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B.C. LUMBER WORKER

13

District

Ladies’

a

Auxiliary Conference 1958 |

From Page 11

“Morris

“Obviously, organized labour is
proposing the right way to adjust
the situation, for all the people,
while the employers are solely
concerned with an adjustment in
favor of the privileged few. What
we must never forget is that their
way will hurt us badly unless we
succeed in reversing their present
plans. That is one of the main
reasons why we are here.

“The widespread aud organized
attack on the trade unions has one
major purpose. When they declare
that rising wag ve been the
main cause of a rising price level
they are attempting to shift public
attention from their business pric-
ing policies, Large corporations,
exercising dominance in industry,
have rigged and inflated prices to

suit their will,
New Type Inflation

“Let us look at the so-called in-
flationary trends, which they bring
to our attention so frequently. We
have always been told by our best
economists that inflation results
when the demand for goods and
services exceeds the ability of the
economy to satisfy’ those demands.

“Now, quite obviously, we are
in difficulty because the product-
ive capacity of our industry is ex-
panding so rapidly that it threat-
ens to far exceed the ability of
our people to satisfy their needs
through effective purchasing pow-
er. It is in this situation that big
business is taking a dispropor-
tionately large share of the re-
wards derived from our expanding

production.

Economic Facts Examined

“I suggest that when we go to
the bargaining table this year, we
must still further emphasize these
facts of our economic life. Per-
haps we should do so before we
goto the bargaining table, for
necessary adjustments to benefit
the lumber industry must be ap-
plied throughout the entire econ-
omy. More than ever, we must
continue to play our part in rais-
ing the living standards of the
people in this province as the best
possible means of maintaining our
employment and production ma:
mum. This should be our basic
task on the bargaining front this
year.

“Our District Policy Commit-
tee, assisted by our Research Dir-
ectors, spent considerable time
during the past week in careful
analysis of the economic situa-
tion. An earnest and conscientious
effort has been made to estimate
the developments most likely to
enter into our calculations during

OFFICERS’ REPORT COMMITTEE

R. Pickering, 1-71 Secretary; S. Abercrombie, 1-80; G. Ingram, 1-85;
1-217; J. Glazebrook, 1-252; A. Archibald, 1-357; Wm. Gurney,
1-405; R. Ellis, 1-417; F. Stich, 1-423; W. Chance, 1-424.

1-207 Chairman; A. Paul,
Hoyes, 1-367; G. Townser

T. Ainsley, 1-118; Wm. N. Gray,

1-363; W.

the next few months. The dele-
gates will hear the conclusions
reached later. I must confine my
remarks to some generalities based
on my own observations. I must
say, what many others are saying,
that the bad news from business
is getting far too big a play, and
is responsible for grossly exag-
gerated rumours of impending
economic collapse.

Panic Absurd

“We may first establish the fact
that the danger of a return to a
depression such as overtook us in
the thirties is simply not in the
cards, Since that time we have
provided built-in stabilizers, regu-
lators or cushions, of which unem-
ployment insurance and govern-
ment control of currency and
credit are the chief.

“In the ranks of labour we must
reject panic reasoning. The bud-
getary provisions now being made
by the Canadian and American
governments indicate very clearly
that for reasons of national secur-
ity far-reaching measures are con-
templated to avert any semblance
of an economic collapse. These
governments have been forced to

return to palicies of stimulating
business activity, and the effects
of this will soon be felt across the
whole economy.

Do The Needful!

“The whole point is that, if we
now start doing that which needs
to be done to satisfy the more urg-
ent needs of our people, our whole
industrial machine will again be
operating at top speed. ‘Creeping
inflation’ which some businessmen
contend must accompany such de-
velopment is much less to be
feared than chronic mass unem-
ployment.

NOTICE

Due to the lack of space in
this convention issue, it is not
possible to publish sick lists re-
ported. Publication in full will
be resumed in later editions.

*

Additional convention reports
will appear in the First Issue in
March. (Editor) id

The General Bakeries Trademarks

OR
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EW

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SYMBOLS OF
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