BOR FRONT 3 LA @ | & BY WILLIAM KASHTAN By the time this appears the Saskatchewan government and the College of Physicians and Surgeons may have worked out some compromise proposals regarding the Medical Care imsurance plan. As it appears at this moment, however, the college seems to be oriented towards 2 showdown with the government. On the surface we would get the impression that what the college is striving for is a better deal.for them- selves within the Medicare plan and this impression is held in many quarters, not least among doctors themselvs. In fact, however, one cannot help but draw the conclusion that whai is at issue is not some modifications of Medicare but its very existence, * * * What has happened is that the college has become, con sciously or unconsciously, the front for those interests whc are out to prevent Medicare from being implemented ir Saskatchewan. They don’t want it in Saskatchewan because, once it is implemented there, it will be but a matter of time before it will spread throughout the country. The same forces that oppose such. an essential and long : overdue medical insurance plan in Canada are likewise opposing it in the USA. There are big stakes in “private” medicine. Here it is not a matter of the income of this or that doctor but of the great insurance com- panies who fear that Medicare will eat into their lucrative profits and who are, in fact, spending large sums of money io prevent such plans from coming into operation. : a eee This is nothing else but a conspiracy against the health and well-being of the Canadian people. Compromises are always possible but not the kind of com- promises which in effect would take the teeth out of a medical insurance plan. But this is exactly what is behind the present campaign including the threat of “strike action’. * * * In this connection an interesting point is raised. Usually the capitalist press pulls out all the stops when workers are compelled to go on strike in defense of their rights. The Globe and Mail has, in fact, over the last few weeks, written rather strongly worded editorials calling for strong government measures to deal with the current Teamster strike. And if it isn’t the Teamsters, it’s some other union which is under attack for daring to defend the rights of its members. Strangely enough, yet not so strange actually, neither the Globe and Mail or any of the other capitalist newspapers, have so much as raised their voice when the doctors threat- ened to go on strike July 1 if the present Medical Care plan is not withdrawn in its present form. Why the different attitude? Apparently it is quite alright to jeopardize the health and well-being of the Canadian people which would be the result of such a doctor’s strike, but it is not alright for workers to strike if it affects the profits of this or that corporation * * * One can only draw the conclusion that these newspapers are fully sympathetic to the opposition to Medicare and want to drive it into the ground. % In any case it ought to be clear that what is at issue in Saskatchewan is not this or that compromise but the principle of Medicare as such. For this reason the entire labor move- ment has a stake in the outcome of the struggle and ought to find ways and means of successful outcome. Canada is one of the few countries in the world where: health is determined by income. It is time to change this situation and to defeat those who would stand in the way of changing it. ITS DOCTOR CHAPLIN OF OXFORD NOW. Film comedian Charlie Chaplin received an honorary degree at Oxford Uni- versity on June 27. This new honor was warmly welcomed by the British people who love the great comedian who has been attacked and defamed by reaction inthe U.S. lending a hand so as to ensure its. COLONIALISTS PLAN ‘NEW MEANS’ Algeria takes first — step to new freedom The seven - and - a - half year war waged by France in Algeria came to an end Sunday, July 1, when some six million Algerians vot- ed to end-1382 years of French colonial rule. That war, which cost the lives of over a million Al- gerians killed in action, tor- tured and beaten to death ‘in the “investigation”? cham- bers of the French police and army, particularly the hated Foreign Legion and paratroor units, should have ended on ‘March 19. = On that day the Evian ag- reements were signed be- tween representatives of the Algerian Provisional Govern- ment and the French Govern- ment who agreed that a ceasefire operate from that date. The reign of terror un- leashed since then by the fascist-minded Europeans in the O.A.S., with the complic- ity and in many cases active support of the French auth- orities, and particularly the top ranks of the French army, is now history — part of the blood history of colonialism, the true face of Imperalism. The dozens of destroyed schools, the ruin of Algiers University and the burning of its great library, hospitals reduced to heaps of smould- ering cinders, not to speak of the thousands murdered in unspeakable fashion — all this and worse characterized the dying throes of French colonial rule. : But the heroic Algeriar people who had fought sc tenaciousiy for independence during seven long years, refused to be provoked by the outrages of the O.A.S. The history of these past three and a half months since March 19 is a story of hero- RUPERT FACES TAX INCREASE. PRINCE RUPERT—Mayor P. J. Lester said here a few days ago that if the provin- cial government’s plans to discontinue per capita grants to municipalities goes through it could mean a mill rate increase of 7.1 mills for Prince Rupert. — CHINAWARE — LINENS Open 9-5:30 Daily 9-9:00 Friday LOOKING FOR UNUSUAL BUYS AT POPULAR PRICES? We have an interesting choice of goods from the U.S.S.R., Czechoslovakia, China and Poland. TEA AND CONFECTIONARY . FROM U.S.S.R. — EMBROIDERED GOODS — SOVIET WRIST WATCHES -— CERAMIC FIGURINES