If we needed any reminder that there are-serious..
problems in the forest industry arrangements in this
area, we got one this week when two major logging
contractors announced that they’re’ going to shut
down. Lylé Gold and Roman Pelletier said they can’t
afford.to work anymore at.the contract prices Westar
is offering. - ; |

These are not two-bit gyppo logging outfits. They’re :

well-established and respected companies that provide
a work supporting 50 families in this area and generate
re millions of dollars in business activity every year. They
_ aren’t retiring, they’re getting out, and that points to
im something drastically wrong in the way the industry is
structured. | |
In examining the history of forest operations in this |
region, it’s a marvel that Westar has been allowed to
continue doing business around here for as long as it
has. A closer look, however, shows that the company .
is just doing what the limits of the system permit it to
do. Having been granted exclusive rights to an area of -
resource wealth that would have been the envy of a

Take it or leave it |

OF ELE

ROGGIRIG Dan}.
“USSD TOGENERATE LARGE AMOUNTS |
CTHCTY ep
DEPRADING ON DEIMAND, FLOW GAN | 2
BUND UERDONN NLL]

Gus: |

USED GENERATE LARGE AINOUNTS
OF CASH FOR PONER COMPANES.
DEPENDING ON DEMAND, FLOW!

- ME NAN UF OR DOWN AT

FOR CONS)MERS

_ feudal baron, Westar has established profit margins
relative to market conditions for its products and used
prices paid to woods contractors as a shock absorber.

The company is now trying to extend that same
. principle to areas outside its tenure — areas that, in-
cidentally, Westar relinquished several years ago
because they couldn’t cut timber there economically —
by calling for, curtailment of the export. market in the
North Kalum, By playing on public reaction against

the export of raw logs, the company is attempting to
drive down'the price of logs by effectively giving itself
exclusive right to determine what the logs are. worth.;
“Giving Westar — and other large timber companies
_ — the sole right to these large, area-based forest
tenures means these companies have the exclusive right
to-determine the value of a public resource without
reference to any market, The Ministry of Forests
earlier this year proposed that the proportion of tree
farm licenses in the province be increased from 29 per-

cent of the forest area to 69 percent. The granting of

of scale seems at the very least to be curious behavior for
a government that avowedly champions a free-market
philosophy. | .

VICTORIA — The United
States of B.C. concept is dead:

killed his brainchild inthe .
sweeping Cabinet realignment
this week by putting paid to —
regionalization and the cumber-
some Ministers of State port-
medieval-style monopolies on this sort of staggering fons.
cipal secretary David Poole had
labelled the proposal as the
U.S. of B.C. shortly after
Vander Zalm unveiled it two
years ago. -

The view from
_ Victoria —.

by John Plier... cc

5

i rs
Eee ae

Premier Bill Vander Zalm - -

The premier’s former prin-

Millions have been spent on

regional program will come
-under the control of Stan:

_Sog- and: economic development

trying to make this Vander vi-
sion come true. Now it has
been mercifully aborted,
although some of the

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bureaucracy set up to run this

provincial ward system will re-
main.

This scribe believes the plan
as presented was doomed from
the outset because of the ex-

perience many of the Socred .-

MLAs had in municipal
politics. -
They knew that the mayors.
and aldermen in the cities,
towns and communities
wouldn’t and didn’t like the
concept of regional czars.
B.C. politics has always

_ operated so that those lower-

level politicians could press any
case directly to the minister or
ministry involved... usually
with the assistance of their
MLA.
The last thing the municipal
pols wanted was a ward boss
acting as their conduit to the
inner circle.
And the last thing the MLAs
wanted was to be seen to be

_umnecessary to the process, to

be bypassed. o
‘Now, what remaiiis of the

Hagen, appointed as regional."

minister in the new Cabitief

_’ This astute and personable -., -
minister has earned a lot of _

Brownie points for his manage-
ment of the advanced educa-
tion ministry; and his elevation
to the important development
post is significant.
Hagen is going to have a lot

~ of clout with the caucus

because of it, as MLAs lobby
him for pet building projects,
just as they do the highways
minister for roadworks in their
territories.

There were several other tru-
ly significant moves in the
Cabinet shuffle, most involving
MLAs who cut their teeth in

municipal politics. A,quick . |
. public has seen.

rundown, in order of future
_impact and import:
-@ John Reynolds from

“\ Speaker to Environment. He is ©
‘smooth, credible and articulate,

as well as a killer in debate.
The past three years as a con-
ciliatory Speaker have purified
his reputation somewhat.

@ Claude Richmond from
social services to forests. The
former Kamloops alderman is
now one of this government’s
veterans, and is good with the
press and public. His track rec-
ord in organizing and running
social services will be welcomed
in the chaotic ministry. -

@ Rita Johnston to highways |

from municipal affairs. The
former Surrey alderman is an-
other capable, no-nonsense
minister who will whip

highways into shape, something

it has not been since the days
of Stephen Rogers. She has —

conducté d herself exceptionally:
well over the past three years, .
‘and is even viewed by some as -

a potential, premier.

@ The aforementioned Hagen, .

once Courtenay’s school board. .
chairman.

-@ John Jansen to health from

international business. The
former Chilliwack mayor in- .
herits the big-budget ministry, «|
and with it enters the inner —
Cabinet, the planning and
priority committee. He is
steady, reliable and improving.
in his dealings with the press
and public.
@ Dave Parker from forests to
Crown lands. There is no ques-
tion this is a demotion; in fact. .
many wanted Parker out

“altogether. The fact that he has

survived shows there may be
more strength here than the

Among the other newcomers
to Cabinet, it was long overdue
for Dewdney’s Norm Jacobsen
(labor), Langley’s Carol Gran
(government services and wom-
en’s issues), and Ivan Messmer
(parks) to be rewarded.

It won’t surprise you to
know that all have considerable
municipal experience as mayors
or aldermen. The other com-
mon thread is that they all have
been critical of Mr. Vander
Zalm, but primarily privately.
(More about them next week).

There are a couple of weak
ministers in this Cabinet, as
there are in most, but Vil
reserve indictment for a while.

Parting Thought: There is.
- one move left to come which
will be as significant as many

_ of the otliers in this long-

continued on page 7