OL’ BILL

ae a : HE objective style of news-writing so dear to the hearts of the|’ :
: ae a journalistic cubs (and their elders), of the capitalist press, took g n Uu ra gas S$ ee ;

quite a beating in the news columns of the Vancouver Sun on the
alleged first day of summer, June 22. On that day a ppsead headline By KATHERINE FOUNTAIN é
on the front page, meant no doubt to perk up the flagging hopes of —_-EDMONTON
ona as he ee AS bes ‘ 2. Es a alae Mes Soer Soke : ‘The people of this province, who have seen their immense oil resources virtually handed over to tH
with two other ships to be built in the East for the Canadian govern. | giant oil monopolies, are now watching closely to see what action the government will take to protect the!
ment, : interests in Alberta’s equally great natural gas reserves. Next week, a special session of the Alberta
: A smaller headline informed us also that “reds” will be barred | Legislature opens to consider four bills pertaining to the export of oil and natural gas. r
: from the work project and that men working on the vessels will be _ When in Edmonton last month, Prime Minister St Laurent stated that Alberta had full control
the export of gas from the province, but when asked for regulations to permit export under existing Pl

carefully screened—“probably* by the RCMP.
The why and wherefor of this according to the vincial legislation, the federal parliamentary committees concerned contradicted St. Laurent by stating

Snags, I nk gee

Sun’s story, is to eliminate communists and fel-
low travellers. This was learned from “a reliable
source” in Ottawa.

Then, on an inside page of the same issue of
the paper, is another piece of expository writing
of the same type, the flaming headline of which |
reads “No Education for Non-Red Czechs.” The
story under the headline alleges that “Czech youth
lacking in loyalty to the Communist state will
be deprived of its educational advantages, the
government announced today," Another story,
under the head, “Prelate’s Arrest Hinted At,”
reports that church sources “indicated Archbishop jt. oS
Beran intended to continue his spiritual fight against: the regime,
gespite the ‘implicit’ threat to arrest him.”

There you have two typical specimens of what the professional
newsmen love to call “objective” writing. The inverted commas
have been inserted by myself to emphasize what those buzzards con-
sider news.. Either or neither of these stories may be true or false
in their news content but they are both alike in that what may be
news amounts to about a peck and it is wrapped up in a bushel of
reactionary interjection of opinions of the lords of the press who
decide what the masses shall read and what they shall not read.

It is expository writing as practiced by the worshippers of
“objective” writing. It is about time this name asa description was
changed to one more in line with the facts. We suggest “objection-
able” writing would fill the bill much better; it would be truly de-
seriptive.

As everyone who handles such a news item, from the original
scribbler to the top dogs of the CP and the BUP, works it over, the
result is bound to be a mess like the two items quoted and the news
is lost in the opinions of paid agents of the boss press monopoly,
which no doubt will seem to be all right to the monopolists sinde
they own the press but to the mass of the people it can only be looked
upen as “objectionable” writing.

When such compounds of little news and a mass of opinion and
propaganda are foisted on the people as wholly fact, “objectionable”
is the only name that fits such trickery. It does not need a Phila-
delphia lawyer to unravel the fact from the propaganda. All that is
necessary is some insight into the devious technique of the press and
and a little political understanding. \

The tone of these two stories is not in their news content but
what has been injected by the writers collectively.

In the story about the warships there is a note of elation, not
at the fact that the ships are to be built but in the speculation that
the “reds” are to be eliminated. This part has no connection with
the news whatever but it fits in with the political fears and desires of

_the class that pays the “objective” writers.

In the Czechoslovak story the general tone is denunciatory of
the government of that country and the horrible Communists who
are alleged to be inflicting punishment on the Czechoslovak workers
because they are not loyal to the government.

It is hardly possible that the authors of these two stories could
have placed them side by side and compared them before they ap-
peared in print. If they had, and still printed them they would.
appear to be of lower intellects than we. imagine them to be.

For the sake of argument suppose we accept the stories to be
true (which we don’t). Why should there be a note of denunciation
in the Czech story of the government's threat to cut the educational
privileges of the youth for lack of loyalty to the government and a
note of pleasure in the Canadian story in which many Canadian
shipyard workers are threatened with the loss of the right to earn a
living and consequent starvation, présumably for not being loyal to
the government?

The answer is that we are living in a class society. The same
class that desires the elimination of the “reds” from shipyards
where warships are being built is the class that desires to spread
disaffection in and abcut countries like Czechoslovakia, in this case
to put the Czechoslovak government in a false light with the
workers of this country. That is why the objective (pardon—objec-
tionable) writers turn out the tripe they do.

The news part of the Canadian story is probably true, about
the forthcoming warship building. The speculation in it may be
true also, about the screening of the workers. But the story about
the Czechoslovak government taking away educational privileges
from the youth of that country as outlined in the story is outright
lying, the result of distortion of the truth. The Czechoslovak gov-
ernment cannot inflict such a punishment on any section of the
populace unless for criminally treasonable activities. But the ship-

_ yard workers are being threatened with starvation merely because
they are suspected of being “reds.” 4

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the province had no such control.
One other purpose of ‘the pro-
posed new legislation, it is stated,
is to clarify and preserve provin-
cial rights from federal encroach-
ment.

Powers to be provided by the
bill are these: empowering Alber-
ta Petroleum and Natural Gas
Conservation Board to restrict
production to fit the market, now
being done on a voluntary basis
by the producers; providing for
export of natural gas; empowering
the board to declare a “common
purchaser” which would have to
purchase from all available sup-
plies without discrimination.

The main bill, the “Gas Re-
sources Preservation Act,” is not,

according to statements, to “pro-
hibit the export of natural gas”
(the new act will permit export
for the first time), but is for the
“preservation, conservation and ef-
fective utilization of the gas re-
sources of the province, having
regard to‘the present and future
needs of the residents of the

province.’ Amendments are also
to be made to the existing Con-
servation Act, the Public Utilites
Act and the Pipe Line Act as they
affect both gas and oil.

* * *

The proposed new act seems to
adhere to the report of the Din-
ning Commission appointed to
study Alberta’s natural gas re-
sources, Observations made by the
commission were:

@ Requirements of the people
of Alberta should have prior claim
on supplies of natural gas.

@ Canadian u sers should be
given priority. over those in the
United States. Ps

@ Export should not be permit-
ted to disturb the price structure
of gas prices within Alberta.

Scepticism arises when one
considers what has already been.
done with Alberta’s oil resources.
These have been virtually given
away to large corporations such
as Imperial Oi] under elastic ,
regulations. <

If it is argued that the big oil
monopolies have poured millions
of dollars into the province for
exploration and development, it
can be stated:in reply that they
are now well on the way to
draining millions out of Alberta
for which the people of this pro-
vince receive no compensation.
Exploitation of Alberta’s oil re-
sources for profit was. of course,
their only purpose in coming here,
these resources having become an
irresistable magnet to U.S. finance
capital.

Only recently Max W. Ball, for-
mer chief of the oil division of
the U.S. interior department, op-
posed a loan to Mexico from his
government for oil exploration
and development. In a letter to
the U.S. government he stated
that Canada offers “more alluring
prospects, geologically and_ politi-
cally” than Mexico.

* * *

Three separate companies are
now seeking permission to export
Alberta gas and oil in three dif-
ferent directions.

Imperial Oil plans an oil pipe-
line from Edmonton to Regina
and thence to the head of the
Great Lakes: Transmission
Company of Calgary wants a
gas and oil pipeline from the

Athabasca area to Vancouver

_and Bellingham; Western Pipe-
lines wants a gas line from
Gleichen to Winnipeg.

Perhaps with this information
in mind, the Edmonton Journal
stated on June 2:

“The government must be on

guard during the special session
of the legislature. There will be
humerous proposals from sources

in no way interested in conserva-|~

tion but anxious only to. exploit.
Premier Manning must be firm
to prevent amendments. which
could reduce a good and forth-
right protection to vague and in-
adequate mumbo-jumbo. And’ as-
suredly efforts will be made to
accomplish just that.”

Since the Journal (a Southam
paper) is not noted for its cham-
Pionship of people’s rights and in-
terests, perhaps what it is really
expressing is rivalry between Al-
berta financial interests and those
beyond the province. *

Opposition to the new legislation
has been voiced by members of
the Western Canada Petroleum
Association. One opinion express-
ed is that it will give the govern-
ment a “stranglehold” on the in-
dustry and the legislation should
be resisted. Another opinion is
that because the industry is in
a difficult position anyway, ef-
forts should be concentrated on
pointing out the weaknesses and
injustices of the new bills.

The people as a whole will be
affected by the new legislation
mainly in the strict application,
or violation, of the principle ex-

pressed that their interests mus a
be served first. They suffered 0D° —
disgraceful let down by the Man?-
ing government last year during
the provincial elections, when the
Manning government used an ©
tirely misleading plebescite
rural electrification to exercise
favoritism for private enterprise—
the Calgary Power Corporatio™
which now has a monopoly
Alberta power projects. ;

Gas and electricity in every
Alberta home in town and cou
tryside. What a prospect! Yet
it is quite within the bounds
of realization on the basis of
realized and potential revenve—
accruing from gas and oil tT
sources of the province. f

Unless specific restrictions 4°
laid down inthe new act, tb®
same thing will happen with 1@&
ural gas as with oil resource®
Monopoly interests outside the
country, let alone outside the P&
vince, will be free to plunder
berta anew and amass more PFO”

'| fits.

Not only skould the amount
of gas per given period be strict
ly controlled but hard and f
regulations should be laid dow?
to prevent re-export and
of Alberta gas when it
the end of the proposed vine-
lines, 3

During this special session of
the legislature, Premier Mannidé
and his government will, it is
be hoped, hear from the peop? |
and their organizations in no UW
certain terms that. their “pri?
claim” on supples of natural
must be honored to the leah

‘Popular girl’ contest
feature of labor picnic

_ What makes a good-picnic? A big crowd, a planned progral™
good food and an exciting “popular girl’ contest are tried and true

ingredients. All of these standbys, plus a few new features, wi the me

dished up at Confederation Park

eighth Annual Labor Picnic gets under Way.

The “most popular girl” contest
has been given a novel twist this
year. Instead of entering’ girls to
represent the various major indus-
tries, a regional system has been
adopted by the picnic committee,
and the race for top prize will be
between pretty contestants run-
ning as Miss West End, Miss
Hastings East, Miss Kitsilano, and
So on.

Savory food dishes, representing
the tops in culinary skill from
many nations, will be a feature
at the picnic, and plans are being

on Sunday, August 7, when
aes

hungry guests.

ned, with the usual quota of cB

drawn up to feed thousands ot.
Slavic, Italia?
English and Firmish specialti@®
will keep the gourmets vee
from one table to another. ee

A fine sports program is sare

reh’s events. Games of skill 3”

chance, fortune telling, a Me
pond and other attractions are bes ‘
ing lined up. ' i

A pienic ey SER will be peld
July 6, 8 p.m., in Pender Audit?
ium, to complete picnic plans: _
Cie caseae

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JULY 1. 1949 — PAGE ©

ring ss