Mayor Campbell at city hall.

before the PNE next year.

Civil rights fight
wins victory at PNE

; jor vi i last
Civil rights forces won a major victory in Vancouver
week ais the Pacific National Exhibition board was
compelled to back down on its ban against various groups

" renting space at this year’s PN E.

: : i ity council,
After days of picketing and delegations to ci :;
public pressure finally compelled the board, after a meeting of
the PNE, Civil Liberties.Association and labor groups with

Although the ban was not lifted on all Oe a es
Communist Party is still banned from renting space - aes an
was lifted against 4 groups - including the Co-op Books ae
China Arts and Crafts, Carsadian Campaign for pee
Disarmament and the German Democratic Republic.

Most significantly, the PNE board has agreed ena
Section 25 - the ban clause in t¢ PNE regulations - and su ahi
the new draft to the Civil Liberties Association for its approva

: i ht on by the.
The recent issue at the PNE. which was broug ;
arbitrary action of the board. Shows once again the vit
city council to review the PNE Set-up and to take steps to bring
the PNE under control of the people of Vancouver. -

THE CO MFORTER

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WAR CONT RAC rs
Sala

ky

“There, there, kiddies, don’ be sad. After — Meee
and brothers are fighting for * £004 cause—ME.

Return fF & N lands

Cont'd. from P. 1

or pay to the Government $250.00
per claim per year in lieu of
assessment work. Having done
all this he cannot mine and sell
these minerals unless he pays
the C.P.R. the price they ask for
these minerals. In most cases
the price is so high that mining
becomes unprofitable, with no
possibility to reclaim the costs
incurred maintaining the
mineral claims.

In 1948, after years of public
pressure, the government in
Victoria passed an act
compelling the C.P.R. to pay a
severance tax of 25% of the
Selling price of any lands sold.
Still having friends in
Government, the Act was so
designed as to provide the C.P.R.
with loopholes. The loophole
being, that any timber cut or
minerals mined by C.P.R. or its
subsidiary is not subject to the
severance tax.

As a result the C.P.R. does not
sell timber lands to logging and
sawmill operations, :

~ sawmill shut downs and throwing
hundreds of workers out of their
__ jobs. The most recent shut down

provided

causing

was the Hillcrest Lumber Co., at
Mesachie Lake involving over
300 workers. This does not mean
that these workers will find saw
milling jobs with the C.P.R.; the
C.P.R. is not in the saw milling
business. Raw logs are being
shipped to Japan on a greater
scale than ever before, thereby
permanently eliminating jobs for
B.C. workers.

Time has come not only for a
hard jook at these land, forest
and mineral grants, but for some
drastic action. The C.P.R. has
deliberately over the years,
d substandard
transportation by rail and ship so
that they could get out of the
pasSenger service and still hang
on to the land grant.
Transportation is only a small
part of the problem in B.C. The
big problem is the whole system
of land and natural resources
grants to monopolies which
restricts competition and the
development of manufacturing
industries in B.C. The only
reasonable solution to this
problem at this time is to cancel
the C.P.R. land grants and
return them to the people of
B.C., allowing for maximum

“competition in the development

of a manufacturing industry in

_ B.C. for jobs and opportunities.

Provincial labor bodies
should play larger role

By OBSERVER

The report of the Secretary-
Treasurer of the Canadian Labor
Congress to the C.L.C:
convention last May closed with
these words:

‘“‘The Canadian Labor
Congress has become the biggest
and strongest labor center in
Canada’s history, and now
occupies a position of stature
and prestige never before
attained by any labor
OF ganization. From its
inception, it has with vigor and
ability promoted and defended
the cause of Canadian labor on
all fronts. However, we all too
well realize that the success that
has attended our efforts to date
is insignificant by comparison to
what remains to be done.

“I trust this convention will
commit itself to the tasks that lie
ahead, and that it will mark a
notable milestone along the road
of progress for Canadian
workers in the economic, social
and political life of our nation.”’

These sober words should be
borne in mind by those who are
looking forward to the
November convention of the

British Columbia Federation of
Labor.

Some 5 million Canadian
workers do not belong to trade
unions, as compared with the
1,700,000 who do belong. Can the
organizing of the unorganized be
left to individual
should the C.L.C. itself and its
subordinate bodies play a more
significant role? If the C.L.C.
assumes a larger role in this
connection, what can we expect
from provincial federations of
labor and district labor councils?

For example, ~can labor
councils be utilized to spur
organizational campaigns on a
community basis, utilizing all of

Pesaro ras EONS Be PAN gt ies EEE
Veteran |

passes
cer

—

Following a long illness,

Charles McGregor Stewart,
veteran B.C. Communist and
trade _unionist passed away
Tuesday of this ‘week. Funeral
services were held Friday at
Simmons & McBride Chapel,
Vancouver.

A tribute to the life and work of

Charlie Stewart will be featured

in next week’s Tribune.

unions, or -

- workers.
that much more could have been .

its affiliates to organize the
unorganized behind agree-upon
unions? Wheré' this method has
been used in a big way, it has
proved to be very successful.

Canada is a vast country, from
Newfoundland to Vancouver
Island, from the U.S. border to
the Arctic. No trade union
congress can effectively serve
the workers of such a country
unless the provincial federations
and district labor councils
become dynamic centers for
mobilizing and leading the
membership. This applies
particularly to collective
bargaining strategy, the fight-
back against anti-labor
injunctions, support unions on
strike and legislative and
political action.

The fact that every province
has its own labor legislation,
with its own problems, as
distinct from federal legislation
covering workers under federal
jurisdiction, means that every
federation has a special and
unique role to play in its own
jurisdiction.

It is sad, but true, that the B.C.
Federation of Labor did very
little to collect money for the
striking postal workers who had
no treasury of their own.
Finally, when the C.L.C., on the
request of the national
leadership of the postal unions,
decided to launch a_ national
appeal for funds, there seemed
to be a lot of confusion as to
whether or not the Federation
should handle the appeal in B.C.

You can blame that situation
on the problems of
communication or the
inexperience of the postal
workers’ leadership, if you wish;
or you can agree with those who
hold that the national leadership
of the C.L.C. moved too slowly
and did too little for the postal
But the fact remains

done if the national leaders of
the C.L.C. had moved quickly
and decisively and mobilized its

- provincial federations and labor

councils.
ok OK Ok

The Minority Report on
Constitution and Structure
distributed at the last C.L.C.
convention was not adopted, and
this writer does not suggest that
the convention should have voted
for it. However, it did make a
number of projections that
deserve serious consideration.
Let us examine two qutoations:

“Provincial Federations were
constituted because the political
Structure of this country

attributes jurisdiction over labor

matters to the provinces. Thus,
the first line of defense of most
Canadian workers is at the
provincial level.”’

“Tf all great political decisions
were made in -Oftawa.
federations could face the
provincial governments with
peashooters and leave most of
the weaponry in the hands of the
C.L.C. But we krtow that this is

not the case, that provincial .

federations cannot afford to be
mere paper tigers... .”’

pe

~ equate

National unity within the
C.L.C. will be strengthened as
provincial federations give
Stronger leadership within their
respective jurisidictions, and
assume more responsibility and
autonomy. For example, the Oil
Workers. strike of 1965 was won
in British Columbia, when the
B.C. Federation of Labor milized
its affiliates towards a general
Strike.

Provincial trade union
structures were established in-
the first place because it was
obvious that the affairs of
Congress affiliates could not be
administered exclusively from
one national center — that
decentralization was necessary.

Some conservative labor leaders
decentralization with
anarchy. They quake in their
boots every time the rank and
file move into action, because
they see a threat to entrenched

bureaucracy and conservative
ideas.

But if the trade union
movement is to measure up to its
social responsibility to the
working people, it must have
twentiethcentury.

In between nationa]
conventions of the C.L.C., which
occur every two years, the main
centers of dynamic action within
that body are the provincial
federations and the district labor
councils, It is at these levels
that most of the day-to-day
problems of the rank and file are
dealt with. The stronger and
more effective the C.L.C. at
these levels, the stronger the
national body.

There is every indication that
Bill 33 will be a central issue at
the November convention of the
B.C. Federation of Labor. While
the C.L.C. can assist at the
national level, the main
responsibility to give effective
leadership in this connection, not
only to its own affiliates, but to
all trade unions in the province.

Picnic program

The Annual Van. Island Picnic
& Concert will be held again this
year at the Parksville
Community Centre on Sunday,
Sept. Ist.

Featuring a Salmon Bar-B-Q.

Chris Harrison and the “S

Aces,’’ Talent Show, fiddlers
Contest, ete. é

Sports for young and old; Free
Ice Cream for the kiddies: Arts
Exhibition, etc.

Entertainment all afternoon (1
to7 P.M.)

DRY CLEANING
8 Ibs. $2.

25¢ each additional Ib.

Drapes, Blankets,
clothing, etc.
You leave it - We do it.

2 HOUR SERVICE

LAUNDRETTE

2633 Commercial Dr.
Phone 879-9956