SOs 2 a ern Oe ee eee

EDITORIAL PAGE

REMEMBER WHEN . . . these were the latest models on the

road — and there were no traffic problems. This picture was taken

at Ashcroft around 1912.

Defend living standards

N THE monumental statistics
_ compiled by capitalist econom:

_ists there is no record that wages
have ever surpassed or even kept

pace with living costs. On the
contrary, there is plenty to show
that they have always lagged
behind, often very far behind.

Today in a so-called era of
“prosperity’’ where maximum
monopoly profits prevail; where
living costs reach an all-time
high; where automation is rapid-
ly replacing human labor and
reckless immigration policies add
to the growing economic crisis,
organized labor is faced with a
dual struggle for survival, and
a greater share of the vast wealth
it produces, in order to keep pace
with living. costs.

In this province alone there
are lumber workers, carpenters,
fishermen, electricians, civil ser-
vants, furniture, roofing and

other trades, totalling thousands -

of workers, snow in process ,of

Pacific Tribune

Published weekly at
Room 6 — 426 Main Street
Vancouver 4, B.C.
Phone: MArine 5288

Editor — TOM McEWEN
Associate Editor — HAL GRIFFIN
Business Manager — RITA WHYTE

Subscription Rates:

One Year: $4.00

Six months: $2.25

Canadian and Commonwealth
countries (except Australia): $4.00
one year. Australia, United States
and all other countries: $5.00 one
year.

wage negotiations, taking strike
votes, some already on strike for

>

ks, for substantial wage in-

only one answer, one course
open; the strengthening of unity
and strike action to defend and
improve wage standards.

Comment

World opinion must prevail

HE Soviet Union's latest pro-
posal for a two or three-year
ban on nuclear tests is one of
the most hopeful developments
to date in the people’s. struggle
for disarmament and peace.
This, coupled with the pro-
viso that an international com-
mission with observation posts
in the U.S., Britain, the USSR
and Pacific H-bomb testing areas
be set up to enforce the ban, is
already meeting with the heart:
felt endorsation of millions. Fear-
less men of science who created
the H-bomb are speaking out,
and people are becoming more

aware of its terrible potential for

destruction.

The Soviet plan has put atomic
war-minded circles in Washing:
ton and London in a quandary.
Knowing the growing sentiment
of peoples in all walks of life for
an end to the unknown horrors
of nuclear ‘tests, these circles
seek subterfuges in devious coun-

ter-plans. Britain's Prime Min-
ister Harold Macmillan, echoing
the wishes of Washington, in-
sists of Soviet leaders that “‘Ger-
man unification’’ come before a
ban on nuclear-tests — a posi-
tion described as “‘utterly ab-
surd’’ by Hugh Gaitskell, leader
of the British Labor party, and
echoed by labor the world over.

Now, under mass pressure at
home and the growing weight
of world opinior?, reactionary
circles in Washington, and Lon-
don are compelled to back away
from their own obstrue
tionist: policies, and discuss the
Soviet Union's plan on its mer-

its. And its merits express th

Q

most earnest desire of countless
millions of people throughout
the entire world — an end to
the horrors of nuclear tests, with
effective machinery to assure the

end desired.

——

oi LSS

URING the late twenties and

early thirties sheriff sales and
foreclosures were as plentiful on
Canada’s prairie farm homes as
gophers. Every township had
them and every dirt farmer felt
the hot breath of the banks, mort-
gage and machine sharks on the
back of his neck.

A farmer friend of mine re-
cently sent me a notice of a farm
‘sale of earlier days. It would
seem from this announcement
that this farmer enjoyed more
down-to-earth freedom and pros-
perity than the farmers of our
day. That may be explained by
the fact thatthe grain, banking,
mortgage and machine sharks
were still in their infancy, un-
able to swallow the economy of
a nation as they are today.

This sale was first carried in a
Kentucky paper in 1848. Twenty
years later an early Hlinois farm
paper, the Arlington Illinois Help-
er, carried it, and again in 1927
another American farm paper re-
vived it.

Now, 109: years later, I think
it is of sufficient interest to farm-
er and other readers to give it a
whirl in this column.

‘Notice of -Sale: Having sold
my farm and leaving for Oregon
territory by ox team, will offer
on March 1, 1848, all of my per-
sonal property for sale, to wit:

“All ox teams except two teams,
Buck and Ben and Tom and
Jerry; two milch cows; one grey
mare and colt; one pair of oxen
and yoke; two ox carts; one iron
plow with wood mole board;
8,000 feet of poplar weather
boards; 1,000 3-foot clapboards;
150 10-foot fence rails; one 60-
gallon soap kettle; 85 sugar
troughs, made of white ash tim-
ber; 10-gallons maple syrup; two
spinning wheels; 20 pounds of
mutton tallow and barrels; one
large loom, made by Jerry. Wil-
son; 300 poles; 100 split hoops;
100 empty barrels; one 22-gallon
barrel Johnson Miller whiskey,
7-years old; 20-gallons of apple
brandy; one 40-gallon copper still;
four sides of oak tanned leather;
one dozen reel hooks;; two handle
hooks; three scythes and cradles;
one dozen wood and pitch forks;
one half-interest in tan yard; one
32 calibre rifle, bullet moulds
and powder horn, rifle made by
Ben Miller; 50 gallons of soft
soap; numerous hams, bacon and
lard; 40 gallons sorghum molas-
ses; six head of fox hounds, all
soft-mouthed except one.

“At same time I will sell my

six Negro slaves, two boys, 12
and 18 years old; two mulatto
wenches, 40 and 35 years old;
two men 35 and 50 years old..
Will sell all together to same
party, as I will not separate
them.

“Terms of sale: Cash in hand,
or note to draw 4 percent inter-
est with Bob McConnel as secur-
ity.

“Mey home is two miles south
of Versailles, Ky. on McConn’s
ferry pike. Sale to begin at 8
o’clock. Plenty to eat and drink.
Signed, L. J. Moss.”

From such a sale one can trace
something of the life and times
— and character of Farmer Moss,
heading for “Oregon territory.”

Had he lived in our day the
government would have had its
Liquor Commission on his neck
for moonshining, and its numer-
ous other beagles putting the bite
on him for hunting and fishing
licenses, sales tax, income tax,
etc, etc.

In fact, had he lived in our day
he would have probably had noth-
ing more than a mountain of
wheat and other food products—
which the government would
only permit him to sell to ap-
proved buyers. And there’s a
good chance his “sale” would
have been a sheriff's sale for
non-conformity. Slavery wasn’t
abolished with the passing of
Farmer Moss—it only took on
new forms.

a - “ir

JUNE 21, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 5

Sede nen nancies aendadlabcaee ara

meniah niin ioe vaamnsAm maimba a