Washington town alarmed by
radioactive rain after blast--

‘birds fell

.

out of trees, dead’

RICHLAND, Wash.

Radioactive rain fell in this area the week before last. U.S. Atomic Energy Commission brass-
thats immediately dismissed the event as “not alarming.” But alarm was widespread in this A-bomb-
conscious community, site of the Hanford Works. The contaminated rainfall resulted when high winds
plew radioactive dust from the Nevada site of the May 25 atomic cannon test. The Columbia Basin
News reported the “hot rain” caused most alarm here in Richland, where police, school officials and

AEC offices were deluged with
calls throughout the day.
The calls to schools were from

anxious mothers who wanted to

make certain their children were
kept out of the atomic rainfall.

The unexplained death of 15 to
20 birds in a Pasco neighborhood
added to community fears. Resi-
dents speculated that their death
might have been caused by the
radioactive rain.’ A Pasco resident
was quoted in the Columbia Basin
News as saying:

“The birds toppled out of the
trees, sat on the lawn a few
moments and then fell over
stone dead.”

AEC “doubted,” but did not).

deny, that radioactivity killed the
birds.

In a statement designed to allay
the alarm of people in this area,
AKC said that “the amounts were
such that no protective measures
appear necessary and are not
alarming,” and described them as
“below the (AEC) tolerance level.”
But the statement did not indicate
how close to the “tolerance level”
the radioactivity came.

There were no AEC assurances

some future freak of weather
might not bring a deadly con-
centration of atomic dust to this
or some other community.

How seriously some Richland
residents took the matter was re-
vealed in this, story as reported
by the Columbia Basin News.

“Qne man’s wife called and
asked him what to do. He thought
she was joking, so he told her to
wrap herself in' a sheet and get in
the corner.

“Later in the day, when he re-
turned home, he not only found
his wife wrapped up in a sheet in
the corner, but, a group of the
neighbor ladies as well wrapped
in sheets.”

The “hot rain” was discovered
at 8 a.m., May 26, when monitor-
ing badges worn by employees at
the Hanford works showed posi-
tive readings above the normal
radiation level for the area.

Radio contamination teams were
sent out from Richland to make
careful measurements in the South
Central Washington area bounded
»y Richland, Yakima, Connell and
south of Pendleton, Ore., Associ-

ated Press reported.

The Nevada explosion from the
first atomic artillery shell was

new and even more destructive
era of modern warfare.” It wreak-
ed “unbelievably extensive damage
and havoc,” Norblad reported.

described by Rep. Walker Norblad
(Rep. Oregon), who witnessed at:
as “a multi-million-dollar blast
. heralding what may be a

Mine-Mill records
victory at Sudbury
in Inco agreement

' SUDBURY
Backed by Action Committees in every mine and mill of Inter-
national Nickel, the Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers union has won
another victory in negotiations with the giant U.S. combine with a
package increase in wages and other benefits equal to 10 cents per
hour covering employees in the Sudbury and Port Colborne operations.

¢«

In joint negotiations lasting*one
month, Local 598 at Sudbury and
Local 637 at Port Colborne again
led the way, winning a minimum
of $1.61 per hour for ordinary sur-
face labor, $1.644% for process
labor, smelter operator rates of
$187% to $2.00%2 and miners’
rates of $1.84 per hour. Trades-

Subscribers
for PT gain

ot election

One of the permanent results
of the provincial election cam-
paign is the number of new sub-
seribers won for the Pacific Trib-
une. In the week ending June 8,
election eve, PT supporters col-
lected subs and renewals totalling

ee tem
Sean a ln i lh,

“Club of the Week” is Kitsi-
lano, with 7 subs, followed by
North Vancouver, 5; New West-
minster, 3; Victoria, 3; Electric-
al? 2; Grandview, 2; Nanaimo,
2; Ladner, 2; Strathcona, 2; and
Trail, 2.

There’s a federal election com-
ing up soon. More readers of
the Pacific Tribune means more
votes for progressive candidates.
What is YOUR press club doing
on new subs and renewals? ~

men rates range from $1.95 to
$2.09 per hour.

Miners have won an addition to
their contract bonus of a guar-
anteed process allowance of $1.60
per shift, up 60 cents from the
gain made last year.

Vacation pay is now for one
week after one year, two weeks
after three years and three weeks
after 15 years. With the winning
of Coronation Day as a paid Statu-
tory Holiday,. the new contract
lists eight Statutory Holidays paid
when not worked, with double
time when worked.

The company will pay half of
welfare protection costs for all
employees including sick and
accident and life insurance for
every surgical and_ hospital
coverage for every employee
and all his dependents.

The general wage increase is
five cents per hour, with a large
number of workers winning addi-
tional gains through reclassifica-
tions and upgradings.

In a secret referendum vote on
May 28 thousands of miners and
smelter workers endorsed by a
huge majority the recommenda-
tion of their negotiating commit-
tee to accept the gains. The agree-
ment was signed May,29, two days
before the expiry of the old agree-
ment, and is for one year.

District 8 Board Member Nels
Thibault headed the joint negoti-
ating committee which included
the presidents and other officers
of Local 598 and 637, and other
members of Mine-Mill staff.

HOME OF

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PACIFIC ROOFING

Company Limited

CE 2733
2509 West Broadway
N. Bitz - B. Kostyk

UU Et

Powerful
Soutet film

CAVALIER
OF THE

GOLDEN HORDE

Monday, June 15
8 p.m.
805 EAST PENDER ST.

New horror weapon

Picture shows the blast at Frenchman’s Flats from the f

firing of the new U.S. horror weapon, an atomic cannon. __—~

Smith Act

Union and John Daschbach, state
director of the U.S. Civil Rights
Congress, are two of seven persons
on trial in federal court, charged
with conspiracy’ to violate ~the
Smith Act. Other defendants are
Henry Huff, Paul Bowen, Barbara
Hartle, Terry Pettus and Karly
Larsen.

Although notified, the daily
commercial press and radio sup-
pressed all mention of the at-
tacks and the reward offered.

The attack on the Pennock
home occurred shortly before 9
p.m. Friday, May 29. A rock came
crashing through a living room
window within a foot of Mrs, Lou-
ise Pennock’s head. She was in
the room with her husband, their
four-year old son Peter and a
friend. :

All heard footsteps in the drive-
way a few'seconds before the win-
dow was shattered. Police dis-
missed the matter as the work of
‘“juveniles.’”

Investigation of the attack on
the Civil Rights office is still un-
der way. Several persons are re-
ported to have seen and given
chase to a man who made his es-
cape down the stairs from the
third floor. The glass in an of-
fice door was smashed to gain en-
trance,

A mass meeting of the Pension
Union declared that “the hand
which actually threw the rock may
never be known, but the forces
that put the idea into the minds of
the rock throwers are , known.
Those forces are the McCarthyites
in our beloved America who are
responsible for the Smith Act in-
dictments . . . .the same forces

who are responsible for delaying

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JUNE 12, 1953

explode in violenc®
against Pennock

Rewards totalling $200 have been offered for information Feat
to arrest and conviction of hoodlums who stoned the Oe
home of William Pennock, former mentber of Washingt
lature, and broke into the office of the, Civil Rights Cone
Memorial Day weekend. Pennock, president of the Washingto®

charges |

west ©
on state

Canadian mat
swamped py U:
dumped goods |

montrig

“our Canadian market,
swamped with depresse™
can products at sacrlll’” ves
Benjamin A. Ushero antre? Fi
of the Association of id ? ii
linery Manufacturers i Hole
quet at the Mount RoY e
mid-May. whe i

Usheroff. warned os
mendous influx of depre nal
chandise brought int? 7 may ji
ridiculously low Price®’ jart™y
sult in “ynemploymen at
and chaos” in the m wt ;
dustry. ‘fF

Duroninel declared vee
“has caused a great nd me *)
iety to both labor “nous?
ment.” He said tha M nt
workers were depem
headwear industry
lihood.

Ww
the truce in Korea and, a yi dl
sabotaged the calling of the al
ence with the leaders ® oful
Union to work out vert "gif
ment of world pre
A Civil Rights §

is a direct relations"
the events In acts
courtroom and these 3

and violence.”

i