B.C. Forest Products Report Shows Profits, Profits, Profits VANCOUVER, B.C.—The 18th Annual General Meeting of British Columbia Forest Products Limited was held in Vancouver. The Chairman of the Board, Mr. E. P. Taylor, announced that at an earlier meeting of the Directors of the Company the decision had been made to increase the quarterly dividend to 20c per share. Mr. T. N. Beaupre, Presi- dent, having reviewed the operations of the Company for the year ending December 31, 1963, informed the meeting that the Company’s manufac- turing facilities have been operating close to capacity during the first quarter of 1964. Although final figures are not as yet available it is indicated that net earnings for the first quarter will be 81c per share.’ The pre-tax earnings for this period were $2,947,700 as compared with $2,197,200 during the same quarter in 1963. Net sales of $17,766,500 were better than last year’s total of $14,304,000 for the first three months. Mr. Beaupre stated that all of the Company’s major capi- tal programmes were proceed- ing satisfactorily. The news- print mill at Crofton should be completed for approxi- mately $20 million with pro- duction beginning this com- ing July. The kraft mill ex- pansion that will make avail- able by July 1965 an addi- tional 110,000 tons of fully bleached pulp per year is well underway and will require an expenditure of some $18.5 million. We are forecasting that the remainder of the year will prove as successful as the first quarter. Of concern is the industry’s ability to nego- tiate satisfactory labour agree- ments during the next few months. Negotiations with the International Woodwork- ers of America have already reached the conciliation stage and those with the union rep- THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER resenting the Company’s pulp employees have not yet com- menced, The meeting was told of Alexandra Forest Industries Ltd.’s application for a Tree Farm Licence in the Peace River area. Earlier this year the Company became the largest shareholder in Alex- andra Forest Holdings Ltd.— a non-operating company which owns all of the common shares of A.F.I. The Company acquired 500,000 shares and two of its larger shareholders Argus Corporation Limited and The Mead Corporation — acquired 250,000 shares and 200,000 shares respectively. The previous shareholders of A.F.I. hold the remaining 40,002 shares. The Company has also entered into a 10-year management contract under which it provides manage- ment for Alexandra’s contem- plated development and op- eration of an integrated for- est industry. THE WORLD IS FULL OF BRIGHT IDEAS... WE WISH WE'D BEEN BRIGHT ENOUGH TO HAVE HAD MORE THAN ONE. TO MAKE THE BEST BOOTS IN THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD (AND STARTING RIGHT IN. B.C.). BUT THEN, WE’VE MANAGED TO DO ALL RIGHT WITH OURS. IT WORKS EVERY TIME! PIERRE PARIS & SONS 51 West Hastings Street. Voncouver 3, B.C. Family Teamwork in Croftsmanship since 1907 The Editor: If there ever was a time, in the history of the IWA that the membership should be solidly behind their Union and Bargaining Committee, that time is now. I recall working in the B.S.W. mill in Port Alberni, 20 years ago for 67c an hour and also in the early part of 1946 working at Great Central Lake when joining the IWA meant your job. Eight men, at that time were fired and branded as agitators for just this reason. As I remember, we had about 20 men crowded into one big, dirty, unpainted bunkhouse, drying facilities were non-ex- istant and general conditions abominable. From the Employers’ point of view, he knows he must keep wages and conditions be- low what today would amount to a decent worry-free stand- ard of living. Should he allow wages and fringe benefits to approach the point where you and I, his employee, can vir- tually become socially and economically independent and live well within our income, he, the Employer, knows that he can no longer: force his intolerable practices on his employees. Highball, combin- ation jobs to cut costs and la- bour, beat up crummies, jumping the gun at starting time, poor safety conditions (ie. one man falling sets) and on and on. Backs Union Negotiators It is well past time when we the membership, must © solidly unite against these wealthy, self-righteous lum- ber barons, and make them realize that money and grac- ious living is not their heri- tage alone. We must force the issue to a satisfactory conclu- sion. Every man, in Canada to- day, is born free, and as such is entitled, not privileged, to enjoy a high standard of liv- ing, which he, the worker himself, makes possible by the sweat of his own honest en- deavours on the labour mar- ket. Let us all, then, get behind our Union now, and make our voices and our de- mands heard. I repeat, do it now, today, on the job. From this day on, we can tolerate no leniency on our behalf regards these industrial giants. To do so at this stage, would be to commit financial suicide. I thank you for letting me express my opinions for what they may be worth, and you are quite free to use my full name in connection with any or all statements I have made. In my opinion, writers who remain anonymous, are fear- ful of retaliation by their em- ployers, and therefore, by this a seemingly simple act, are de- priving themselves of the right to freedom of speech. Richard H. Porritt Hits Camp Super The Editor: The Superintendent, O. B. Jernberg, of Camp Vernon, Englewood Division of CFP, has approached the Camp Committee, stating that the first issue of the March Lum- berworker which has a write- up on the ruthless dismissal of Victor Hein, is incorrect, in that it was O. B. Jernberg who dismissed him and not Administrator MacIntosh, and requested from the Commit- tee that this correction be made in the Lumber Worker. I suggest that another write- up be given on this issue in the Lumber Worker on the following lines: That Superin- tendent Jernberg seems to be playing semantics to get his name in the Lumber Worker and it is beyond my compre- hension why Superintendent Jernberg would want to take credit for the ruthless dis- missal of Victor Hein, and then by the findings of an Ar- bitration Board have to rein- state Victor Hein to the tune of earnings amounting to $1,- 263 for time lost due to his dismissal. However, seeing that Superintendent Jernberg requests the dubious glory of being Lord and Master of the Company’s domain at Camp Vernon, we will bow to his request and give him the un- holy honour of this ruthless dismissal, W. H. WILSON, President, Local 1-71 Scores Camp Safety The Editor: I have been recently accus- ed by the Accident Preven- tion supervisor of Columbia Cellulose of constantly look- ing for trouble on the job. Believe me, if it concerns safety, I have to admit he is right, for it seems that only by constantly bickering and arguing can we convince man- agement they cannot continue the slipshod safety program they have been running in the past. How can we possibly hope to reach our objective when our own accident prevention supervisor packs dynamite, shotgun shells, fishing tackle and rifles in the back of a vehicle which is primarily used to transport injured men out of the bush. Our membership have de- manded the removal of the production manager from the safety committee to which he has only been a detriment, making the floor of the meet- ing a place for wisecracks and morbid jokes. It is my sincere belief that as long as people of this cali- bre are allowed to participate in our safety program, we can only anticipate a high rise in the accident figures for 1964. FRED GLOVER, Camp Chairman, Terrace, B.C. Commodity imports in November were valued at $618,371,000 or 11.4 per cent higher than a year ago and — the 11-month value of $6,002,- 484,000 was 3.1 per cent ) higher.