1964 



Canadian Forestry Journal, December, 1918 



work of all kinds, felling limber, 

 "snedding" and cross-cutting timber, 

 measuring timber, and saw-mill work. 

 Further, they have engaged in gen- 

 eral estate work, bark-peeling, brack- 

 en cutting, clearing up and burning 

 brushwood. During haytime and 

 harvest they have been drafted to 

 this work, which has the advantage 

 of giving that variety which experi- 

 ence shows is so necessary in women's 

 work on the land. 



The sustained brisk demand for the 

 services of these women is the best 

 indication of their value. This de- 

 mand has come from estates, trade 

 nurseries, timber merchants, farmers, 

 and contractors. These employers 

 have shown that they regard as 

 feasible this dilution of their labour, 

 by their keen desire to make condi- 

 tions as reasonable as possible for the 

 women. They have gone to consid- 

 erable expense and trouble to make 

 the accommodation suitable and have 

 even made alterations in the length of 

 the working day. Experience has 

 proved that it is more economic to 

 work the women on a slightly shorter 

 day than men, say start at 8 o'clock 

 in the morning, and continue to about 

 5 o'clock in the evening, with an 

 hour's break at mid-day. As regards 

 working overtime, it is not considered 



advisable to attempt this, as they 

 require a fairly long evening to make 

 necessary preparations for the next 

 day. 



The usual conditions of labour are 

 free accommodation, with coal and 

 light and, in some cases, potatoes, 

 and a wage varying from 20s. per 

 week to 25s. per week. In some 

 cases, where the women are employed 

 on piece work, they earn as much as 

 30s. and 35s. per week. 



Improved Health. 



The efTect on the women of this 

 kind of work, under the above con- 

 ditions, has been noticed, and in no 

 case has it been found to be detri- 

 mental. They have all been able 

 for the work undertaken, and have 

 quickly become fairly expert at it. 

 Their health has, in all cases mater- 

 ially improved with the out-door 

 occupation, and this has been so even 

 in cases where they have been employ- 

 ed all winter. 



In conclusion it might be allowed 

 that in view of the foregoing, and 

 having regard to the widest national 

 interests, the training and organiza- 

 tion of this woman power, which was 

 formerly dissapated in unproductive 

 labour, has been justified. 



Merchantable Timber a Great Asset 



Eric W. Hamber, Pres. B. C. Mills Timber and Trading Co., Vancouver. 



There are few better assets for 

 people to possess than good mer- 

 chantible standing timber in this 

 province The supplies of the world 

 are being depleted, and whilst there 

 are large bodies of timber in Russia 

 and other places, they can in no way 

 be compared to the forests of British 

 Columbia. Once cut, the forests of 

 B.C. can never be replaced. There 

 will be a new growth, but never the 

 majestic growth that stands here 

 to-day. It therefore behooves us to 

 make the best of this natural resource 

 fund nowhere else in the world 

 except on the Pacific coast, to con- 

 serve it in every way possible, par- 



ticularly against the ravages of 

 fire and waste, in order that not only 

 to those interested in the industry 

 itself, but more so to the people of the 

 province, should accrue benefits that 

 at the present time they have but 

 little conception of. 



We must build our commercial 

 structure on the solid rock founda- 

 tions of our natural resources, or 

 else we build them on foundations of 

 shifting sand. Let me, therefore, 

 urge that we all put our shoulder to 

 the wheel and by co-operation of 

 interest attain for this, the premier 

 industry of this province, the maxi- 

 mum of result. 



