B.C. LUMBER WORKER

13

2nd Issue, November

AUTOMATION TO USHER IN NEW DAY

Challenging nature of the

on the advent of automation was outlined in i
address by Associate Director of Research coRaee eae
Joe Miyazawa. The Union’s policy was stated, and is re-
produced here in response to enquiries.

“Any discussion on the ap-
proach of automation in industry
must start with recognition of
the fact that the term has been
given widely different dpplica-
tions by those responsible for its
advance publicity. The most sens-
ible procedure at this stage is to
establish in our own minds, the
exact nature of the changes in-
volved, the consequences which
can be foreseen with reasonable
accuracy, and the extent of ad-
justments in our economy that
may be necessary.

Our attitude should lie between
the two extremes that have be-
come popular in some circles. The
National Association of Manu-
facturers in the United States,
for instance, claims that, “Guid-
ed by electronics, powered by
atomic energy, the magic carpet
of our free economy heads for
undreamed of horizons. Just go-
ing along for the ride will be the
biggest thrill on earth.”

No “Magic Carpet”

As Walter Reuther said when
he appeared before the special
Committee of the American Sen-
ate conducting an enquiry into
the subject, “We do not believe
that our people are prepared to
go along just for the ride. We do
not believe that any thinking per-
son is prepared to accept the As-
sociation’s ‘magic carpet’ theory
of economics.”

On the other hand there are
those in labor circles who are
inclined to be altogether too pes-
simistic.

They envision the advent of
automation as bringing the in-
evitable consequences of mass un-
employment and all its attendant
evils. Their prophecies are more
likely to induce a state of panic
than an attitude leading to in-
telligent action. These calamity-
howlers got their answer at re-
cent labor conferences, notably
those of the CCL in Canada and
the CIO in the United States. To
this list, I should add our own
IWA International convention,
held recently in Milwaukee.

No Opposition

On behalf of the IWA, I wish
to correct a false impression that
has beeif’ given wide circulation,
to the effect that labor is oppos-
ing automation. The opposite is
the truth. Labor welcomes all
technological progress. Industrial
workers realize that it would be
a stupendous folly to attempt to
arrest the march of science, and
that their own interests would be
gravely damaged if they did so.

Any such attitude of opposi-
tion would be comparable with
the antagonisms expressed by
the workers in Britain during
the early days of the industrial
revolution, and which were re-
sponsible for the Luddite riots
directed against the new ma-
chines, which had displaced
their hand crafts. Workers
Jearned then, and have con-
tinued to realize, that the new
industrial machine created
more jobs than ‘it wiped out.

Labor has gained in a large

measure as a result of the new

productive processes, in terms
of better wages, shorter work-
ing hours, and higher living
standards.

The workers have shared in

a
production at a low level.

We have experienced some con-
fusion with regard to the defini-
tion of automation. The installa-
tion of more automatic machines
of the type to which we have be-
come accustomed is not automa-
tion. Automation is not merely

changes likely to ensue up-|an extension of the process of

mechanization in industry. It is
different from mere mechaniza-
tion in that it uses machines not
only as a substitute for human
physical power but also to re-
place human judgment and hu-
man thinking.

Definition
The best definition of auto-
mation, that I have seen is the
one presented to the IWA In-

ternational Convention by E.
W. Kenney, Research Director

of the Union. He said: “Auto-
mation is the substitution of
mechanical, hydraulic, pneuma-
tic, electrical and electronic de-
vices for human organs of ob-
seryation, decision and effort,
so as to increase productivity,
control quality, and reduce
costs.

“The heart of automation is
the ‘feed-back’ principle em-
bodied in every home thermo-
stat. When you set the thermo-
stat for 70 degrees, you can

rely on it to turn the furnace
on when the temperature drops
too low and to turn it off, when
the temperature rises too high.
The same self-correcting tech- ~
nique is involved in automation,
except that the number of vari-
able factors controlled by the
electronic brain is infinitely
more complex. Once you give
the electronic brain its instruc-
tions, through a punched card,
or on a recording tape, it will

See “AUTOMATION” Page 14

In British Columbia, the forests generate half of every

dollar in our pockets. Beautiful as well as bountiful, they

are our heritage.

But they are the heritage of future generations as well,

and their value, their productivity, as well as their
beauty, must be maintained if we are to keep faith with those

who follow us.

We of Columbia Cellulose are proud to join with other

progressive companies in working to preserve this. great natural

wealth. Through responsible, scientific forest

management, we are helping to grow more trees than

we use, helping to perpetuate these natural

riches of our Province.

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C.

COMPANY LIMITED

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