B.

c. LUMBER WORKER

1st Issue, May

* The gloomy market predic-

tions which are usually trotted

out by the lumber corporations when negotiations are under way, are not so evident, when business interests themselves survey the future for the lum- ber industry.

The following excerpts are taken from an article appearing in a recent issue of the Financial Post, which displayed a special supplement on business in B.C.

Statements made about the lumber industry were:

“B.C.’s_ traditionally famous lumber industry is forging ahead to gain new ground in North American domestic markets and overseas markets.

Although the industry has been overshadowed in recent years by the pulp and paper division of the province’s forest industry, it has taken on a new importance in ‘integration utili- zation.”

Half of Canadian Production

. Today the industry still holds the position of producing one- half the Canadian production of sawn lumber. In 1951 this indus- try produced an all-time high of some 3.7 billion board feet of lumber, During 1952 and last year the industry dropped only slightly to just over 3.5 billion board feet sawn annually.

Exports Up

But it’s significant that despite decreasing production sales to new markets were high and busi- ness good. In 1953 the propor- tion of B.C. lumber sold outside Canada reached the highest in 23 years.

The U.S. market took approxi- mately 40% of the B.C. lumber shipments, the United Kingdom, 14%, other countries 9% and Canada (domestic), 379%.

Expectations for 1954 are that the U.S. will. again take about two billion board feet and that

- Canada (domestic) sales will in-

Operators Agree | Prospects Good |

erease as the housing boom con- tinues unabated in both Canada and the U.S. along with indus- trial capital expansion programs.

Plywood Prospects

The veneers and plywood in- dustry in the province had record sales to the end of October. At this time production decreased due to both a seasonal drop in demand and too heavy a credit margin on purchasing.

The domestic market utilizes most of the B. C. production. The future of the plywood industry was highlighted in 1958 by the completion of a $1.5 million ex- pansion of MacMillan & Bloedel’s Port Alberni mill. This company supplies 48.8% of Canadian ply- wood production.

The continuing and increasing sales of plywood in the past few years are directly attributable to the growing popularity of ply- wood in home construction, in- dustrial construction and in the home workshop. Stepped up ““do- it-yourself” campaigns, plywood showrooms and extensive promo- tion through building and home publications have contributed to this rise in plywoods’ popularity.

The plywood industry has be- come a recognized part of the integration. The development of the waterproof glue-line during the last war has greatly broaden- ed and diversified the plywood market, The addition of a ply- wood mill to an integrated opera- tion will improve the utilization value of the peeler grades of Douglas fir by as much as 275%.

The shingle mills normally take about 50% of the B.C. cedar production, mainly those logs with large knots, Because of the nature of the logs and of the product, shingle mills recover not more than 41% of the cubic content of the log. The xemain- ing 59% is made up of about 24% solid wood and 35% saw- dust.

Low Rental Homes Evict Slum Ills

“Something More”

OTTAWA (CPA) — Since the affiliation of the Gen- eral Federation of Jewish Labor in Israel (Histadrut) with the ICFTU in Stockholm last summer, much interest has been shown’by other nations in this powerful labor spokes-

2 :

_ OTTAWA (CPA) — Less than two years after they moved from slum homes into Toronto’s Regent Park sub- sidized apartments, families report better health, less

“nerves” and fewer family squabbles, better school

records,

The first comprehensive survey of the social changes produced by the Regent Park venture has just been made public by its author, Helena Toews, a postgraduate student in social work at the Uni- versity of Toronto and a public health nurse, She interviewed a cross section of Regent Park’s 647 families, and reports that colds and other illnesses have de- creased for half the families. Nervous and heart conditions were reported improved, and fa- milies generally declared them- selves more “contented” than in their old quarters.

Disease Control

Doctors in the area told Miss Toews Set Regent Sas tenants co-operate more readily to con- trol disease, “They are not go- ing to stand for skin diseases, ul und those things, when have a clean and sanitary They are not as depressed were,” were enthusiastic the change in children’s

Absenteeism has

the eo cleaner ||

Gambling convictions have de- ereased spectacularly in recent years, and in 1952 numbered only 2,656. There were two and one- half times as many in 1949, six times as many in 1945, and 15 times as many in the peak year of 1936. There were 369 convic- tions for every 100,000 popula- tion in 1936, more than 20 times the 1952 ratio of 18,

* 8 &

Butter and Cheese Factories: 59.39% were owned by individuals and partnerships in 1939 but by the end of the war the proportion had dropped: to 49.1% and by. 1952 to 41.3%. In the same in- terval the proportion owned by co-operative associations inereased from 20.39% in 1939 to 33.5% in 1945 to 40.6% in 1952. Incorporated companies owned 20.4% at the start of the war, 17.4% in 1945 and 19.1% at the end of 1952,

“OLD DOC”

| There are some obvious dif- ferences between the aims and activities of Histadrut and those of North American style unions. As I. Skikne, a member of Hista- drut’s International Relations De- partment, puts it:

Something More

“To understand the Histadrut, it is necessary to see it as some- thing more than an effective trade union organization engaged in the constant task of defending and advancing the interests of the worker in his place of work.”

This is not to deny that Hista- drut has already achieved for the Israeli worker an enviable list of benefits. The eight-hour day, the engagement of workers through the general labor exchanges, sen- iority and family allowances, sick leave with pay, annual holidays with pay, maternity leave with pay, consultation with the. union on dismissal, employers’ contribu- tions to the Workers’ Sick Fund and to the Provident Funds, and recognition of the workers’ or- ganization and of the rights of workers to organize and bargain collectively, are standard parts of collective agreements. Another important achievement is the fact that in Israel wages are tied to the cost of living index. Wages are adjusted every three months by means of a sliding scale of cost-of-living allowances.

What, then, is the “something more”?

A. Skikne desribes it this way: !

man for the new state of Israel.

“A labor movement guided by the ideals of co-operation, of mutual aid and of the establishment of a new human order—without ex- ploiters or exploited’. . . The economic problems of the country did not revolve around the tradi- tional question of nationalization nor was there any question of the taking over of capitalist en- terprises which did not exist. The paramount task was to create enterprises where noné had exist- ed, and at the same time to train the workers to man them. The Israel labor movement was thus

Gained

By Histadrut Members |

Histadrut is indeed “something more”. It has instigated housing co-operatives which have already put up 30,000 housing units, housing some 125,000 people. It has a number of credit and fin- ancial institutions. On the cul- tural side it publishes a daily newspaper, Davar; it has work- ers’ colleges, a publishing house, a professional theatrical society, and a wide program of adult edu- cation and vocational training.

Arabs Welcome

78% of Israel’s wage earners are members of Histadrut. Arab workers may become members on an equal footing with Jewish workers. Histadrut is composed of over thirty national unions which embrace-the industrial worker, the farm worker, the

perforce from its first days a?clerical worker, the skilled and

builder of: a new economy and the architect of a new society.”

Coop Communities

So we find Histadrut originat- ing the large new agricultu operative communities, the butz”, which have tr: the barren land to a fertile, fruit- ful countryside. Arising from these communities (wi i radically new social organization) is a nationwide marketing co- operative called “Tnuva”, and “Tnuya” has extended into indus- trial fields. Then there is His- tadrat’s contracting agency, Solel Boneh, which employs 15,000 workers in its contracting opera- tions and another 9,000 workers in twenty different industrial en- terprises, which include quarry- ing, foundries, glassworks, a company for the manufacture of sanitary earthware and a cement pipe factory.

the unskilled worker, the mem- ber of the liberal professions. Workers’ wives occupied in.their own households are also voting members of Histadrut.

Grave national problems which Histadrut intimately shares in- clude the absorption of many hundreds of thousands of immi-

-| grants from all over the world.

Added to this is the urgent need | to balance the new nation’s eco- | nomy, which means an expansion | of output and greater produc- | tivity.

The working men and women | of Israel have evolved a radically | different kind of trade union fed- | eration, a federation’ which em- ploys 20,000 workers and is vigorously engaged in opening up new industry, a federation de- | dicated to the advancement of the whole nation in whose daily life it plays so large a part.

On Golf

TORONTO (CPA) —A week ago James Marshall, a colored shop steward working at the Avro plant, went to play a practise round of golf at the Lakeview Club in company with two fellow-workers. His white companions were allowed to play. Marshall was barred. They all left the course.

Today the Avro Recreation Committee of Local 717, Inter- natiénal Association of Machin- ists (AFL-TLC) voted against holding the tournament at the Lakeview course. The union wrote the golf management that its members would not hold a match at any course which prac- tised racial discrimination.

James Marshall, 25 years of age, was born and brought up in Toronto. He said that the union’s

Race Ban Fought

Course

action reflected the feelings of the members entered in the tour- nament. They all planned to withdraw if the golf club didn’t change its attitude. The cancella- tion made it unnecessary for them to take individual action.

Labor Wins

COMMUNISTS DEFEATED

VIENNA (CPA)—In recent elections for staff representa- tives among the municipal workers of Vienna, a sweeping victory has been won by the Socialists, who gained 704 seats out of a total of 815. The Com- munists, who put forward can- didates under cover of a ‘unity’ list, won only 49 seats. The poll was extremely heavy; over 50,000 voted out of 51,800 en- titled to do so.

St. Paul City ————

5 ST. PAUL (CPA) — Joseph |p? 2 SSEae

Dillon, a 33-year-old “political

unknown” backed by labor and by the Farmer-Labor-Democra- tic Party this week defeated incumbent John Daubney, a Republican, in the race for mayor of St. Paul. The labor- backed majority on the city council was also increased from 4-3 to 5-2.

GB

RYE Sic prod <> — SANDWICH WHITE BREAD

BALANCED

~=& WHITE BREAD

{Ae an ald to better nutrition all G.B. White Bread

RATION now made with Vitamin Envi White izc Peer The white flour content of suc! Balanced oan on een, Ryo and Special Meal is also En-

“Listen to G.B., CKWX — 5:30 p,

Monday thru Friday”

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Printers of The B.C. LUMBER WORKER

AMUN lL

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LIMITED a PRINTERS AND | LITHOGRAPHERS -)

An Employee Owned Co.

944 RICHARDS STREET PAcific 6338-9

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