Continued.

LUMBER

lumber

Oo Say a t prospec
“The factors that have set
coast lumbermen gnawing at
their finger nails are largely
man-made and, therefore, sub-
ject to change. Some industry
leaders have a speculative eye
on the Pacific for future sale.”
And the

this impor
= Two busi-
have recently adavo-
sed trade wiih Red
tric vipeeresidant
"

given
\ executive
vice-president of B.C. Lum-
ber Manufacturers’ Association
in a speech at Portland.”
Opening the door
with
solve the
overni
an expanding
years to
IWA
ship
as the
sequently

Ri

to trade

: aoe ae
People $s would
operators’ lé

almost

unae

ope r

the

L€ > Increase.

final summary before
conciliation board, IWA
Morris accused

In a
the
president Joe
the employers of “persistently

9

exaggerating the economic
position of the industry and
pointed to their unprecedented
plans for expansion. “Why
should the employees forego a
wage increase to subsidize this

expansion?” he asked.
The union is dem:

20 percent boost

rent basic’ rate ¢

30, one co. t

deta
Situation
wages, prof
] contain-
red by Local
his easy

riod 194

1957 IWA wa

inci again slipped, - this
time to elever place.
“In 1948,” says the brief,

“EWA labor got the same rate
as labor at American Can. To-
day it gets 30 cents less. In
1848, IWA labor got only 3
cents less per hour than ship-
yard labor, today it gets 46
cents less. In 1948, IWA labor
got 13 cents more per hour
than labor at Consolidated
Mining and Smelting; today
it gets 9 cents less.”’
IWA tradesmen’s rates

ao not bdeal

ale
aiso

comparison ,With
Stry.

outside Indu For example,

lectricians 20 cents (CMS
and Pulp and Paper) 40 cents
(BCE, B.C. Telephone and
shipy ); and 96 cents (con-

There’s a big market waiting in China.

{ hold true for machin-
stationary en-

n iters and plumb-
PROFITS: Company profits

ring

nailing

and operators are
plants at an un-
[ SpIs}no ur <1oUur (UOT}ONIYsS
ployee.

-J9JJIp

oseM IeTWUIG ~“Arjsnp

nted_ rate, indicating
ey have a great deal of con-
fidence in_ their own future.
In 1956 MacMillan and Bloe-
del made $35.5 million profits
before taxes — or $2,895 in
profits before taxes per em-
Plywoods, which
in spectacular fash-
a small beginning at
the Second World
an estimated net
employee of $2,880
easured against the
worth of the company
f return is 61 per-

rate ol

In 1955 Rayonier’s profits be-
were nearly $31
as ‘compared to $28
n 1954. After taxes,
amounted to $16.4
and to $14.5
954. The figures in
include Alaska Pine.
Zell (the en-

taxe
taxXeS

1955

llerbach
a whole) made pro-
re taxes of $77 million
after ta , $44 million.
>. Forest Products (which
9 new $38 million
Crofton“into produc-

ring a

tion this year) made $5.7 mil-
lion before taxes in 1956 and
$3.2 million after taxes.

PRODUCTIVITY: Output of
logs per man employed has
inereased, 1945 to 1955, from
336,000 feet to 469,000 feet per
man per year, despite a cut-in
working hours.

Output of sawn lumber per
production worker, 1945 .to
1955, increased from 138,500
feet to 171,800 feet, despite a
reduction in working hours.

A comparison of many facts
and figures indicates output
per man -has’ been growing at
the rate of five percent per
year for the last decade.

MARKETS: “Tight money
and the consequent slowdown
in housing starts here and in
the U.S. have hurt the lumber
market,” writes Vancouver Sun
financi al editor Bill Fletcher.

‘But the pulp and paper out-
look is still good. It’s difficult
not to expect that the lumber
picture will eventually change
for the better.

“Big compar*:s are getting
bigger; many small companies
are getting smaller, but that’s
the trend all over the world.
However, with bigness comes
more diversification. More and
better utilization of our forest
resources a

The IWA Local 1-217 brief
believes the slump in lumber
buying in Canada and the US.
is due to “tight money” poli-

Council won t oppose
B.C Electric appeal

Vancouver!

and manufactured
Mrs. Effie Jones,

Ci:y Council won’t oppose the B.C. Electric’s
sal from a Public Utilities Commission order on amortiza-
gas plants.

president of Civic Reform Association,

had urged the city to fight the B.C. Electric appeal for a

higher
mantled gas

interest rate on its dis-
plant than had
en allowed by the PUC.
Instead, city eouncil passed
a motion “that the PUC be ad-
the corporation coun-
the Vancouver City
looks to the commis-
safeguard the interest

or tne consumer

>. Electric is attempt-

ing to increase its rate of in-
terest and city council should
have fought the case in the
interests of Vancouver citiz-
ens,” Mrs. Jones said this week.
“Failure of council «to oppose
the B.C. Electric demonstrates
once again the close relation-
ship between the BCE and the
Non-Partisan-dominated coun-
OTL.

two governments.
there has been “a
r sales to

cies of the

In addition,

drastic fall in lumbe

Britain.

Long term market prospects
are good, however. These three
factors assure an expanding
market in ‘the future:

@ The prospective growth of
population and living stan-
dards in Canada and the
U.S

@ The development of new
products and new uses for

wood, $

® The potential, and as yet
undeveloped, world mar-
ket.

“Several of the most popu-
lous countries in the world
consume, per capita, less than
one percent of the wood used
by Canadians and Americans,”
says the IWA report.

“Consumption of India and
China are not disclosed in Un-
ited Nations statistics, but it is
known from other sources that
India uses about one percent
of Canada’s per capita con-
sumption. China’s five year
plan “target for 1957 timber
production (20 million cubic
metres) indicates that on a per
capita basis she does not use
more than one-twentieth of the
lumber that Canada uses... .”

Citing House-building targ-
ets in India and China, the
report points out that. they
would have to import large

quantities of lumber, and con-
cludes:
“In the particular case of

China, the indications are that
trade of sizeable dimensions
could commence whenever
normal trade relations are est-
ablished.

“In the case of the remain-
der of Asia, although the pace
of development is slower than
in China, the ultimate objec-
tives are the same, and the
need for housing is bottom-
less.

“There can be no room for
pessimism about the long range
future of the markets for lum-
ber in these circumstances.”

The facts are clear. The
depression in lumber is a tem-
porary one. Long term pros-
pects ares bright. And IWA
members are entitled to, and
should fight for, a substantial

wage boost this year.

Morgan to
speak at
Nanaimo

NANAIMO, B.C.

Nigel Morgan, LPP provin-

cial leader, will speak briefly
on federal election issues at
a concert here Sunday, June
2, beginning at 6 p.m. Site of
the affair is the Nanaimo Riv-
er Bridge at Cedar (in case
of rain, the
will

River Hall).

Folk singer Perry Friedman
will be one of the guest ar-

tists. There will also be a
weiner roast for children and
other entertainment.

The LPP in Nanaimo is not |

sponsoring a-federal election
candidate but has issued “an
appeal-to voters in the riding
to re-elect the CCF sitting
member, Colin Cameron.

“While recognizing a num-
ber of political differences be-
tween his party and ours,” says
the LPP leaflet, “we support

Cameron in this election be-—

cause of his stand on the key
issues — elimination of H-
bomb warfare and tests, dis-
armament by all countries, op-
position to German rearma-
ment, recognition of China,
pensions -and people’s needs,
public ownership of the Col-
umbia, and national health in-
surance.”

LPP campaigns in
support of Barnett

COURTENAY, B.C.

In Comox-Alberni constitu-

ancy the LPP is distributing

leaflets in support of the sit-
Tom Bat-.

ting CCF member,
nett.

“In giving our support t0
Barnett we note with appre
ciation that he was one of thé
12 courageous members in the
House of Commons who refus-
ed to sanction the placing 0
arms once again in the hands
of the German stooges of mon
opoly capitalism, and that he
tried to have old age pen
sions raised to $75 per month
without a means test,” say®
the leaflet. “He took a good |

stand on the gas pipeline dea! |

and a number of other impo!”
tant issues.”

Union will sponsor
all-candidate meet

Spokesmen for all political
parties. have. been. invit
to address an election rally
Wednesday, June 5 at 8 p.m
in Pender Auditorium.

At the all-party meetings
sponsored by Marine Work
ers Union, speakers will b®
asked to state their positio?
on ending. H-tests. and_ thé”

|

concert-meeting |
take place in the Chase |

af

question of a Canadian met |

chant marine.

MAY 31, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE &

~