By DAVID GER- SOVITZ MONTREAL (CP) — Exasperated Quebec labor leaders are wat- ching the activities of radical leftists within - union ranks. The report from the field is that Communist activity in factories and ciher job sites is widespread. Union leaders say members of radical leftist groups have infiltrated estab- lished union locals and are creating division and dissension. Norbert Rodrigue, president of the 160,000- member Confederation of National Trade Unions (CNRU), said last May that “political groups whose stated objectives tun from the creation of a workers’ party to armed revolution ... are trying systematically to in- fluence our discussions and our actions.” A senior Canadian official of the United Steelworkers of America threw up his hands during an interview when the subject of the radical left came up. "These people have given me my greatest grief as a trade unionist,” he said. Quebee’s far left has undergone a_ tran- PAGE &, THE HERALD, Wednesday. November 23, 1977 Leftists infiltrate Quebec unions: Communist influence felt sformation in the last three years. New groups have taken effective leadership of the movement, at the same time attracting greater attention from police and union leaders. INFILTRATE HOSPITALS Since 1974, Maoist and Trotskyite groups in the Montreal region have gained a foothold among the staff of most of Mon- treal’s French-language hospitals and community health clinics, where wages for unskilled labor are low. They have made notable inroads in heavy industry where—in the view of union leaders— they have fanned worker discontent and provided the spark for numerous wildcat walkouts. The Montreal daily La Presse published a series of articles earlier this year in which writer Jacques Benoit con- cluded that leftists dominate several com- munity action groups which provide day care, legal aid and other free services in workingclass districts, Rodrigue’s attack on the far left was delivered at the CNTU’s annual policy convention’ in Hens asked to cut back on _ egg production By ALEX BINKLEY OTTAWA (CP) — An order to domestic egg producers to reduce roduction next year by ive per cent because of growing surpluses contains all the ingredients for stirring up another debate over marketing boards. The reduction order from the Canadian Egg Marketing Agency (CEMA), which controls the supply of eggs and prices to producers, came as the amount of eggs being held in storage by processing companies rose sharply during the last few months. Defenders of marketing boards could say the cut will bring supplies closer in line with the requirements of consumers, processors and foreign | com- mitments. It also protects producer incomes hy avoiding over-production while control mechanisms make sure consumers are not being overcharged and are guaranteed future sup- plies by keeping - ducers financially viable. Opponents could cail the cut further evidence that CEMA's monopoly control of the industry means it is protecting producer interests to the extent of trying to keep egg supplies short to keep consumer prices up. RECORD SURPLUS Statistics Canada figures show that processors had 6.076 million pounds of frozen eggs in storage Nov. 1 compared with 5.974 million pounds at the same time last year. That increase followed jumps of 20.4 per cent from Sept. 1, 1976, to Sept. 1, 1977, and 32.6 per cent from Oct. 1, 1976, to Oct. 1, 1977. Experts agree that six million pounds of eggs in storage is not <« worrisome amount and Max Roytenberg, CEMA generalmanager, says the figure has been higher. He says the increase is due in rt to heavy supplies rom producers during the summer. Besides the production cut, which likely will mean a real reduction for the biggest producers of two per cent, CEMA has also changed the definition of a Jaying hen to a 20-week-old bird from a 24-week-old bird.: This means producers will get rid of their older birds, which usually. produce lower quailty eggs, in favor of the younger birds which take a week or two after coming into production to hit their potential. WOULD SHOW CUT The two moves will bring a real cut of three r cent to four per cent in the amount of eggs produced next year. Roytenberg expects the epes in storage will be cleaned up by January. That would be good news for Max Ruben- stein, president of Export Products of Toronto, one of the major egg processing companies in the country. Because supplies have been kept down for the last two years, processing companies ought plenty of eggs for the first six months of this vear but then cut back because of slow sales, Rubenstein said. The companies are unhappy with CEMA’s roduction cut decision - cause the agency fears aproduction increase will mean ‘they will have to sell at too low a price and they’d rather short the Market again” by re- ducing supply. Rubenstein says that through controlling the supply “those producers have made so much money in the last two years they're laughing all the way to the bank.” PRICE SHOULD DROP Ege prices to producers should be going down hecause the cost of feed is lower and the productivity of hens is increasing, he said. Most producers could increase their output without significantly increasing costs, The Consumers Association of Canada has been making similar statements during the last few months about CEMA and egg costs. It hopes to get more in- formation on the pricing formula of CEMA at a meeting with the authors of the formula next month, The National Farm Products Marketing Council approved the formula earlier this year after ordering a two- cents-a-dozen price reduction to producers. Four cents a dozen was also lopped off their returns this year by CEMA because of lower feed costs. Statistics Canada figures for September, 1977, show producers getting an average of 62.7 cents a dozen compared with 65.1 cents a dozen at the same time in 1976. Quebec City. Even in unions where the radicals and their sympathizers constitute a small minority, he said, they become a menace to traditional union democracy, “In a meeting several militants always hog the microphone ... attack the union’s leaders (and) lecture on the necessity of the proletarian revolution and the dictatorship of “The result is usually the same, the other union members leave or remain silent and wait for somebody to do something.” Labor leaders draw a distinction in approach between Maoists and Trotskyites. Trotskyiteswork within the labor movement and accept its dictates, albeit reluc- tantly at times, the leaders say, and often Several Trotskyites hold or have held prominent jobs in the province’s major labor federations. “The Maoists are the big problem," a CNTU staff representative said. “Some of these people are out to destroy the union movement and we're out to get them.” Maoists believe labor leaders are collaborators with the capitalist establishment, he said. They worked to take over it as a tool to promote their revolutionary aims. SHUN PUBLICITY They are the most dogmatic of the Com- munist groups—and by all accounts, the mast ac- tive, They shun requests for interviews and keep details of their organization secret. The two largest Maoist groups, In Struggle! and the Canadian Communist League (Marxist- lished in the mid-1970s, probably account for about twothirds of the 6,000 people estimated to be active in the far left. Benoit, in his La Presse series, chronicled the activities of the aoists in several major factories in the city, as well as Benoit said the Com- munists have at least token representation in the Hull,- Joliette, Ste. Therese, St. Jean and RouynNoranda regions as well as in the mining belt along the Quebec- Labrador border. “They are amazing, . truly amazing,’’ one feegitals language labor leader said of the Maoists. Like almost ev- Union sources say eryone willing to discuss - there are pockets of leftist activity in some the subject, he spoke only on condition that his the proletariat. after stubborn opposition. Changes in assessment law now make it possible for property owners to accurately measure-whether they are fairly assessed. Your 1978 property Assessment Notice, issued by the British Columbia Assessment Authority, is in the mail and will be arriving at your door shortly. An information brochure explaining the changes accom- panies the notice. When they arrive, please take time to read both carefully... Why changes in assessment law? Assessmenis had become outdated. They had become inequitable in terms of their actual value relationships. Properties having identical market values were assessed at widely differing amounts. This resulted in some owners paying more than their fair share of taxes and others less. The new law required production of the 1978 assessment roll based on fixed per- centages of actual value for each class of property. This means that the inequities will be removed, and that each class of property will be assessed on the same basis. In all, it provides a fairer way to share the cost of essential local services. What will happen to taxes? The assessment roll provides the rate base used by municipalities, school boards and other local governments to raise the funds _ necessary to provide essential local services. The costs of these services determine the overall amount required to be raised by local property taxcs. The purpose of the change in assessment law is NOT to raise more taxes but to provide a fairer basis upon which to appor- tion the costs of essential local services more cquitably between property owners. Since assessments are now directly related io actual value, your assessed values may be higher or lower than in previous years. An inerease or a decrease in your assessed a union so they could use values from those in effect last year does not . Leninist), both estab- necessarily mean that your property taxes will change significantly. Tax notices based on your new assessed values will be issued later in 1978. Is my 1978 assessment fair? As your assessment is now based on a fixed percentage of what your property is worth its fairness can be measured by actual value comparisons, The Assessor's estimate of your property's actual value (market value) is shown on your 1978 Assessment Notice. The fairness of your assessment may be determined by comparing the Assessor's estimate of actual value of your property to your own estimate of its current market value as well as by comparing it to the current market values of properties of similar worth. The percentage of actual value at which each class of property will be assessed is: Residential — 15% (includes apartments, condominiums, mobile homes, eic.) Business and Other —25%o (includes com- mercial, some industrial). Industrial, Utilities, Machinery and Equip- ment, Forestry - 30%. The Assessor and his statf will give you every assistance necessary to properly check your assessment. What appeal do I have? Your Assessor is prepared to provide you with a detailed explanation of how your assessinent was determined, If you are dissatisfied with the assessment and wish an independent review, a right of appeal is available to you, The procedure to complain is simple and is fully explained on the reverse of your 1978 Assessment Notice. The deadline for any written appeal is January 20, 1978. The new assessment method is fully ex- plained in the brochure that will accompany the mailing of your individual Assessment Notices, BRITISH COLUMBIA | a] ~ ASSESSMENT AUTHORITY construction unions. And this year! name not be used. Look at your Assessment Notice... it's different 4 It now shows both the actual (market) value and the assessed value on which your 1978 taxes will be based.