Thursday, March 5, 1953. THE TRIBUNE, WILLIAMS LAKE, B.C. For the Finest in QUALITY MEATS Shop with Confidence at Williams Lake Meat Market B.C. Promoters Gambling On Natural Gas Export To U.S. Mrs. Margaret Murray, editor of the Alaska Highway Coleman Oil Stoves - Lake Hardware & Plumbing CARPENTER or MECHANIC We carry a full line of Precision Built Tools STOVES iC. TOOLS FOR THE TRADE McClary Kitchen Ranges THIS IS DISCRIMINATION: We Place Our Case Before The Bar of Public Opinion For several months now we, the employees of the Provincial Government, have been “seeking from the Government the right to Arbitration of our conditions of work -- without success. This, despite the fact that during the last election campaign, 29 Social Credit candidates expressed themselves in favour of the principle of arbit- vation for Government employees. Bleven of these 29 were elected, of whom six are members of the present cabinet — including the Minister of Labour. We feel that the continued refusal of the Government to grant us what is now the comnion possession of all other groups of employees in the Province — the right to Arbitration -- forces us to seek the support of a higher authority in our request -- that of The People. Why is it that Government Employees -- who serve you, the public -- are anxious to have this right of Arbitration? a FIRSTLY— The right of employees to co-operate with each other, and to bargain collectively with their employers over their conditions of work, has existed for generations. This right is now 2 civil right, guaranteed by law to all groups of organized employees in our Province, except us. This right has developed over centuries and is deeply rooted in our political and economic development. It has followed logically from this that laws have been passed, enabling employees and employers to submit their differences respecting wages and working conditions to conciliation and arbitration. SECONDLY— In the past, Provincial Governments have passed such legislation as: The Annual Holidays Act, guaranteeing annual holidays; the Minimum Wage Act, to provide a minimum wage; the Hours of Work Act, setting forfh the maximum hours that may be worked; and many similar Acts regulating working condi- tions of employees. The Government has also passed the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act which provides the right to Con- ciliation and Arbitration. All this legislation has been passed by our Provincial Governments in the interests of all employees in the Provineé, «xcept their own employees. Why is this so? Because Section 35 of the Interpretation Act places the Government above the laws it legi Jates. Thus, while the Government can pass, and has passed, lezislatiin regulating the labour relations of all other employers in the Province, it refuses to be bound by its own laws in its dealings with it own The B.C. G Association, ing 10,000 Government , feels that this is a complete negation of democratic principles. We believe, — and public opinion agrees — that what is good enough for all other emp.oyers shoul be good enough for the Government. THIRDLY— The right of arbitration has been extended to employees in the industrial or economic sector of our economy. It has also been extended to all other groups of employees who provide vital public services, such as — nurses, teachers, policemen, fire- been extended to Provincial Government employees although’ they are prepared to forego the right to take strike action in return for the Right to Arbitration with binding award. The B.C. Government Employees Association feels that this regulation of Governm to a d-class level of citizenship is unfair and unwarranted discrimination. Refusal of the Government to act on our request for Arbitration forces Gov- ernment employees to appeal to their last court of resource — to you, the people — for support in gaining what is not merely a con- dition of emp!oyment, but a civil right. We therefore ask you to write or wire your M.L.A. today, asking him to support, on the floor of the Legislature, the right of Government employees to Arbitration. B.C. GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES ASSOCIATION 902 Helmcken St.j Vancouver 1, B.C. (The First in a Series of Two Public Messages) men, employees of civic and municipal governments, ete. It has never News, is currently in Washington, D.C., gathering material on the natural gas export applications now being heard in the United States capital. Here, in her first article, Mrs. Murray gives her impressions of the hearing. Washington, D.C. Feb. 18/53. - Well folks, here I am down at Uncle Sam's hideout, doing the same thing about another visiting {itty thousand ambitious souls are bent upon; trying to get something trom the benevolent old whiskered gentle~ man with the striped pants and the top hat. I came down here as you know on Saturday to hear the deliberations by the Federal Power Commission on, Natural Gas export from Canada to the U.S. Pacific Northwest, You all know that. an application was made by the West Coast Transmission Pipe Line, whose parent company is the Pacific Petroleum which absorbed the Peace River Natural Gas, to ex- port natural gas from the Peace River area both in Alberta and B.C This application has been on the move for over a year now and this hearing is supposed to have it accept- ed and let the McMahon Brothers and Associates get on with the job. I can’t get much for the boys myseli, but probably a first hand story for the readers of the Cariboo of how they get it for themselves, will war- rant the expenses of this trip. Besides it will smart me up and do something for Uncle. THREE APPLICATIONS This hearing is taking place in one of these numerous Pentagon Build- ings you read about, There are three applications before the Commission. The West Coast; the Alberta Natural Gas and the Texas El Paso; R. G. Fish and Associates. The West Coast is the McMahons and Associates of our country, of course. This company has a permit for export of natural gas from Alberta and B.C. The Alber- ta Natural Gas, is known here as the Northwest Natural Gas Co., F. M. Dixon and Associates but hasn't any permit to export natural gas from Canada. The Texas Company doesa't need a permit. It is known here as the Pacific Northwest Natural Gas. “ The two former have /applied to export gas to the U.S. via. the Crow's Nest and B.C. points and to the U.S. via the Pine Pass, respectively. The Fish Interests applied to export na- tural gas from Texas and the San Juan valley in New Mexico and Col- orado. The Federal Power Commis- sion’s duty is to weight carefully the capability of each applicant, to ascer- tain the supply of natural gas, the certified market for it to be sold to, and the ability of the applicant to finance the pipe line to deliver the gas. For all this, Examiner Justice Law, and Counsel Kurtz for the Commis- sion, heard evidence from a battery of lawyers, financiers, geologists, en- gineers and technical experts. The “hearing” opened on Monday at ten and the Commission will likely be listening for six, weeks. Frank Me- Mahon, president of West Coast — Pacifie Pete is here. Mr. Lloyd Gil- more whose firm in New York under- wrote the hundred million to build the gas pipe through the Pine Pass, is here. D. P. MacDonald, solicitor of Calgary, and Dr. Chas. Hetherington, mathematician for West Coast, Gor- don Davis and Don Brady, pilots of the Lodestar also sat in on the hear- ing for something better to do — and me! All the rest, about 150, are high- powered jooking ‘Muricans’ connect- ed with either the applicants, or hold- ing briefs for interested consuming companies such as the Seattle Gas Co. or the B.C. Electric of Vancouver or the city of of Los Angeles. COAL MINERS INTERESTED “ There is a counsel, Mr. Tom Me- Grath for the Coal Miners of North America, who is witty ‘agin’ them all who would substitute fuel for coal You may be sure he keeps the hear- ing amused with technical quips, ete. which is appropos to the explosive natter being dealt with in the dence. He also keeps the heari rom feeling the hard echair-bottoms which after two hours of plastering co the fundamentals of even some of these well cushioned sitters can be elt right up to the shoulder blades. I am a fool for luck. It is a great privilege to be able to come here and see this array of talent. The impor- Co. versus the Texas product: tant aim of all these lawyers it seems is to trip up the witnesses. There was a famous guggenheim case féw years ago, when another application was made and granted involving 50 mil- lion dollars in a pipe line that ended in the Supreme Court. The Commis sion is bending over backwards to avoid another such a faux pas. Be- sides, this application we are inter: ested in, is coming from a foreign country to bring Canatian natural gas, a product, to the U.S. The Yanks don’t like anything like that! The West Coast and the Northwest-Dixon WAN'T TO HOG BUSINESS Just to show you all how it is, the Te Co. naturally want to hog the U.S. business. They are now supp) ing natural gas to the Southern Paci- fic Coast markets and the cities of California are against the Texas Co. taking on any more market. A strong argument is put up by these lawyers, that Fish and his associates ought to keep out of the northwest and stay in the cactus belt. They present graphs and facts to show that the natural growth of the southwest will use all the natural gas Fish et-al will have to sell. Seattle interests are sitting pretty and on the fence, hoping sup- ply will come from the north in Can- ada and also from Texas, and by coin- Pictured above are the two grunt and groan artists who will headline the wrestling card this Friday and Saturday at the Elks Hall. At the right is the popular home-town boy, Bill Kohnke, who will be limbering up with these fights before going south on a professional tour. This weekend he will meet Tarzan Zimba, who is no stranger to Williams Lake fight fans. The other two wrestlers appearing in the show will be Flash Gordon, who hails from England, and Buddy Rogers of Seattle. ad first two da ys and rested their case. thing to offer and soon. The North- The Texas applicants took up the west haven’t the permit to export third day with smoother performance, certainly a much' yet, although they may get it. The extensive Texas company will depend upon ex- briefing, elaborate mapping and more port of natural gas from the San ‘finesse. They will hold the limelight Juan Valley, which southern Califor- for four or five days, have about 25; nia will do their darndest to keep experts compared to the five for Dixon back for their own expanding mar- petition Seattle consumers will then benefit. The Northwest. Natural Gas — Dixon et-al haven't any permit from | Canada for export yet. They have money, markets and everything else. however. Their gas would come from) nearly as witty as McGrath. | SOMETHING TO OFFER If you ask me, the West Coast are my asking (you know me), it was the the only applicants who have some-j southern Alberta if they get the per- mit from Manning to export it. Northwest-Dixon et al took up the in the front seats for giving evidenc | ket. Only the West Coast has the po- The West Coast, last on the alpha-j| tential of unlimited supply and the betical list, won’t get to bat before, Tight to supply it now from Alberta next week. The West Coast is repr to B.C., also the money to build the sented by a keen young Irishman,| Pipe line. Cc as. Shannon of Washington. He is The B.C. Electric Railways Counsel didn't seem to favour West Coast in his intervention, however, and upou (Continued on back page) 2 FOR... eat Seed, ae OF EXPENSES. .p -V IMPLEMENTS AND EQUIPMERT....? a ee tne aan ©" Seneral farm operating mums time and labour. ting expenses, ae ING, HEATING OR : VRE SYSTEM. -? j ? tiling, pump- ust st ; Ss : ihations, ae King ne, dispostl et - jping, builtin = Pipi repair OF ang ation of present system+ ‘V FARMHOUSE 0 Buna, OR OTHER FARM onstructii ‘ fepair of coemprovement i Ins, silo, : Cottages oF tourist bi eres Ds farm buildings: interior Orating of y, ; adding one ar ou, Rome, or storeys, re 8 SYSTEM. «+? Sy FARM ELECTRICAL SUTIN ea st tion oO} : sn OF Modernization of Us present One: om en is @ 0 eo © © eo ew Soe Boe eG ee Check your needs and discuss « your financing requirements with ° us. 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