TIMBER INDUSTRY

New Zealand Times, Volume LIII, Issue 12605, 16 November 1926, Page 7

TIMBER INDUSTRY

ALIEN LABOUR AND WAGES BRITISH COLUMBIA FIRM REPLIES FURTHER STATEMENT LIKELY The September issue of the “New Zealand Industrial Bulletin” reprinted statements of the chairman of the British Columbia Wages Board on the subject of alien and low-grade labour in the Pacific Coast timber industry, which were quoted widely throughout the Dominion. “The lumber industry had always employed a large percentage of low-paid labour,” it was stated. “Of the men employed in the lumbering industry last year 20.46 per cent, were Asiatics . . . There undoubtedly is a connection between Asiatic labour and low wages. Chinamen receive 25 cents per hour and Hindus and Japanese and a few unskilled labourers receive 25 cents per hour. Forty per cent, of the labour employed in the British Columbia Coast sawmills (those supplying New Zealand) is Oriental.” DEBATED IN HOUSE Last session there was a lengthy debate in the House of Representatives on the subject of imported and New Zealand timbers, and it was declared that the bulk of the Pacific Coast lumber was produced by black labour, and that a low level of wages ruled in the mills. Now a large firm which deals in Paciflo Coast timbers has received a statement from a big Pacific Coast concern in reply to these allegations. “Only one or two British Columbia mjlls employ Sikhs (British subjects by the way), and racially these are white men,” says the letter. “Without opportunity to obtain statistics the proportion of Sikhs on our mills’ pay-roll is something between 2 and 5 per cent. ORIENTALS DECREASING “As to Orientals, while the number and percentage of these men employed in our mills is in steady decrease in line with the increase of the white population in this province, it is practically true, with a few rare exceptions, that they are only employed on such unskilled work as white labour will not undertake. They do, however, form tho bulk of the shingle sawyers, as the white man is subject to cedar asthma and therefore is selfeliminated from this work. “As to wages, on November Ist a minimum wage scale of 40 cents (Is 8d per hour) goes into effect throughout the timber industry. The white labourer monopolises all the higher-paid branches of logging and sawmilling, and his wages run from 40 cents to 1 dollar 50 cents per hour. The more skilled labour in our sawmills, such as the sawyers and filers, can and do earn £BOO and £9OO per annum. As a case in point, the head sawyer of the Canadian Robert Dollar Companv. at Dollarton, is under engagement on terms which guarantee him a minimum of 4200 dollars per annum regardless of how long he is idle through breakdowns. His yearly earning has been in the neighbourhood of 4500 dollars (£900). This is not by any means an isolated case, and sawyers on piece work can do considerably better. We know of one man averaging £BO per month throughout the year. WHERE WAGES ARE HIGHER “In the logging industry the level of wages is generally higher than in the mills as regards the average worker. We feel sure that any of your citizens who have had opportuniimimimiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii

ity of inspecting our mills Will not bo led astray by the discussion in your legislature, but we are writing this letter to put you in a position to remove any false impression which the debate may have given the general public. We anticipate a more complete rebuttal by the Timber Industries Council and other public bodies.”