AMERICAN LUMBER CAMPS.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 3219, 17 June 1909, Page 7

AMERICAN LUMBER CAMPS.

HOW THE MEN ARE PAID,

NEW ZEALAND CONDITIONS COMPARED.

"Supposing the market were flooded with cheap imported boots to such an extent that the local factories had to close down, people wouli recognise chat a crisis existed; that the bulk of the people -jf the Dominion do not recognise that a crisis exists in the imber industry is due to the fact that they do not appreciate the conditions at present existing in the sawmilling districts, which are removed from their immediate outlook." In these woras Mr Joseph Butler, of Butler Bros., Ltd., a well-kr.own West Coast sawmilling firm, put the position of the sawmilling industry in the Do* minion to a representative of the Christchurch "Press." Mr Butler's description of the state of the industry on the West Coast at present was a depressing one. The industry, he said, is in an extremely unsatisfactory condition from the point of veiw of both employeers and employees. About half the mills are idle, and the other half are not woncing anywhere near full time. It is impossible for the New Zealand sawmiller to attempt to compete against Oregon in Mr Butler's opinion— an opinion passed on facts gleaned by Mr Butler and his brother during a visit 10 months ago to Canadian and United States timber-producing districts. The labour conditions ruling in America, as contrasted with those in New Zealand, are so radically different, and other conditions operate so advantageously in favour of the Canadian and United States producers as to preclude any hope of the New Zealand sawmillers competing against imported trade, says Mr Buler. In the American logging camps the lecognistd hours of work are 10 per day—a clear advantage of 25 per cent, in favour of the American timber producer, as compared with the New Zealand producer, who. under awards of the Arbitration Court, works in some rases 47 hours per week, with a maximum of 48 hours. Indeed, judging by Mr Butler's description of American logging camps, it would appear that the lumbermen are only one or two removes from being white slaves. The Truck Act is not oniy an unwritten law, but an unknown law. Coupons issued by the lumber companies take the place of money. These may be likened to our tramway concession tickets. They are divided into squares, each representing a money value, either in dollars or cente. When the holder of a cou--1 pon makes a purchase the value is punched out on the coupon; if he I "shouts" for a friend payment is made in the same way; if-he wants "nickels" wherewith to gamble — and the gambling machines are owned and iun by the lumber companies—their value is punched out on the coupons. The worker, states Mr Butler, is exploited in a manner unknown in New Zealand. His wagea are subject to deduction for accident insurance, for wood, for fuel, for board, for rent, for hospital and under other heads. Apparently the employer in the American lumber industry has ■ been successful in divesting himself . a.id practically all liability. The workers are compelled to pay the accident insurance premium, and the lumber companies collect commission from the accident insurance companies in respect to the business thus obtained.

About 90 per cent of the men employed in the mills around Paget Sound are either Japanese or Indians. These men work for 10 hours lor 4s 2d or 6s 3d, as compared with the New Zealand workers' eight hours. The payment of the bush hands is ahout the same a that received by the same class of workers in New Zealand. In Canada and the United States the timber areas are larger. The machinery is capable of dealing with large quantities without materially in'.reasing the labour cos*:. A small mill in America can cut 20 times the quantity of the average New Zealand mill, and thera is no graduated tax to add to the American sawmillers' cost of production. Again, the big American timber companies can make advantageous terms with the railway companies; in New Zealand all are treated alike.