High cost of living

he week’s announcement by the Dominion Bureau of
Statistics indicating a steep rise in the cost of living
came as no surprise to those who do the family shopping.
The situation now revealed by Ottawa found expression
every week when the cash register in the super markets
rung up the bill for the family groceries.

The Ottawa release shows that the cost of living rose
by more than two and a quarter percent in the four
months between February and June, reaching an all-time
high. The index, which is based on 1935-39 prices equal-
ling 100, rose to 252.0 in June.

The most disturbing feature of this sharp rise is that
it is mainly accounted for by the steep increase in animal
and vegetable products. In other words, it strikes mainly
at the necessities of life of the average Canadian family.
Economists predict that it may establish a new high pla-
teau for consumer prices from which it could go on to still
higher prices.

The unprecedented rise in the cost of living is taking’
place precisely at a time when the profits of the big mon-
opoly concerns (mostly U.S.-owned) have exceeded all pre-
vious records. There we have the picture: unprecedent pro-
fits for the rich—unprecedented high prices for the people!

It’s time the public demanded some action from Ot-
tawa. Surely the government cannot shut its eyes any
longer to this deplorable situation.

‘Quiet diplomacy’

riendship between Canada and the U.S. in pursuing

F policies for world peace and progress and which would

ensure Canadian independence would be a welcome thing.

But the report released this week entitled, “Canada and

the U.S. Principles for Partnership” moves in the opposite
direction.

Prepared by two former ambassadors on orders of
Prime Minister Pearson and President Johnson, the report
is an attempt to silence and bring under control the grow-
ing criticism by Canadians of U.S. policies.

The key proposal of the two ambassadors is that inso-
far as the world is concerned Canada should “in the ab-
sence of special interests or obligations avoid as far as pos-
sible public disagreement especially upon critical issues.”’
In short, we are told to shut up and stay in our own back
yard and leave the world to the U.S.

If we have anything to say to do it through “quiet di-
plomacy” so that nobody will know, but under no circum-
stances voice our independent opinion on world events and
issues. It’s an insult to Canadians. What is needed today is
not less criticism of U.S. policy but more. :

Tom
McEWEN

ortrait of a Protest Singer,” Ochs doesn’t have “any usefor
parse from the Canadian parties,” political, that is, But
Tribune in the July 2 edition of of all the myriad political parties
the PT, is scarcely what one that abound on our hemisphere,
should call a *portrait,” Ochs singles out the Communist
Party of the USA to lavish his
egotistic and ignorant spleen
upon, —

The central figure in this “por-
trait” is a young American folk-
singer, Phil Ochs, Never having

seen or heard the chap, we’ll
readily concede he’s probably a
good singer, strums the guitar
nicely, and, upon occasion, com-
poses a song with some “social
content” in it, ”

Beyond that, however, the
“portrait” literally reeks with “I”
and totally obliterates the term
«we:” a state of mind which
might be helped some by a reading
of B, Bykovsky’s pamphlet the
«Individual and Society.” And
it costs only 10 cents,

In all its past, present, and
probably future history, ac-
cording to Ochs, the CP of the
USA has “been a total failure,”
Why? Because, unlike Ochs, it
“wasn’t really thinking, . .it
wasn’t really acting inan artistic
way.”

Now there’s an eyeful, all in

"one “portrait,” One may wonder

if this advance. revolutionary
sector of the American people
didn’t do any real “thinking,”
why all the hubbub? Why the
emergence of a McCarthy era,

LABOR ROUNDUP:

The Ontario Labor Relations
Board resumed hearings Wed-
nesday, July 14 into the applica-
tion of the Sudbury Mine Mill
local 598 for a certification vote
at International Nickel Company,
The hearings are being held in
Sudbury.

Welcoming the resumption of
hearings in Sudbury, local presi-
dent Nels Thibault said, “Our
application is a solid one and we
are confident that the Board will
quickly order acertification vote,

“Mine Mill wants to get to the
bargaining table with Incoin 1965,
so that Sudbury can regain this
year its position amongst the
highest wage earning communi-
ties in the land,” said Thibault,

The local’s “598 News” said
this week that “in spite of the
efforts of the raiders to delay
normal processing of the ap-
plication everything points to the
fact that a vote will soon be
ordered,”

with its plethora of vicious leg-
islation to strangle Communist
and progressive freedom of
speech, organization and as-
sembly? Of course “positive
cynic” Ochs, (whatever that is),
obviously regards all past history
like the late Hank (tin lizzie)
Ford as “the bunk,” Could be,

And the songwriters of an
earlier day, where the “we” was
more in vogue, strummed on their
guitars and wrote their songs
about the struggles of the working
people for unionization, higher
wages, freedom, etc, Phut,
These songs “were generally
written for strikes and union
meetings and they were done by
amateurs,” Much too “func-
tional,”

The Ochs’ “portrait” looks
pretty sickly when compared with
that of the immortal “amateur”
Joe Hill, or the lines written
by the martyrs of American labor
such as Sacco and Vanzetti, the=
Rosenbergs, or the legions of
other American poets and song-
writers who fought and died for
the freedom Ochs thinks is now
his own “I” creation,

Certainly we live in a changing

Sudbury hearings resumed;
fishermen accept terms _

kk

Salmon net fishermen have
voted by a majority of 82.5 per-
cent to accept atwo-year contract
proposed by the Fisheries Asso-
ciation of B,C,, The union com-
mittee had recommended accept-
ance of the terms, which are
slightly better than those con-
tained in an earlier association
proposal which had been rejected
by a two to’one vote,

“The basic reason for recom=
mending acceptance of the last
offer of the Association was the
fact that one-third of the mem-
bership were prepared to accept
less than was achieved,” said a
statement from the United Fish-
ermen and Allied Workers’ Union,

Tendermen have also voted by
87 percent to accept a two-year
contract which will provide a
45 percent wage increase in 1965.
and further 43 percent in 1966.
It also includes improved senior=

_ ity terms, a pension plan effec-

world and we cannot repeat that
too often, Nor should the revolu-

‘tionary vigor, daring and art of

youth be held back by the dead
weight of the past, But ifhistory
means anything to the young men
and women of Ochs generation,
it should mean not to slander
or sneer or quarrel with history
but to learn from it as they sing
and march to the future, It
is ALL part of the pattern of
Man’s ascent from the dark abyss
of ignorance and exploitation to
the full sunshine of human free-
dom,

«It?s a Long Way To Tipper-
ary,” and “Waltzing Matilda,”

cana

_ ‘Canada Pension Plan comes

_ visions permitting a comP

PERM:

Ages:

tive in 1965 and one addition
day off per month in home P?
effective in 1966.

Shoreworkers groups are see
in the process of voting
two-year pact and results Me
be known this week. “If all ae
groups vote to accept, we will
signing two-year contracts m
their behalf later this mont
said union secretary Home

Stevens,
* * *

Mine Mill andSmelter Worke™
union asked the B,C. governmel ;
this week to enact protecti®
legislation that would bring P¥
vate pension plans under govel™
ment scrutiny.

A delegation headed by we
president Harvey Murphy
executive board member A!
‘proposed in a meeting with pr
vincial Secretary Wesley Blac
that legislation patterned
the Pension Benefits Act of
tario be enacted, The Ontat
act requires full disclosure |
employer-financed pensions
the government,

The union urged the proving
cabinet to bring in interim M@
sures so the status of priv
plans is clarified before int

effect on January 1, 1966.

{ %
The union said that at pr a i
a number of plans contain P

pension to ‘be. reduced by all
part of government pensiow®
such as-the old-age security Pr,
sion. “This is a vicious pry “id
which should be outlawed,”

the union,
she Oks ck

Charles Redhead, secretaty ei
the Ambulance Employees’ Ul
said that ambulance service 5°
much of the province is “@ ye
mal.” He said he hopes tO na
the cabinet in a few days to Ul
a provincial subsidy of $8 4
for all ambulances,

were also written by «amateul i,
but countless thousands die)
those songs on their lips ooh :
men might be free, Hare to
miners, lumber workers) a
tile workers and countless ot
were shot down, imprisone 050
brutally beaten, singing the
songs of Joe Hill, There. is
much that could have madé :
Ochs? “portrait” a thing of Pg
and hope and pride in the 9%
youth of his generation aan
stead of the nauseous 43”
turned out to be.

To use an old descriptiV®
an alarming new phenome’
is a stale “cuckoo’s egg.”

nl

ment of postage in cash.

Editor — TOM McEWEN
Associate Editor — MAURICE RUSH
Circulation Manager — JERRY SHACK
Published weekly at
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A

July 16, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUN

p—Pog®