SOCRED : FRIDAY, MARCH 3, 1972 UNITY NEEDED -EMPLOYER ATTACK sxon’s China Visit ... See page 5 “The RCMP jumped on me and maybe I'm going to leave this world.’’ Stomping at Willow Lake “death The Quilt case got international recognition this week when the New York Daily World carried a full page feature in its February 26 issue under the heading, ‘Stomping Death at Willow Lake.” The article is written by B.C. labor journalist Ben Swankey. Above is the illustration that came with the story, reduced in size. In Vancouver and at Prince Rupert and Prince George Indian and white people demon- strated on Saturday to demand justice in the courts for Cana- dian Indians, and for a public inquiry into the death of Fred Quilt on November °30 in Williams Lake. Organized by the Fred Quilt Committee, the demon- strations drew attention to the inquest into Quilt’s death which they allege followed a beating by two RCMP officers of the Alexis Creek detachment. First of all, they say the jury sitting on the inquest was not selected by the coroner as required by law, but by the RCMP. It was an all-white jury, although Indians make up a large section of the population in the area. The list of witnesses who were subpoenaed by the RCMP excluded witnesses -who were present during the alleged beating. Attorney-General Peterson, after nation-wide protests about the conduct of the inquest which completely absolved the two RCMP officers in the case, ordered a ‘“‘review’’ of the evidence, and any new evidence that might be found. The Indian people feel this type of ‘‘réview’’ may lead simply to another whitewash and they want the public inquiry so that every fact can be brought into the open to the public’s view. Howard Adams, an education professor from the university of Saskatchewan, told the Van- couver demonstration the Quilt case is representative of the injustices in the judicial system where Indians are concerned. Clarence Dennis, of the B.C. Association of Indian Chiefs, said the actions of the RCMP must be brought before the Tribune VOL. 33, No. 9 Communist 15° Party calls for people’s alliance By NIGEL MORGAN, B.C. Leader, Communist Party An urgent appeal for joint action of all those victimized by the Socred government’s attack on their democratic rights and living standards, was issued by the B.C. Provincial Committee -of the Communist Party, meeting in» Vancouver last weekend. We are entering the most critical period in the history of British Columbia. Nowhere in the country is there a situation like that shaping up in B.C. Cabinet control of wages now goes far beyond teachers salar- ies (Bill 3) to all public employ- ees including MLAs. Now Municipal Affairs Minister Campbell has indi- cated the Socred adminis- tration’s intention of going further to control wages for municipal councils and aldermen— a slick trick to bring additional thousands of municipal employees under Bennett’s wage and _ salary freeze. Taking full advantage of the Socred government’s wage controls in the public sector, the Employers’ Council of B.C. has gone on a rampage, making the most outrageous, provocative demands in the new round of bi- ‘Demand public inquiry in Quilt case courts., He charged the evidence of a doctor and Indian witnesses was ignored by the jury. He said the Indian people had to practi- cally beg for money for a lawyer to represent them so their wit- nesses could be heard. Thousands of concerned citizens are taking up the call to. initiate a new day for Indian people who find themselves in courts, and specifically for justice in the Quilt case. At the courthouse demonstration on Saturday students and others, among them members of the Young Communist League and_ See QUILT CASE, pg. 12 annual wage and contract nego- tiations getting under way for some 200,000 workers in the prov- ince’s major industries. A major government- employer - offensive is now underway. That is the out- standing feature of this period we have entered. Two other things stand out: — First, forces are marshalling that can rout the attack and bring down the Bennett govern- ment as they did the Coalition of Liberals and Tories in 1952. Teachers, hospital workers, the medical profession, civil ser- vants and government employees, trade unionists, pensioners, ratepayers (in- cluding NDPers, Communists and even some former Social Creditors and many more without any specific political affiliation) are fighting mad. Obviously they have the numbers. The only thing they lack is the unity. Nothing short of united action can defeat the government- employer conspiracy, turn back the attack on democratic rights and the people’s standard of living. It is obvious no one group alone has the power itself to defeat the See UNITY, pg. 12 STOP PRESS NEWS Representatives of 15 unions met Wednesday and decided to unite their efforts in a ‘‘deter- mined stand’’ to compel the Socred government to with- draw Bill 3 and other legislation aimed at freezing wages of workers in public services. Included among the groups represented at the conference was the B.C. Federation of Labor, CUPE, BCTF, Office and Technical Employees, B.C. Hydro, Amalgamated Transit Union, Registered Nurses Asso- ciation, College Faculty Federa- tion of B.C., Health Sciences Assoc., Hospital Employees Union, B.C. Association of Social Workers, Municipal and Regional Employees Union, Psychiatric Nurses Assoc.