2

From Page 1

WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

“Blank Cheque”

were debated on every possible
occasion, but the Government
would not reveal its intentions.

Hydro-Power Questions

These questions were: How
are the hydro-power resources
of the province to be developed
before a power “brown-out —
on the Columbia, the Peace
River, or both? How is the
North to be opened up, by new
railway construction, under
whose ownership, at what public
cost, and with what outlay by
the people of the province?

The session ended without any
satisfactory answer from the
Government on either of these
questions. The CCF-Opposition
charged that the Premier is pre-
paring to go to the country,
when he thinks the time is ripe,
and ask for a blank cheque.

Future In Balance

As CCF members pointed out,
these items involve hundreds of
millions of dollars, with the
whole economic future of the
province in the: balance. Despite
strenuous efforts by the Opposi-
tion to lift the veil of secrecy
with which the Government sur-
rounded the issues, no specific
information on Government in-
tentions could be obtained.

As one observer stated,
“Either the Government intends
to seek re-election without tell-
ing the people what they are
voting for on these issues, or
else the Government itself is
not sure of its policy on power
and railway construction.

Unseemly Haste

Although CCF members pro-
tested the unseemly haste in the
transaction of public business
during the fina] three weeks,
and volunteered to sit longer if
necessary, the Government set
March 18th as the date of pro-
rogation, and grimly held to it.
The object, of course, was to
tame the Opposition through
sheer weariness, and thus re-
strain their attempts to question
estimates and new legislation.

Some matters of direct inter-
est to IWA members that were

dealt with in the last hectic rush
to clear the order paper were as

follows:
Attempts to amend the Trade-

Unions Act (Bill 43) and restore
rights formerly held by the
trade unions, were defeated by
a solid Social Credit majority.
Bill introduced by Rae Eddie,
MLA (CCF-New Westminster)
was defeated 35 to 11.

The Bill proposing three
weeks vacation after five years
service for all workers was de-
clared out of order.. -

IWA Members

IWA members aired the prob-
lems of the small operators in
regard to public working circles
in the forest products industry.

Bill to ban racial discrimina-
tion with respect to accommoda-
tion, proposed by Arthur Turner,
MLA (CCF-Vancouver East)
secured a committment from the
Government that a Bill to meet
the purpose will be introduced.
Opposition Leader Robert
Strachan, MLA, gave the same
undertaking.

Two resolutions, proposed by
Tony Gargrave, MLA (CCF-
Mackenzie), one to improve the
coast guard service for sea
rescue work and another to
secure verbatim reporting of
the proceedings of the Legisla-
ture, were promised considera-
tion.

Auto Insurance

A trade union resolution pro-
posing compulsory automobile
insurance, patterned after the
Saskatchewan plan, was also
promised consideration,

Charges that the Government
was practicing political patron-
age in the selection of enumera-
tors for revision of the voters’
lists instead of employing
registered unemployed workers
were made but not answered
satisfactorily by Cabinet Minis-

ters.

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worry her — she doesn’t know
what a mop looks like.

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From Page 1

Newfie I[WA’ers Wooed

Here is a sample of logger
opinion, revealed in a letter
from an east coast logger to the
Canadian Labour Congress:

“T have been a logger with
the AND. Co. for about 20 years
and this was the first time that
I ever got a Xmas card from
that company and I understand

that every other logger did also].

and every logger whose name
was on the books for the winter
haul-off got a cigarette lighter,
whether he srnoked or not. We
loggers are well aware that this
is not for goodwill towards us
but just one of their tricks to
try and get our goodwill towards
them.

“The company Officials and
the company union heads hoast

about the living conditions in the
camps, It is true that the food

is a bit better but they raised!

the price of board to take care
of that. It is also true that they
raised the daily wage rate five
cents per hour, but there’s no
one on wages—it’s all piece
work or contract. The price of
wood was supposed to go up
nine cents per cord but that was
put on the budget price or what
we loggers call the bluff price
and we didn’t get that.

“The company claims to have
good relations with the BNWW.
That’s true, but it only applies
to its president Sterling Thomas,
a man who the AND. Co. reared
and nurtured in the town of

Grand Falls, a man who

wouldn’t strike or even threaten
a strike against his parent .

IWA Favored

“Referring to a statement
made by George Stoodley of the
IWA, where he said that if
there was a vote among the
loggers, ninety percent weuld
favor that union (the IWA), I
wish to back up his statement.
At the five camps here which
represent about 300 men, all will
agree with him too. You can tell
by the poor reception given the
BNWW delegates. Nobody is a
member at heart.

“How long will we be in
bondage? Is there any hope of
deliverance or a word of en-
couragement to take along to
my fellow loggers?”

it Pays—For
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said in answer to a question
in the legislature. He could
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Interest Rates Bill

Is “Talked Out”

The credit unlons: have en-
dorsed — in vain — legisla-
tion to force finance com-
panies to disclose true annual
interest rates and _ other
charges,

The Credit Union National
Association, meeting in the U.S.,

backed bills before the U.S. Sen-
ate and the House of Commons,
The Canadian legislation was
introduced by CCF House

‘Leader Hazen Argue.

Despite CUNA’s endorsement,
the legislation was killed in ef-
fect by the Conservative ma-
jority in the Canadian parlia-
ment. Conservative back-
benchers “talked out” the CCF
move and it will not come before

the House again this session.

“When credit granters can
hide the true cost of credit,
people pay excessive charges
without realizing it, and econo-
mic waste and hardship result,”
CUNA said.

“Such a law would help the
millions of families who are
still being duped out of a full
week’s wages or more each year
by unnecesarily high consumer
credit costs ...

“CUNA therefore favours the
enactment of consumer credit
disclosure laws and urges all
other ethical lenders to join
with CUNA in seeking the enact-
ment of such laws,” the execu-
tive council declared.

Nothing wears like
y REAL leather

leather