OPEN FORUM U.S. grabs green gold WOODWORKER, Nanaimo, B.C.: Crown-Zellerbach, a giant US. lumber and pulp monopoly, is squeezing out small logging op- erators as well as workers. off their jobs with their policy to bolster the price of lumber on the dollar market at the expense of Canadians. Since this giant monopoly gob- bled up Canadian Western Forest Products and control of our steadily depleting timber stands has fallen into the fiands of U.S. big business. _ At the Nanaimo Lakes opera- tion, Comox Logging and Rail- way Company, speedup, firings, shutdowns and. layoffs have in- creased to the extent where it becomes unbearable and job se- curity is non-existent. One work- er was fired for calling the opera- tion a gyppo outfit. This operation about two years ago, when it was still in Cana- dian hands,, employed over 45 gangs’ of fallers. This has been reduced to 13 gangs through lay- offs. The last layoff in the first part of June put 14 gangs (42 workers) and about 75 of the rig- ging and loading crew on the streets of paeetnp and Lady- smith. Nanaimo was poranaee at one time to be the hub of activity on Vancouver Island, but ‘since the U.S. penetration things have changed. Nanaimo and district was sur- rounded with 15 sawmills; this has been reduced to five on part time. The cause? {fon in handing over our timber stands to the U.S. in the form of forest management licenses, leay- ing the small operators without timber to keep their mills operat- ing and workers employed. Coal mining employed many miners here in the past, but this industry too has fallen under U.S. control. Shutting the « mines down made it possible to dump U.S. coal on the Canadian mar- ket, and Canadian miners have jeined the ranks of the unem- ployed. All this would not have been possible had our trade union poli- cy not been controlled by U.S. agents. Trade .union unity. for Canadian independence could have prevented this rank sellout to the U.S. of our natural re- sources and our jobs. An example can be cited where: U.S. interests get preference from some of our high officials. A. U.S. woodworker, working for the same employer as a Canadian worker, with the same type of machine and producing the same amount of lumber in the same dollar market, receives 43 cents per hour more than the Canadian. “8 To top it all, Kenney, hired as an . economist by the IWA _ recom- mends 12% cents per hour wage inerease for the U.S. worker and mO wage increase for the Cana- dian. i And finally, we must note that in Nanaimo a U.S. firm is now attempting through a real estate frm—and with the support of two aldermen—to put Nanaimo cut of the cemetery business, so they can continue to rob us even in death! Grasping landlords E. O’DAY, North Vancouver, 8.C.: Just recently a tenant of a rooming house in North Van- couver was successful in his ap- peal against a rent increase on his room. The landlord of the building; with the approval of the rentals appraiser, raised the rents on this room and others by $4. The tenant, an old age pen- its _ subsidiaries, © Victoria’s ac- . % -sioner, reported the case to the Senior Citizens Association. The association laid a charge of slum conditions and excessive rents. The fire chief and fire warden inspected the premises but failed to find any “slum con- ditions.” However, they found several contraventions of fire reg- ulations which they drew to the attention of the owner. The tenant then went to the Court of Rental Appeals and laid his case before Judge Boyd, who made a personal inspection and reported that the $4 rent increase GOSSSSSSOSSSSSSSS 69650060655000600006060000006005050500600505004 BSSSSOSOSSOSS SS OOS SSOSS RUCKLEDGE STORE ‘ should be revoked and the room should rent at its former rate of $14, The landlord in this case, and doubtless in many similar cases, raised his rents immediately after the old age pensioners had re- ceived an increase of $5 in their cost of living bonus. Senior citizens are having a desperate time with the small pension they receive to keep fed, clothed and sheltered. Every- one should be on guard to curb such avaricious actions on the part of landlords. THE N AND B GROCERY STORE 440 WAKESIAH AVE. % a % (s HALIBURTON STREET NANAIMO, B.C. : DDS DDOHODOOED BALMORAL CAFE NANAIMO, B.C. “Enjoy Good Chinese Food” “FOR THE BEST IN TELEVISION” . _ PHONE 59 PHONE 877 PHONE 2249 ° PHONE 566-R-3 . Phone 192 x 9 SS a See SOSSOSS X INKSTER AND ROBERTS BUILDERS’ SUPPLIES LTD. “Everything For The Builder” ss a NANAIMO, B.C. NANAIMO, B.C, CALL GARDEN SUPPLIES LIMITED 403 FITZWILLIAM ST. NANAIMO, B. Cc. "WESTERN AUTO SUPPLY CO. LTD. SPORTS GOODS AND HARDWARE 163 COMMERCIAL ST. NANAIMO, B.C. ISLAND AUTO PAINTING & BODY SHOP 123 TERMINAL AVE. CEDAR, B.C. CENTRAL FRUIT AND VEGETABLE CO. For Free Delivery Commercial St. “WE TRY OUR BEST TO GIVE SATISFACTION” GLIDDEN PAINTS Ph. 2720-2721 Nanaimo, B.C. HARDWARE 540 Milton St. 40 years ago (From the files of the B.C. Federationist, June 26, 11914) By referendum vote of 1467 to 274, Vancouver Island miners, on strike for the past two years, re- jected coal operators’ conditions - for a return to work. The op- erators made their proposals through the Conservative govern- ment of Premier Sir Richard Mc- Bride. They said they would re- -employ all men on the payroll at Pa gpd eg > gOS SSSSS SSS SS SSS SSS SSSS SSS % HAREWOOD SHEET METAL co. LTD. $ HEATING AND APPLIANCES : PH. 331 NANAIMO ,B.C. 22 NICOL ST. % % LS ' : CEDAR FUEL AND TRANSFER : scoemsuranisanittite S5SSSS: the time. the strike began and would not discriminate against union members, but they would not recognize the United Mine Workers of America. . Refusal of operators to recognize the union was a main issue in the strike. SOUTH WELLINGTON, B.C. WALLS AND BRADSHAW HARDWARE “Your Island Shopping Centre” 95 COMMERCIAL ST. —_ SSS OSS SPPBOPBOOHP WOOO HG INLAID FLOOR AND SUPPLY CO. LTD. “FTL.OOR COVERINGS OUR SPECIALTY” Ph. 1540 PHONE 770 NANAIMO, B.C. FLETCHERS COURTENAY GENERAL ELECTRIC APPLIANCES FOR | BETTER LIVING NANAIMO — "HELGESEN’S DANISH BAKERY Specializing in Danish Pastry and Home Baked Bread 273 MILTON ST.—CORNER OF FITZWILLIAM ST. PHONE 65 JOHNSON’S HARDWARE “Everything For The Hunter and Fisherman” NANAIMO, B.C. Mo ee OOS : SL PPPOPOOOPOOW W. H. ANDERSON LTD. _ COATS — HATS — DRESSES — GENERAL DRY GOODS Ph. 515-229 — 4-10 Victoria Crescent — Nanaimo, B.C. ‘ epive SNACK BAR “A GOOD PLACE TO MEET AND EAT” Ph, 1464 85 Nicol St, All Kinds of Keys Made to Order 50 Victoria Crescent eee eh GALLAZIN and SON 15 years ago (From the files of the People’s Advocate, June 23, 1939) Canadian exports to Japan, — made up almost entirely of war materials, rose from $22 million to $27 million between April 1938 and April 1939. Only Naz Germany, Japan’s Axis partner, and the U.S. exceeded Canada in exports of bullets to Japan. 10 years ago (From the files of The People, June 24, 1944) Climaxing a 27-year struggle for union recognition and condi- tions, Local 480 of the Interna- tion Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers signed an agree ment with Consolidated Mining and Smelting at Trail. : — * NANAIMO, B.C. 40 CRACE ST PORT ALBERNI NANAIMO, B.C. Nanaimo, B.C. Nanaimo, B.C.