iui Le |

Lil

By SAM RUSSELL

MOSCOW — Main task of
the Soviet Union’s new seven-
year plan is to ensure a fur-
ther advance of all branches
of the economy.

This will be done on the
basis of priority for the ex-
pansion of heavy industry and
a substantial rise in the coun-
try’s economic potential in
order to ensure a continuous
improvement in living stand-
ards.

Not so long ago when de-
tails of a new five-year plan
were published, experts said
the plan could not be realized.

The Soviet people showed
that it could, as they had shown
time and again before.

There are still “expert”
croakers, however, who claim
that the emphasis on heavy
industry somehow penalizes
the consumer. Here are the
facts:

While heavy industry is to
increase by 85 to 88 percent
over the seven-year period,
production of consumer goods
is to increase by 62 to 65 per-
cent.

And while a 1 percent in-
crease in Soviet output in 1952
amounted to 5,000 million rou-
bles and in 1959 will amount
to 11,000 million roubles, in
1965 it will amount to about
19,000 million roubles.

So the consumer is going to
be a great deal better off as a
result of the plan.

More steel will provide more
machinery for production in
turn of more houses, more
clothes, more food, more con-
sumer goods of all kinds.

Average annual steel in-
crease in 1952-58 was 3,400,000
tons, with other basic items
of heavy industry increasing in
similar proportion.

There is a change of quality
as well as quantity. The new
plan relies on minds rather
than muscles. It puts brains
before brawn.

The increases are to be ob-
tained mainly by improving
techniques, increasing the
amount of electric power per
worker, stepping up the speed
with which science serves in-
dustry and agriculture.

This doesn’t, of course, mean
that the Soviet Union is enter-
ing some push-button para-
dise. Brawn and muscle will
still be needed and with it

stark courage that takes men
into the frozen wastes to bat-
tle with nature, barehanded if
need be.

But behind the bare hands,
backing up the brains and the
brawn, will be mechanization
and automation on an unprece-
dented scale, a millions-strong
machine army to lighten la-
bor.

About four-fifths of the new
industrial output is to
from higher productivity
achieved through mechaniza-
tion and automation.

Productivity is rising faster

: ———

come

Automated shops in all industries by 1965.

than in the capitalist coun-
tries and the new plan will
bring it close to the highest
levels of the U.S.

The planned 50 percent rise
in productivity is even greater
than appears; for the working
week is to be reduced to be-
tween 30 and 35 hours at the
same time.

The key is automation. In

the seven years the Soviet
Union will go over te fully
automated shops in every

branch of industry from metal
and engineering to the food
industry. i
Since Soviet industry a few
years ago developed the world’s

first fully automated ball-
bearing plant, automated re-
mote control systems have

been developed in the chemi-
cal, oil, food and other indus-
tries.

Scientists: already have a
telemechanical system for con-
trolling from-a_ single centre
oil wells hundreds of miles
away. They are working on a
standard design for automated
production of polymers — one
of the most complex chemical

REEL LE GRIN LE LENDER LENE RINE

Electrical Contractors

SEASON’S GREETINGS
TO OUR FRIENDS AND CUSTOMERS

from

%
4
%
HILLAND ELECTRIC
4

— May 1959 bring us one step closer to Socialism —

Phone HANEY 5-9808

Fo a Tonk ae Pg Song Bong og Dona Poh es bons Pog Pole foie Pong Pie ove Pr

Automation holds key to
fulfilling new Soviet plan

operations.

In Moscow an engineering
automation centre is being set
up. By 1963 it will be able to
turn out up to 70 automatic
lines a year. By 1965 the coun-

try as a whole will be turn-
ing out 250 to 275 automatic
lines a year.

Development of automation

will require vast supplies of
cheap electric power and the
plan provides for generation
in 1965 of 500,000 million kilo-
watt hours of electricty—twice
as much as today.

The purpose is to fulfil

ee

Lenin’s dream of completing
the electrification of the Sov-
iet Union and on this basis
surpassing the highest living
standards ever achieved under
capitalism. There is no doubt
the aim will be achieved.

Meany says U.S. labor may form
party... but hed rather it didnt

ILWU seeks

Pacific meet

SAN FRANCISCO—The International Longshoremet'$-

Warehousemen’s Union has proposed that a conference’ of
longshore unions in the Pacific area and Asia be held i
Tokyo between April 15-and May. 15, 1959.

ILWU President Harry
Bridges, following approval
by a two-day quarterly meet-
ing of the union’s interna-
tional executive board, dis-
patched identical letters to
the All-Japan Dock Workers
Union, Waterside Workers’
Federation of Australia, Mad-
ras Harbor Workers Union of
India and Waterside Workers’
and Seafarers’ Union of Indo-
nesia, poposing they join the
ILWU in sponsoring the con-
ference, with the Japanese
acting as the host union. —

“We believe the conference
should be autonomous,” he
wrote, “and we do not envisage
the participation of either the
International Confederation of
Free Trade Union (ICFTU) or

of the World Federation of
Trade Unions (WFTU) as
such.”

Proposed for inclusion as an

agenda for the projected con-—

ference were:

@® Reports on basic condi-
tions of dock work including
method of hiring, wages, hours
and conditions of work.

® Problems of. safety .in-
cluding application of ILA
Code of Practice on the Safety
of Dock Work.

@ Vacations, medical care
and pension programs, if any.

® Mechanization, bulk handl-

ing, containerization and othe! —
cargo

new developments <in
handling.

® Training programs and
joint labor-management pro-

grams on new methods and |
the distribution of their bene.

fits.

® Limitations and prohibl~

tions against the right to OF
ganize trade unions, to strike
and to participate in- sympa-
thy strikes of a national oF
international origin.

® Problems of dock workels
in. underdeveloped countries

@® Problems facing d ock
workers in view of programs
against “flags of convenience”
and so - called. Panlibhonc?
shipping. :

@ Maintenance of fraternal
relations, exchange of informa
tion and other forms of ¢0
operation.

Bridges’ letter said it was

anticipated that other parti¢i-”

pating organizations “will
probably wish to make addl-
tions to this agenda in thé
light of their own problems al
experiences, taking into a&
count issues of more generé

trade union and working clas® |

importance. including such
vital matters as the. end of
nuclear bomb testing, disarm@
ment, etc.”

NEW YORK — George Meany has waved the specter. of an independent {abot

party at the political enemies of labor in the United States.

But the AFL-CIO president emphasized ;that he views a labor party as a last —

and very reluctant — resort.

Nonetheless, The New York Times reported that “the suggestion of a new labo

political party was greeted
enthusiastically by 2,842 dele»
gates and alternates attending
the first convention of the
newly-organized New York
State AFL-CIO.

Meany’s remarks on politics
were contained in an address
to the founding convention of
the merged state labor federa-

tion in the Empire State, rep-~

resenting 2,000,000 unionists in
2,245 local unions.

Meany asserted that while
industry might have more of
the nation’s wealth, “we’ve
got the people.” :

Labor, he said, “is going to
be just as political as it has to
be to win its objectives.

“Tf labor has to go further
than it can through its Com-
mittee on Political Education

to make America a better place
in which to work and live, to
make America the leader of
the democracies of the world,
we will take the next step if
it is forced upon us.

“T have always said we do
not: want our own political
party, but if we have to do that
to lick the people who want to
drag us back to the past, we
will start our own political
party and do a good job of it.”

Meany then again expressed
his distaste for political ac-
tion.

“J would like it much bet-
ter,” he said, “if we did not
have to talk about politics —
if we could talk only about our
relations with the employers.”

Meany took up the challenge

made earlier by Postmaste

General Arthur E. Summeé!

field. before the National Asam

sociation of Manufacturers.

Summerfield called for fu! |

ther legislation to restrict 1
bor’s political action.

In reply, Meany noted J#
bor’s increasing role in 1?
tional politics, adding:

“If labor ever becomes
class conscious as to go ou!
and work in the political fie
we would hold the balanc®
of power in elections. We ha¥

‘a8

1d,

®

certain natural advantages th b,

even the political parties
not have.”

He advised business: to ioe
low its “old method”, of “seD®
ing the money in ana stay!™
the hell out themselves.” ©

December 19, 1958 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE #