in the category of ‘free riders’.” Quebec Gets PAC DRUMMONDVILLE, P.Q. (CPA) — Organized labor will take a stronger line on political action in the future and it will be outside the framework of the two old-line parties, the Liberals and Conservatives, Gerard Picard told a joint union meeting here recently. M. Picard, President of the) ————, Canadian and Catholic Confeder- ation of Labor, told a joint CCCL Switch Useless and Quebec Federation of Indus-| The CCCL President said that trial Unions (CCL) meeting that | it was useless to switch from one labor was becoming aware of the | old party to the other. “Old par- increasing hostility being shown | tisan feelings should be discarded towards it. “This will lead to a| and old politicians should realize more determined political action | that their form of political activ- program,” he said, “It’s an idea ity is probably the last of its that might appear frightening to , kind.” uw some, but it is exactly what will happen.” BANKING BY MAIL The safe way to save your money is to put it ina bank. You can do this best through any of the branches of the Canadian, Bank of Commerce in British Columbia. Get some Banking by Mail forms before you leave town, or write fora supply to your nearest branch of = . the Commerce, BANKING BY MAIL is convenient, easy tr) do. See for yourself—today. THE om Man BANK OF COMMERCE 80 Branches in British Columbia ’ any €e