-

a

Log boom scenes like this one have-been created by the coast lumber strike.

Lumber prices increase, companies
are raking in exorbitant profits

By WALTER TICKSON
Over the past two.months the captains of the lumber industry,

through their

agency, Forest Industrial: Relations, have waged a vicious campaign in an attempt to
justify their position against the International Woodworkers of America.

Numerous articles have ap-
peared in the papers claiming
that increases cause
price increases. This has not
been the case in the lumber
industry . (and examination

shows it is not the case in any
major industry). Yet prices of
lumber were boosted by 25
percent for some grades.

Forest Industrial Relations
in a newspaper ad denies this.
But to deny-there has been an
increase in prices is to have
no regard for truth and hon-
esty. Word has just been re-
ceived that wholesale prices
for fir lumber in the past
month have been upped from
$106 per m.b.m. to $120 on the

wage

Boston market. This is almost}:

double the average $64.11 that
FIR claims the logging indus-
try receives for all species.

It may be argued that ship-
ping costs are high. But the
cost to ship 1,000 feet of lum-
ber to Boston is $15 plus $1
U.S. import duties.

The increase in the price of
lumber is not the only thing
that justifies a 20 percent wage
increase. Even if prices did not
rise (as the employers claim)
a wage boost of more than the
20 percent IWA has asked for
is justifiable and necessary if
we consider that production
per man has increased by 47

ond three months

percent in the logging indus-: ket is too competitive. This is

try in 1958 over 1957.

A sawmill worker produc-
ed on the average 23.6 percent
more lumber in 1958 than he
did in 1956. The number of
workers employed in the coast
lumber industry has been re-
duced by 5,000 over the past
year. With this drastic reduc-
tion in the working forces,
the remaining crews have been
speeded up and production has
now reached the highest figure
in history.

Because of speedup and’ in-

creased prices, profits of the
four major corporations have
doubled over what they were
a year ago.
FIR claims that the compar-
ison of the first three months
of 1958 with the first three
months of 1959 is ‘‘not fair”
because of the pulp mill strike
in 1958.

Let us then take the next
three months when there was
no. strike. MacMillan and
Bloedel financial statement
shows that profits for the sec-
stood at
$914 million. But for the same
period of 1959 profits reached
a colossal figure of almost $14
million... And other companies
did even better.

But FIR, the well-heeled

‘mouthpiece of the lumber op-

erators, claims that the mar-

sheer nonsense. The B.C. lum-
ber industry can compete .and
undersell in any world market
and particularly in the United
States, and still make a big
profit.

The reasons for this favor-
able position of the B.C. lum-
ber industry are as follows:

1. B.C. lumber workers re-
ceive 36 cents per hour less
than U.S.| lumber workers.

2. The average cost of stump-
management license is $7.89
age in B.C. under the forest
per 1,000 board feet as against
$22 to $26 in the United States.

3. Water freight costs were
reduced by 20 percent in the
last year.

4. Productivity per man is
the highest in the world.

5. Corporations enjoy in-
come tax concessions and for-
est management license hold-
ers pay only one and one-half
cenis per acre per year land
taxes.

In addition to the above the} j

lumber operators benefit by
the utilization of waste. pro-
ducts. which amounted to al-
most $25 million last year.
The income from what was
formerly waste- products
(which. had to be burned at a

‘cost) would more than. take

care of the current IWA wage
demand.

Continued from page |

wk es

proclaiming the slogan, ‘In-
clude us out.” :
Where is the voice’ of the

ized labor? Working people are
more than concerned with the
issues of peace and war. War
bears more heavily on the
backs of the workers than on
others.

Seeking to appease the ris-
ing voice of protest, Harold
Winch; M.P., on behalf of CCF
foreign policy, made a major
speech in the House of Com-
mons on July 2. Some excerpts
may be noted: *

“Tf we wish to maintain our
status as a sovereign nation,
then we must develop and give
effect to foreign and defense

policies of our own...

‘It is for these reasons that
we call upon the government
to make clear to our friends,
that we have no need for and
will not tolerate the placing
of nuclear weapons on Canad-
ian soil.”

Very good, so far. Unfortun-
ately, these sentiments are ne-
gated by others, stated in the
same speech. Winch is still ob-
sessed with the need for al-
liances and when he poses the
alternative of partnership with
the capitalist’ U. S. or the
socialist USSR, he comes down
hard for the United States.
Alliance with the Soy’et Un-
ion he views as ‘‘morally ab-
horent.” He also states: “The
most obvious threat, from all
that we have heard and all we
read, comes from the Soviet
Union.”

It is- painful to recall that
Harold Winch is allegedly a
socialist and represents a truly
working class seat (Vancouver
East) in the House of Com-
mons,

In reality, Winch is getting
on the bandwagon of Canadian
manufacturing, trading and
industrial interests who are re-
sentful of American domina-
tion and who desire a more
independent foreign policy.

This latter group represents
a defiance of the very few
big monopolists, whose policy
has been for a very long time

countr
working class in this debate? | fe

What is the stand of organ- |

NEUTRALITY

subservience to- United States
imperialism and as a CODS®

quence, betrayal of. their. own
@

Harold Winch, on ea 7 :
the CCF leadership, goes fim”
ther than this rebel section of |
the capitalist class, in that he
sees the danger of war as not
arising from the policies of

-|monopoly capital but from ‘the :

actions and existence of” the
workers’ state. This is COM
firmed by his own statement:

“Tet us remain a member of
Nato for any further (social
ist) advances in Europe must.
be to our disadvantage.”

Such a position gives com
fort to the real war makers ;
and such action tends to dis
tract and divide the workers
on the real issue’ and threat
of war itself. This path cannot
be the road to solving the real
problems of peace, independ
ence and security.

What is required is a new
policy of peace and genuime
Canadian neutrality.

In the light of the ‘imier
change of visits by Premier
Khrushchey and_ President
Eisenhower. and what also —
could be the dawn of a great
change, Canadian workers and
farmers can make a mighty ©
contribution to peace and i
dependence by fighting for
some new basic principles of
foreign policy.

1. For complete Canadian
neutrality and for no subselyv-
ient alliance with any other
power.

2. Withdraw Canada from
all entangling and dangerous —
alliances, particularly those of
Norad and Naito.

3. Take away from Canadian
soil all “foreign missile and
nuclear bases and all foreign
armed forces. i
4. For the absolute banning
of nuclear tests and for world
disarmament, :
In the fight for peace and —
independence for our county, —
the political formula for suc
cess is the all-inclusive unily
of labor, farmer, CCF, LPP —
and other people’s forces. Such
will be and can only be the

real key to victory.

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August 28, 1959—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 8