LABOR SCENE by | BRUCE MAGNUSON nhuman speed-up, electronic see and the newtech- nology have already increased productivity and lowered the per unit production costs enor- mously. Moreover, this process is only in its infancy. It will be extended in geometrical pro- gression from now on. The logical consequence of this process ought to be lower prices and a higher standard of living, Rapid economic growth ought to produce more social revenue to keep down and even to reduce taxes on the working people; especially those with low and substandard incomes, pensioners and others with fixed incomes. What is actually happening, however, is the exact opposite. Prices are rising. Tax burdens are being shifted from the rich to those least able to pay, The relative share of the working’ people in the national income is declining. In Ontario - Canada’s richest province - sales taxes are now the biggest single source of gov- ernment revenue at $383 million, Gasoline taxes account for $257 million, Taken together these two items, which hit the working people and the poor the hardest, amount to $640 million, Income taxes $362 million, and corporation taxes $258 million, amount to $620 million, These items come in the main, from higher income brackets, At the same time much of the corp- oration tax is charged back to customers and consumers, while the interest on the growing pro- vincial and national debt comes back to the filthy rich asa kind of rebate on their income tax, The real. gain from extended economic activity and increased productivity goes to swell the profits of the big monopolies - Canadian and United States - owned, Over a billion dollars of profits made in Canada are being exported while other billions are invested to expand U.S, owner- ship of Canada, It is Canadian labor and Canadian resources that are being used to expand United States ownership and con- trol in Canada, If there is any- thing inflationary, thisisit, along with excessive and useless mili- tary spending. Private monopoly ownership and control stands in the way of economic planning for an all- pervasive rise in living stand- ards, and the abolition of poverty and want, Instead, private profit becomes the aim of planning. The talk of an over-~heated economy and threat of inflationis calculated. to win public sup- port for policies that serve the private monopolies, One of the aims is to prevent labor from gaining increased wages, by claiming this will cause prices to rise and bring inflation in its wake, Wages are the price employ- ers pay for labor power. To claim that wages cause a rise in prices is the same as to say that a rise in prices is brought about by a rise in prices, an absurd and meaningless argu- ment, Whatever is left of free enter- prise is now at the mercy of monopolies. These monopolies administer and fix prices for the same reason they seek to hold down wages, namely, to gain maximum profits, Workers who are not organized and who for other reasons fail to secure higher wages fall far behind, as do those with fixed incomes, pensioners, welfare recipients and others, This intensifies the harship when prices, taxes” and the overall cost of living continue to rise,-as & result of monopoly pressures, Policies which seek to tie wages to productivity and the cost of living are harmful and are keeping labor’s income at afixed level, while real wages and work- ers share in the national income continues to decline, The only remedy is to inten- sify the struggle for substantial wage increases, fringe benefits, a shorter work-week, increased vacations, retirement security, higher minimum wages, higher pensions, health insurance, and a whole number of democratic reforms, including public con- trol of private monopoly and full recognition of labor’s rights, ze 2643 East Hastings Street, Planning a trip? LET US MAKE ALL YOUR ARRANGEMENTS AGENCY Telephone 253-1221 The “End The War In Vietnam” march to be held on Saturday, March 26th, was the main topic of conversation when the B,C, Peace Council held its annual meeting on Sunday, March 6th. Viet pamphlet now available “Vietnam: Eyewitness Re- port”—a report to. the people of Canada by the three-man delegation which recently visited Vietnam — has just come off the press. Written in question and an- swer form in which the three delegates — Tim Buck, Rae Murphy and Maurice Rush — take part, the pamphlet sells for 10¢ and is available at the Co-op Bookstore, 341 W. Pender St., and the Commu- nist Party, Rm. 502 Ford Bldg., Vancouver. Illustrated with pictures of the delegation in Vietnam, the pamphlet also contains an ap- peal from the delegation to the people of Canada, ee Talent array at hootenanny All those folk song lovers who were present at the hootenanny sponsored last year by The Mile- stones will no doubt want to make sure they have their tickets ready for the 1966 version - Saturday. March 19, at 8 p,m,.in the Oak- ridge Auditorium, : The Milestones have announced that a real array of talent will be displaying its wares on that evening, for those lucky people who will have seats in the lim- ited (400 seat) auditorium, Tomasi Tawake, the young man from the Fiji Islands who has made quite a name for himself in Vancouver circles, will be there with guitar accompanist Roger Marsden, So will Kris Robinson, whose lovely voice was on display at last year’s May Day rally in the QE Playhouse, The Folkmasters (youth choir of the Vancouver AUUC) will be providing some of their unique stylings, which should contrast quite markedly with the other performers - all much smaller groups, The Wayside Singers, a young group but with loads of exper- ience, will also be on hand. Many observers feel that this group has been improving by leaps and bounds and are looking forward to hearing it again, Of special interest should be the appearance of Castlegar’s Joe Irving, either singly or with his partner Skip Fraser, Joe has won an enviable reputation in the West Kootenays for his timely econ- omic and political satires, Resi- dents of the Lower Mainland will have an opportunity of hearing this rising young folk singing star. The Milestones, who are spon- soring and hosting the evening, will of course also perform, Tickets, _ Vancouver 6, B.C. ’ '-and PT office, _ priced at $1.50 are available at the Co-op Book Store Supportof Vietnam march highlights city peace meet This demonstration, in which people from a number of local peace groups will take part, shows signs of being the largest such demonstration to take place in British Columbia, it was felt by delegates attending the meeting. The March will assemble at City Hall on March 26th at one p.m, and will move along Broad- way and across the Granville St. bridge and will end up at the United States Consulate on Georgia St, On Saturday, March 12th, the B.C, Peace Council will enter a float in a “torch-light” parade which is sponsored by the Van- Washington’s Legal Position K. Rakadjiev in Rabotnichesko Sys SAL 4a tezelpelo. Sofia) of people in British Columbia — couver Junior Chamber of Com- merce, The float will carry the message “Stop The War In Viet- nam — Prevent Nuclear War!” — The parade moves off on Satur= a day evening at 7:30 sharp from the assembly area which is to be on Hastings St. west of Bur- rard, This spring the B,C, Peace — Council will hold a ‘peace’ a poster contest in which it will invite school students to enter a poster on some aspect of peace and friendly co-operation between nations of the world. — Last year many original and well-conceived posters were en- tered by students and the posters were displayed at the Council’s pooth at the Pacific National. Exhibition. and will enter a float in the parade, The Council will shortly lay plans for these two projects ‘which in past years have-brough the catisé Of ‘peace to millions “live” and. through the medium — of television, ~~ : Delegates to the annual meet- ing of the Council felt that the chief threat to world peace at the moment was the war i Vietnam and that efforts of all peace workers should be con centrated on this central issU -—to bring about an end to thi terrible war.as-quickly.as pos wsibley mo bollso oeis nels Alfred Padgham Following a long and painful illness, one of Vancouver’s pioneer trade unionists and World War I veteran, Alfred Padgham, ‘passed away on March Sth in his 74th year, : During the first world war Alf Padgham served through its four- years in France with the 72nd Canadian Highlanders, Following the war he worked for many years in the Vancouver railway terminals as a clerk and played an active part in building and promoting the Railway and Steamships’ Clerks Union, Alf Padgham was a charter member of the Communist Party of Canada and one of the pioneer builders of the party in B,C, in the early 20’s, Alf was a strong advocate in the circula- tion of Marxist literature and press, and established a lending library in his home to help ad- vance the knowledge and science of Marxism. among his fellow workers and party members, Alf Padgham is survived by one brother Charles Padgham of Port Moody, two nephews and one niece, and two cousins, Percy and Bert Padgham, both of Van- couver, Funeral services will be held on Saturday, March 12 at 2 p.m, in the Roselawn Funeral Home at Commercial and Broadway, Cremation will follow, It is re- quested that no floral tributes be sent, but that tributes to the * March 11, 1966—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Pa memory of Alfred Padgham m@ be sent to the Pacific Tribun' William Sholdra Well known as a highly re~ spected farmer and long time resident in the Aldergrove dis" trict, William (Bill) Sholdra passed away in Vancouver on March 5th in his 87th year. He had been in failing health for some With his brother Alex, wh? passed away three years agor William Sholdra emigrated 1 Canada from the Ukraine in the — jobs were to be had, willia® Sholdra settled on a farm in th Aldergrove community, and 0? over 40 years until ill heal compelled him to retire he known in his neighborhood as hardworking farmer and g00” neighbor, Throughout all his years Canada William Sholdra was staunch pioneer and member 0 — the Association of United Ukra ian-Canadians, and took a ke@™ interest in all of its cultur educational and press activitie For many years also Mr, Shold | was an active builder and SUR porter of the Pacific Tribun® and during recent years beca a member of the Communist P4 of Canada, Funeral services for Willi Sholdra will be held on Satur? March 12 at 10 a.m, in the B Funeral Parlor at 2746 Hasti Street East. —