“ “4 Exactly ten years ago “La- bour Research”, then pub- lished by the Canadian Labor Congress, made the flat state- ment that “The theory that Labour is pricing itself out of the market turns out, on ex- amination, to be just claptrap and humbug.” _This unequivocal conclu- sion was labor’s studied an- swer to the charge that wage increases, especially those won by trade unions, were forcing prices up, pricing Ca- nadian manufacturers out of world markets and causing inflation. Now in 1965 an official study by a leading economist with the Canadian govern- ment thas reached the same conclusion as the CLC study of 1955. New research into the subject of wages and prices shows that, in the last ten years, wage boosts have not been a disturbing factor in price increases. This latest research report was made by George Saund- r AUTO FATALITIES In 1964, no fewer than 4,655 Canadians were killed in motor vehicle traffic acci- dents, and 139,686 were in- jured and maimed. According to New Demo- cratic member Barry Mather (New Westminster) , statistics show that a third of the road accidents involve drinking drivers. Mr. Mather has in- troduced a private member’s bill to amend the Criminal Code to make breathalizer tests compulsory. The breathalizer test indi- cated the level of alcohol in the blood, and is used to de- termine whether a driver’s ability has been impaired by alcohol, whether he’s just plain plastered, or whether he’s okay to drive. The compulsion aspect will probably be opposed on the grounds that it makes a man, in effect, testify against him- self — something which Brit- ish traditions of civil liberties have protected him from. THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER ers, chiet of the labor-man- agement division of the eco- nomics and research branch of the federal Department of Labor. Here are some of the other conclusions of the Saunders’ analysis: e Canadian wages have not hurt the competitive position of industries affected by im- ports. “Wages in industries sub- ject to intense import com- petition are generally lower than wages elsewhere and during the nineteen fifties rose more slowly than wages on the average.” e Collective bargaining in Canada is fragmented and has not developed a national pat- tern. Plant and local situa- tions are dominant factors. “Co-ordination of wage de- cisions on a national basis has not developed under these conditions, nor is there a basis for its development in an economy where jurisdiction over labor matters.is divided among 11 separate govern- ments and where economic integration of the various sec- tors is virtually non-existent.” © Wage differentials, either regionally or between in- dustries in a region vary very widely, much more than in most other countries. Wages and salaries in the top areas are a third higher than those in the lowest areas, while top wages and salaries in the best paid. industry are 70 percent above those in the lowest. In manufacturing, average in the highest wage industry is double the lowest. Skilled workers earn as much as 100 percent more than the unskil- led in a single industry. . e Wage and price increases in export industries have been THEORY PROVED "CLAPTRAP" due to rapid expansion of these industries in the 1950’s. e Some export industries have actually reduced costs through increases in pro- ductivity due to technological improvements. e Consumer price increases were modest between 1953 and 1962, amounting to 13 percent, and only nine per- cent on the wholesale index. © Wage movements in Can- ada are affected by economic factors. Wage _ settlements vary with economic condi- tions and with the economic position of particular indust- ries. e Because collective bar- gaining in Canada is restrict- ed to some extent, big settle- ments do not necessarily af- fect wage increases in general. © Between 1953 and 1962, average . weekly wages in- creased more slowly than between 1946 and 1953. In the 1946-53 period, wages and sal- aries rose 148- percent in all industries, but only 41 per- cent between 1953-62. e Since 1963, white collar workers have got bigger per- centage increases than blue- collar workers. © Labor’s share of total in- come has increased but little since 1957. From 1953 to 1957 it increased from 63 per- cent to 67 percent. Not all of these findings make good reading for the trade union movement but they do answer questions which still bother many people in all parts of Canada. “The vicious spiral of wages and prices,’ so often the theme song of anti-labor propaganda, causing inflation, hurting farmers and people on fixed incomes, has been non-existent. HANEY BUSINESS GUIDE ESQUIRE MEN’S WEAR (Graham Mowatt) Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing “THE STORE WITH THE POPULAR BRANDS” HANEY BRITISH COLUMBIA PORT ALBERNI BUSINESS GUIDE SHOP AT Wocdwards PORT ALBERNI YOUR FAMILY SHOPPING CENTRE FOR. A COMPLETE SELECTION OF Es ame STAR WORK WEAR ‘UNION MADE’ BY B.C. CRAFTSMEN Your guide to better value STORE HOURS OPEN 9 AM to 5:30 PM CLOSED ALL DAY MONDAY OPEN FRI. NITE ‘TILL 9 PM Grab yourself a LUCKY! A bold breed of Canadian beer... aman’s beer... aged for premium flavour . .§ slow-brewed : Ze, for man-sized taste! EED Fos ‘ Gens? 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