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Wanted: A real jobs. program

By ALD. HARRY RANKIN
How can jobs be found for the claim that the actual figure is

(Labor economists, by the way,

434,000 Canadians officially closer to 1,000,000. )

listed as out of work today?

Our unemployment problem

a,

very recurrent crisis in the ranks of bourgeois
politicians, with its consequent bickerings and
dissensions in their respective partisan ranks, is about as old
and as common as the ordinary measles, but unlike the latter,
quite incurable. To suggest that all such characters should
keep their political ‘‘bowels open”’ and their mouths shut is as
futile as ‘‘spitting into the wind’’. Motivated by crass
opportunism, petty ambitions, plus a highly-enlarged ego, our
“‘two-party’’ social system produces all such in bulk, like a
fungus crop on top of a manure pile.

Without going too far back to seek case-histories of this
characteristic disease, a few at random within the memory of
this generation will suffice.

There was the (Hon.).H. H. Stevens, Vancouver’s (‘‘Grand
old Man’’), a member of the R. B. ‘‘Iron Heel’’ Bennett Tory
Establishment of the Hungry Thirties, who ‘‘broke”’ with the
R. B. administration, not because of its ruthless belly-robbing
proclivities, but because “‘Iron Heel’’ insisted on being the
‘“‘chef supreme’”’ in that Tory Hell’s Kitchen. Stevens formed
his own ‘‘Reconstruction Party’’ and got himself re-elected,
but his party and all it was supposed to represent, died in
infancy. Neither that ‘‘party’’ nor its sponsor had anything to

“reconstruct”’

Along about the same time (new political parties sprout
like weeds in times of capitalist crisis) we had the Caesarian
birth of another ‘‘new”’ party, the ‘““New Democracy Party”’
sired by one, M. Herridge, an alleged brother-in-law of R. B.
“Tron Heel,’ patterned along the lines of the Roosevelt New
Deal idea. But incubated in a putrid tory atmosphere, the egg
rotted and died in embryo before it could hatch. There were no
mourners — among the people, and no amount of political
dressing could make the Herridge ‘‘new democracy”’ smell any
better than the Bennett vintage.

Another leading tory of the era, one George McCullogh of
Toronto Telegram fame also tried his hand at the launching of
a new political mulligan to ‘‘save the country’’; a sort of cross-
bred hybrid between Stevens’. ‘‘reconstruction’’ and the
Herridge ‘‘new democracy’’, (not to be confused with the
NDP). But- George made the fatal mistake of. opening his
political bowels and mouth simultaneously, when he told a big
Toronto audience, — ‘‘You be a good horse and I’ll be a good
jockey’’. That. brand of horsey excretion didn’t go over and
George went back to the financial flesh pots of Bay Street from
where his ‘‘new democrats” had originally dug him up.

There were, and have been numerous ‘‘new’’ parties
launched during the decades following those halcyon days.
Everytime capitalism gets into an economic and political bind
and can no longer solve its inevitable contradictions — except -
at the cost of the well-being of the common people of factory,
farm and small business, some political Moses emerges to the
surface to lead us all into ‘‘a promised land’’; to prey upon the
gullibility and short memories of the electorate. These would-
be feuhers have nothing to lose, and given enough votes, a)
comfortable well-padded seat to win.

Thus we have now fell heir to ex-Liberal roustabout Paul
Hellyer and his conglomerate ‘‘Action Canada’’. The recent
“‘convention’’ of that varied assortment of political
opportunists and careerista, was little more than an excercise
on the part of its multi-political participants, disgruntled
Socreds, aspiring Tories, dissident Liberals, on how to win
privileged positions at the public trough. Aside from that,
nothing would be changed by these assorted Klaghorns in their
collective efforts to again fool John Q. Public. Just con him
into thinking and believing that this aggregation of old-line
partisan hacks hold the key to his speedy ‘“‘emancipation’’ from
Trudeaumania, via their ‘Action Canada’’ roller-coaster
route.

The other side of this phony wooden nickle is best seen in
a circular letter sent out to all Ontario lawyers, seeking to
extort a minimum party contribution of fifty bucks, and
reminding the legal beagles that if they don’t cough up, they
‘cannot complain if the NDP wins’’. And what party is this pre-
election blackmail going to? You guess it; to the financial
treasurers of both Liberal and Tory stables. To a tory Mr. King
(“In Trust’’), and to a. Liberal Mr. Cruden (‘‘In Trust’’); a
confirmation from this political Jockey Club that the
‘difference’ between Tory, Liberal and Socred, is the
difference between Tweedledee, Tweedledum and
Tweedledam — that same unholy trinity which spawned
‘‘Action Canada’’ — to take John Doe’s attention off his
immediate and pressing problems — and enroll his political
activities up a blind alley on a wild goose chase.

All the political abortions that have preceeded ‘‘Action
Canada”’ confirm its futility— and trickery. :

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certainly won’t be solved by the
piecemeal approach being used
by provincial and _ federal
governments. :

Premier Bennett’s 50 percent
job subsidy scheme won’t even
make a dent in our welfare and
unemployment figures. It’s
producing a lot of hot-air from
government politicians and a
great amount of money is being
spent on advertising, but very
few jobs are resulting.

Federal finance minister
Benson’s budget with its seven
percent cut in corporation
income tax won’t affect the job
situation-in any substantial way.
The main beneficiaries will be
the U.S. corporations who
control most of our economy;
the tax cuts will just mean
bigger dividends being sent
across the line.

Nor will more jobs be found if
Canadians stop criticizing the
U.S. as suggested by provincial
politicians and industrial
leaders. They are blaming our
unemployment on-what Premier
Bennett calls a. ‘‘campaign of
hate’’ against the U.S., on what
Robert Bonner, vice chairman of
MacMillan Bloedel calls
“neevish,-petulent, churlish
remarks about the United
States’? and on what Health
Minister Loffmark calls
“vociferous anti-American sen-
timent’’.

It is not without significance
that these remarks all came
within a period of two days,
following exposure of a secret
meeting held in B.C. between
government leaders and the U.S.
ambassador to Canada to discuss
plans for turning over huge
copper deposits and ‘hydro
electric resources in northern
BC. 2 0, private =. US:
corporations. It is also reported
that the U.S. ambassador
demanded they attack any
Canadians who criticize the U.S.,
an action designed to cover up
the sell-out of still more of our
resources to the U.S.

One major reason why we
have so much unemployment in
Canada, and why we will have
more, is precisely because our

country is more and more being

COME.ON, TLL RACE You .
TO THE Top / -

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CARLESS ve mens

turned into just a supplier of raw
materials for U.S. industries.
This is no accident, this is the
considered policy of Canadian
big business interests, aided and
abetted by successive federal
governments, who see more
profit for themselves if as junior
partners, they allow U.S.
corporations intensive ex-
ploitation of our resources.

But that policy is leading to
trouble for Canada, because.
extractive industries produce far
fewer jobs than manufacturing.
The 10 percent U.S. surcharge is
aimed at wiping out Canadian
manufacturing entirely and
flooding Canada with U.S. goods,
selling here at far higher prices
than in the U.S.

The solution to unemployment
in Canada requires a
fundamental change in
government policy in at least
two directions:

. The first is to process more
of our raw materials at home.
Set up government owned
corporations wherever private
industry refuses to do the job.
Take over any plant that closes
down as a result of the U.S.
surcharge and operate it in the
public interest. Let’s produce

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our own Canadian cars if ue
auto manufacturers clos¢ wild? |
their Canadian plants. appt!
steel smelter and a © orig
smelter in B.C. Build a Cam ad
owned and operate” bat
Canadian manned mer
marine.

. Secondly we must P
less entangled wit
dependent upon the U.S:
This we can do by di¥
our trading partners.
long term credits to the
developed and newly dé
countries, and the §
countries who need and Wé

oods.
= There is no limit to what
can do if the governme
B.C. and Canada will @
their starting point the 9
interests of Canada 4
people, rather than trie
satisfy only the gree ie

desires of U.S. and d Jap

corporations. _—

Have you
renewed youl

eco

Brass against new

By MABEL RICHARDS

A teacher who has taken a
leading role in introducing a
more progressive approach to
education is facing a new form.
of discrimination from the brass
in the provincial education
department. »

John Young, principal of Camp-
bell River Secondary School is
the victim of a spiteful move by

the neanderthal types in the

education branch to take away
the accreditation of the school.
This means students in grade 12

will have to write departmental °

exams; their teachers will have
no power to recommend them.

Thus not only John. Young will
suffer, but it is a slap in the face
for the teachers and students as
well.

Young has long advocated an
“open” school; a. school where
students are treated as young
adults capable of making certain
decisions on their own and
capable of reacting intelligently
to responsibility. Most students
in Lower Mainland high. schools
long for such a system; realizing

ado qthat the-rigidity,and soemajism

of present secondary school
systems ill prepared them either
for university or the world at
large.

But the system in Campbell
River Secondary does not toady
to orthodox Social Credit educa-
tion theories, and so John Young
and his ideas will go if the depart-
ment brass have their way.

However, B.C. Teachers’
Federation has pledged its full
support, backed by a $1 million
fund, to principal John Young in
his fight to retain accreditation
for his school. Many parents, the
majority of the students and a
number of school board
members are also prepared to
fight the education peparunent
dictum.

A series of letters flowing

between Young and the Superin-
tendent of ‘Instructional
Services in the Department of
Education revealed that the

‘move to take away the Campbell

River school’s standing was
afoot as long ago.as May of this
year. Despite the many requests
from the laid and staff for

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accreditation status, the? i
ment refused to gee y
they would say is “we W
with this through the
Superintendent of schools, in
On September 24, ac¢™
Campbell River sources:
fell, and once again
on behalf of the staff, fort “is
requested specific rea
this date, so far as }§
none have been publishe4: tif
The Campbell Rive! (ye
writes editorially: new
reasonably certain that tO te
drawal of accreditation
latest step in a long, ity
scenes campaign to get at 0
Young who is an innov4 a tl
conformist and an 4 the ef
egoist. His is the way %

‘ ny :

It is hoped that ie a.
Teacher Associatl? Si
students. across. the fi ;
take an interest in this © ue a
the Department ,ofi: je ye
can kill John Young's” ie
Campbell River, there M rie
doubt that all attempy pant
new approach to 20t fect
education will be ©