| CANADA

REGINA — Two large rallies of south-
ern Saskatchewan farmers have drawn
further attention to their severe crisis, but
both provincial and federal governments
have failed to provide substantial relief.
More than 1,000 people attended each
tally, in Bengough and Swift Current, the
heart of the worse areas of drought and
grasshopper damage.
In each case several key demands were
Taised with the Tory politicians present.
They include the federal declaration of a
disaster area and government payments of
$50 per seeded area of crop and $100 per
head of cattle.

* To date the Devine cabinet in Saskat-
chewan has only promised easing of crop
insurance rules and payment of $60 per
head in the driest areas and $30 in moder-
ately affected areas. ;

The federal government has announced a
$40 to $50 million contribution towards the
relief programs of the western provinces but
Saskatchewan alone faces a loss in net farm
income of almost $1 billion this year, far
higher than the estimated $200 million in
new relief programs.

At the first meeting, Bengough rural
municipality reeve, Bill Giblette, emphas-
ized that the problem is long-term as shown
by the. average wheat yield of only 10
bushels per acre in the last six years, which is
only two-fifths of the long term average.

Saskatchewan economic development

minister, Eric Burtson, attempted to satisfy
the farmers by pointing to the $60 per head
plan.
“That amount is simply too low to help
many beef producers,” said National
Farmers Union, Saskatchewan spokesper-
son, Norm McFarlane, in an interview with
the Tribune.

He points out that hay costs anywhere

From
Regina |

Kimball
Cariou

a cow over the winter. The widespread view
in the community that the payment is too
low is borne out by the new trend of selling
off beef herds.

At Swift Current several days later,
farmers were visibly angrier at the rally

ae

organized by the South-West Drought
committee. They gathered outside a high
school where the provincial cabinet was
meeting. Premier Devine refused to speak
to the rally and cabinet members referred to
it as a “‘politically partisan” event.

Prairie drought ignites anger

But it was clear that many of the farmers
present were Conservatives and govern-
ment support in rural areas will erode if the
aid package is not improved.

John Wiebe, chairman of the drought
committee, warned that many farmers
don’t know where they will get the money
for groceries this winter and that he fears
that some faced with loss of their land will
commit suicide.

In a recent interview with the Tribune,
Weibe said his group is planning a mass
rally at the legislature in Regina for late
September with details to be announced by
early in the month.

‘Farmers’ relief now’ — CP

Prairie farmers face financial disaster
unless emergency aid becomes available
from both federal and provincial govern-
ments in the form of disaster relief, warns
the Communist Party of Canada in a recent
press release.

The federal Tory budget of May 23 only
aggravated an already serious situation by
making totally irresponsible cutbacks in
programs of research to combat insect infes-
tation and in other programs of benefit to
agriculture, the party says. ~

In Saskatchewan and Alberta costly pes-
tisides and replanting of crops has already
put thousands of farmers deeper into debt.
Adding to the disaster, is the worst drought
since the 1930s, already resulting in eco-
nomic losses running into billions. Bee-
keepers in southern Alberta report losses
from $6 million to $10 million, with no relief
as yet from the Alberta government.

wheat farmers.

“The agricultural policies of the federal
and provincial governments have made the
situation worse by making working farmers
and their families slaves under monopolies,
such as Cargill, the CPR, and other Cana-
dian and U.S. coprorations,” reads the
statements. “As a result, small family
farmers are being forced off the land, towns
and rural settlements are being deprived of
rail service, and the climate for small busi-
nesses is constantly deteriorating.”

The party is proposing that immediate
steps be taken by both federal and provin-
cial authorities:

® Drought stricken and grasshopper-
infested areas of the prairie provinces must
be declared disaster areas by the federal
government and provincial authorities con-
cerned;

© Provide immediate compensation for

by the federal government in agriculture-
related programs;

@ Reduce Canada’s $21 billion farm debt
and declare a moratorium on foreclosures
on family farms;

© Provide interest-free government loans
to family farmers to protect them from loss
of their land and livelihood.

“Federal and provincial governments
have no difficulty in making billions of dol-
lars available to the corporations and the
wealthy. Neither do they have difficulty in
the way of spending billions of dollars for an
unnecessary arms program. They must be
told to use these funds to help the farmers in
need,” the statement says.

A farm conference of members of the
Communist Party of Canada last November
called for massive mobilization of both
workers and farmers to restore some health

from $65 to $120 a tonne before trucking
costs and it takes at least two tonnes to feed

In Saskatchewan, some aid has been
promised beef producers, but nothing for

crop losses;

@ Restore all budgetary cutbacks made

to the agricultural community, save the
family farm, provide jobs for the jobless,
and. raise living standards.

Labor Congress shift welcomed

The fall of 1985 could well be a watershed in Canadian
labor history. Since June the Canadian Labor Congress
_ headquarters in Ottawa has issued three major policy

' pronouncements marking a major shift in the CLC’s

attitude to the new Tory government of Prime Minister
Brian Mulroney. They also hint that possibly the pati-.
ence of the membership of Canada’s labor movement
will be rewarded with badly needed leadership. This
could not be more necessary for the struggle to cope
with the daily onslaught brought about by the crisis of
our economic system and the atempts by big business to
unburden the whole mess onto the back of the Canadian
people. :
Star Wars Slammed

It’s still too early to engage in hyperbole, but there are
encouraging signs. First, the CLC has finally spoken out
against Star Wars, a fundamental plank in the Tories’
‘*hidden agenda’. The Congress’ and labor's parti-
cipation in the growing peace movement, including plans
to build an all-Canada peace coalition, will add a power-
ful thrust to the fight to halt the escalation of the arms
race. :

At this time it would be useful if President McDermott
would reverse someone’s short-sighted edict to cut off
exchanges with the socialist world and follow the excel-
lent example of many other labor leaders, and accept the
invitation to visit the Soviet Union to help strengthen
understanding of the workers of our two countries on
ways of halt the march to Armageddon.

- The linkage between the fight against Star Wars, for
Peace and against free trade and economic integration
with the USA, was underscored by the CLC opposition
to the Tories’ agenda item two — “‘free trade’’.

In opposing free trade the Congress cites “job loss’’,
and the loss of ‘“‘economic and other sovereignty , as
well as ‘‘lower wages’’ as valid reasons for opposing free
trade. In contrast the Congress offers the need to reduce
our dependence on foreign trade and, *‘to diversify
Canada’s trading partners’.

Surely the Polar Sea incident indicates just how fragile
Canadian sovereignty is, how the USA views Canada’s

Labor in action

George Hewison

4
-pleadings and how well the Tories can be trusted as the
guardians of our independence.

Yet a third encouraging sign is the decision by the CLC
to actively oppose the recent Tory budget and to put
labor in the vanguard of all Canadians fighting this ret-
rograde big business document.

Stand Against Budget

If press reports are accurate, the Congress intends to
convene a meeting of all Canadian organizations from a
broad cross section of the country, who are opposéd to
the budget.

For the cynics among us who are not yet ready to pin
our ‘‘re-elect Dennis’? badges on, mindful of his track
record of pre-convention militancy, we should remind
ourselves of the titanic struggle being waged at every
level of the trade union movement. While there may
always be elements of posturing involved, there are
powerful forces at work which compel each of us to
constantly re-evaluate positions.

Some 12 to 14 major labor conventions will occur
between now and Dec. 1. Virtually all of them will
grapple with how to effectively cope with symptoms and
in some cases causes of the deepening crisis, and the
attack by monopoly capital.

' Trade unionists have experimented with right-wing
solutions — concessions, tripartism, etc. — and come
out the losers. It’s time to try some good old fashioned
left-wing, socialist struggle solutions — effective solu-
tions tested in the battle to establish and maintain
unionism. Increasingly the workers are opting for this
path and for leaders prepared to deliver.

While conventions called to assess labor’s position
and lay out plans for the future will all be important, we

need to particularly watch the fledgling United Auto
Workers of Canada. Canada’s newest industrial union -
will be simultaneously holding its founding convention
and taking on Chrysler Corporation, determined to make
up lost ground during the past few years.

The new union is proving very popular with Canadian
workers, organizing more than 6,000 new members (not
counting mergers) since the beginning of the year. It’s no
accident that this particular union has been asked to take
on the additional responsibility of co-ordinating the
bankworkers’ strike efforts, for it represents the leading
edge of the changing fortunes of labor.

No, there is no room for cynicism in times like these.
There is room for maximum involvement and participa-
tion by Canada’s working class and by its historical
conscience, the left. The outcome of the struggle, while
not in doubt, can be either painfully protracted or rela-
tively quick. The CLC leadership is to be congratulated
for undertaking a basic shift in emphasis to leading the
people of Canada against the disaster of Mulroney Tory-
ism. But it’s time to make the process totally unambi-
guous.

The recent letter from the Congress leadership to rank-
ing leaders of trade unions urging the labor movement to
take advantage of federal government seed money to”
create cottage industries to alleviate unemployment is
loaded with dangerous illusions and stands in stark con-
trast to the letter sent to labor’s summit partners urging a
fight against the budget.

So too, the flirtation with the tripartite Canadian
Labor Productivity Centre and its striking similarities to
a giant quality circle adds to some of the ambivalence
and hesitation which exists within the ranks of labor.
Worse still, is the advertisement in the latest issue of
Canadian Labor for the Quebec Solidarity Fund, kept
afloat by the grace of the discredited Parti Quebecois and
the even more disgraced Mulroney Tories.

This fall, it’s to be hoped, will end with labor at the
centre of a broad people’s movement, a people’s majori-
ty, compelling the Tories to retreat from their hidden
agenda. Such a force could compel them to substitute
new policies for peace, independence, jobs, and eco-
nomic well-being for Canadians.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE, AUGUST 21, 1985 e 3