eh {Jos ondsdn mmm ida be j a a tnt isi WL. 20, No. 41 VANCOUVER, B.C TRAY, OCTOBER 27, 1961 FL calls for big jobless lobby ' GUIANA’S JAGAN OTTAWA — Premier Ched- di Jagan of British Guiana last week visited Canada’s capital for talks on economic aid to his country, and expressed hop- es Canada will provide such assistance, He told a press conference here that he had been assured that Guiana’s request would be looked at sympathetically. The Premier said he would like to borrow $500 million from various countries at low interest rates. but stressed that his country wanted these loans “with no_ strings at- tached.” a. EDITORIAL ey hypocritical can you Tne question is prompted the Canadian resolution hefore the United Nations ral Assembly.on nuclear is paper takes a back seat 1° one in its fight against ; Near weapons and fall-out hy tests. We. were alone ago when we called for " & of nuclear weapons miests, tte voice of. the Génadian tment. was strangely sil- _),* that time. The reason for Reaenee. was that it was the \’ Which “was conducting tests and ‘perfecting its : alk of nuclear weapons. ow suddenly, Diefenbaker BS, AA =~ ing a oo Tek ats i os nee *~ De ae SOs }e. teq radioactivity. They t Union, -faeed . with - a hing world ’ situation, ders it necessary. to con- tests for its own defence, Which its own statements deplored. W sincerely is the world ke Canada’ $ resolution on r “Weapons when the “‘thaker government itself Sto ‘renounce nuclear Pons, and acts as if it will his government have dis-| @iscovered it because the; at the “right”? moment acquire them for Canada? How serious is Canada’s pro- test now to be taken when it is recalled that our voice ‘was hardly discernable when! France carried out its tests, and when the U.S. blocked agreement ona test ban by in- sisting on the right to conduct underground tests. - What are the reasons given by the Soviet Union to justify its resumption of tests?) They point to the recent . boast in U.S. News and World Report which said, if “most of the first wave of an attack struck home 80° to 90 percent of Russia’s 200 million people would die, all major cities would be dev- astated, 85 per cent of Soviet industry would be wiped out.” Or again, how are the Soviet people to take the statement the other day of Us. Deputy Secretary of Defence Roswell) L. Gilpatrie : when he told ‘a meeting in Hot Springs, Va., that “the total number of our nuclear delivery vehicles, tac- tical as well as strategic is in -the tens of thousands?” This ‘speech . ‘was President Kennedy. cleared by US. By all means, let Canada take the initiative for peace 10¢ Jagan asks Canada _ for economic aid BOR TO TAKE ACTION IN JOBS, WAGE By WILLIAM STEWART STS A call for a mid-December wage and policy conference to pre- pare for 1962 negotiations, and a decision by the delegates in favor of a mass unemployed lobby to Victoria in the spring, highlighted tion of Labor this week. The delegates were hardly seated before the wage ques- tion hit the floor, and 1inion- ists, smarting from the no wage increase settlements rammed down their throats in 1961, jammed the mikes to hammer away on the theme that labor must unite for gains in 1962. Regarded by most seasoned unionists as a key question, the wage - co-ordination proposal was somewhat clouded by in- sertion of a provision by the resolutions committee limiting the conference to affiliated unions. A heated debate drew atten- tion to the fact that less than half the organized workers in B.C. are now in the B.C. Fed- eration of Labor, and a sub- stantial body of the delegates appealed for unity of all unions regardless of affiliation around the wage question. The resolu- tion however, was carried as amended. Singled out for special con- sideration in the discussion was the proposal for shorter hours which seems to be shap- and against nuclear weapons: ing up as a major demand in fanad and nuclear tests in the United Nations. But in- stead of acting as batboy for the U.S. let us take an inde- pendent stand for peace. Let us put forward proposals which will remove tensions in the world which have led to the resumption of tests, and which threatens a far greater horror than fall-out—that of an all- out nuclear: holacaust. Let Canada urge in the UN the banning of ‘all nuclear weapons and tests. Let us show our sincerity by declaring that Canada ‘will never acquire nuclear weap- ons. Let us take the initiative in demanding a start on gen- eral and complete disarma- ment. Such a lead by Canada would be hailed around the world. The Canadian people would rally behind-such a pol- icy in a way they never have before. : The Pacific Tribune would be the first to raise its voice in defence of such.a policy; and we would:be the first to con- demn any countries which blocked such action for peace. But Canada does not serve the cause of peace, no matter how “humanitarian” it tries to cloak its actions, when it plays the U.S. game of seeking to further inflame the cold war. | the early sessions of the 6th Annual Convention of the B.C. Federa< 1962. e While it was obvious that delegates considered the wage fight for 1962 to be a key issue at the convention it was equally clear from President Smeal’s opening address that labor in B.C. looks at unemployment as its biggest problem. Both the addresses of Smeal and Donald McDonald, secre- tary of the Canadian Labor Congress, who spoke on the second day of the convention, highlighted the seriousness of the unemployment situation. McDonald quoted figures showing that in each of the!:-:- four recessions occuring since the war, the unemployment peak has gone higher, while the recovery failed to achieve the level of the preceding per- iod. Thus, he said, that while the 1949 recession produced an un- employment peak of 3.6% of the non-agricultural work force, the recovery peak, after the 1960 recession, leaves 6% : looking for jobs. “We have’, he said, “the highest ratio of unemployed of any country in the ioe world.” The CLC secretary also ex- pressed his alarm at the drop in the numerical number of ors ganized workers in Canada. This figure has dropped from “1,459,000 in 1960 to 1, FE; 000 in 1961. He drew the conclusion that future gains for labor would be seriously prejudiced if this trend were not reversed. McDonald referred to Bills 43 and 42 as ‘‘class legislation which we will battle right to the Supreme Court of Cans ada.” { This remark drew grimmaces from many delegates, who have vivid recollections of recent court decisions. The report of the Unemploy« ed Committee laid down an 1l- point program which, while it provided for relief from dis< tress for unemployed workers See LABOR, pg. 3 City rally Saturday Responding to the call of the National Executive of the Communist Party of Canada for supporting action to the PEACE VIGIL AT OTTAWA. This scene will be repeated Saturday, October 28 when large numbers of members of the Communist Party will par- ade before Parliament demand- ing "NO WAR OVER BER- LIN.” Ottawa to hear demand: 'No war over Berlin’ delegation which is travelling to Ottawa this weekend, to in- terview the Department of External Affairs representa< tive, Mr. G. Robertson, the Vancouver City Committee of the -Communist~’ Party will stage a demonstration Satur« day, October 28th, at 10:30 a.m. The demonstration will urge a peaceful settlement of the Berlin crisis and call on Can- ada to do all within her power to achieve that aim. Marchers will proceed from Hastings and Main Sts., down to Granville St., then back te Oppenheimer Park (Powell St. Grounds for an open-air meeting about 1 p.m. which will be addressed by Tom Me Ewen, editor of the Sei Tribune. _ H The Committee, meantime, urges all friends of peace te send ‘‘peaceograms” in the form of night letters, signed by a number of people, to the office of the Communist Party in Toronto, (24 Cecil St., Tore onto 2b, Ont. in support of the delegation. Telegrams and night letters must be there by Friday, Oct. 27th, so that the delegation can take them = Ottawa. Similar supporting ee Strations and leaflet distribue tions on the theme “No War Over Berlin” will take place under Communist auspices on Saturday, October 28, in Vic toria, Nanaimo and New West« minster-Delta.