WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER Editorial REET ss "Dirty Politics” Hiczways Minister Gaglardi recently predicted a “dirty” election campaign. His prediction has come true sooner than expected. A new low in political cam- paigning has already been established by interests pro- fessing to defend the policies of the “free enterprise” parties. We refer to the advertising and pamphleteering of the Committee for Industrial Progress of the B.C. Federation of Trade and Industry. _ By a gross distortion of the facts, this material is designed to prejudice public opinion against the trade unions. It is a bare-faced attempt to capitalize on a political contest to swing votes to political interests com- mitted to outlaw strikes. It also smears trade union offi- cers with the accusation that they are plotting to gain control of government in order to accomplish economic collapse. The first consideration for trade unionists it to recognize the source of this vicious propaganda. It is the same source of propaganda which in former years was directed against legitimate trade union objectives. The Federation of Trade and Industry has always expressed the sentiments that lead to scab-herding and strike- breaking. It is well to recognize that this front organization for anti-union interests does not disclose just what business are represented. It is something quite different from the business organizations which openly express policies to which reputable business men publicly subscribe. Quite obviously the revival of the Federation has become a con- venient and clandestine public relations set-up to do a “hatchet job” so contemptible that the political parties supported would not sponsor it openly. This questionable aggregation of anti-union cam- paigners has one main theme song. They want the voters to support the so-called “free enterprise” parties on the understanding that they will ban strikes. The false doctrine is preached that the prosperity of the province depends on this issue. No reference is made to the economic facts, that we are now suffering from an over- expansion of capital investment during the lush years, and that productive capacity has now outstripped our ability to consume the goods produced. The crude attempt is made to drive a wedge between rank and file trade unionists and their elected officers. Its an old out-worn dodge that smart public relations men have abandoned long ago. Trade unionists are now wise to public relation “gimmicks.” The plan developed by the Canadian Labour Congress and the B.C. Federation of Labour to provide the workers of this province with a medium of political expression that is not dominated by the employers is described as a move of trade union officials to gain political power for their own selfish purposes. The fact is that not a single one of the prominent trade unions has made a bid for political nomination. Every decision made with regard to political action has been determined by the trade union membership. The general tone of the advertisements suggests that trade unionists should be regarded as second class citizens. They are to be denied the right to use their political in- fluence in the same way as the organized employers who have politically whittled down the gains made by the workers at the bargaining table. The Federation’s plan is to muzzle trade unionists in order to establish an outright economic dictatorship of the employing interests. The one effective answer to the Trade and Industry Federation’s misleading statements is to rally trade union support for trade union policies. It will be a sad day for the workers and their living standards if they listen to such false advice and vote away their democratic rights. Publication date of the next issue of the WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER is August 18th. Deadline for ad copy is August 4th and for news copy August 12th. PUBLISHED TWICE MONTHLY ON THE FIRST AND THIRD THURSDAYS BY International Woodworkers of America (AFL-CIO-CLC) Regional Council No.1 <@p> * REGIONAL OFFICERS: PreSident --.n.--.-ccseennenoee eon 1st Vice-President .. 2nd Wise Era oa = Sa = Fhe ee td ae 8rd Vice-Preside Segre ee “Mitchell Secretary-TTeasurer’ ......---c--reenenecenn DOTS ccecccccveeeceneneeeeee Walter F, Allen International Board Mem raise Oe coon aa Joe Morris Jack Moore Address all communications to GEORGH H. MITCHELL, Secretary-Treasurer 2859 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C, TR 4-5261 - 2 Subscription Rates........----$2,00 per annum Advertising Representative...-..—.-—G. A. Spencer Mail, Post Office Dept., Ottawa econd Class Authorize? 00 SOPIES PRINTED IN THIS ISSUH By All Aneurin Bevan is dead. He was 62. Workers, trade unionists and socialists throughout the world mourned his death. Even his opponents, so often at the receiving end of his dynamic denounciations, found time to praise him. Aneurin Bevan was at_ his death, deputy leader of the British Labour Party. A beloved champion of the poor, Mr. Bevan had a reckless disregard for the mighty. In his first speech to the British Parliament in 1930, he assailed the venerable and respected Lloyd George and he didn’t stop attack- ing those who he thought de- served it, in the ensuing 30 years. The British health scheme is his major monument. When the Labour party took office in 1945, he was appointed Minister of Health and did a brilliant job in introducing that keystone of Britain’s welfare state. It was: said that if the Labour party had won the 1959 election Mr. Bevan would have become Foreign Affairs minister. Aneurin Bevan began his career at the age of 13, following his father into the Welsh coal mines. At 19 he was chairman of a 4,000 —member lodge in the South Wales Miners Federation. 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