25 years ago... PROBE DEMANDED IN TRILLE TRAGEDY TORONTO An _ im- _ mediate probe into the death of Gerarda Trille, Italian immig- rant mother of three, was de- manded last week by Harry Hunter, regional organizer of the Labor-Progressive Party. In a letter to Toronto’s mayor Nathan Phillips, Hunter points to contradictory reports on the case to justify his call for an immediate enquiry. Action of the police in disregarding the general practice of not arresting mothers charged with minor offenses was particularly scored by Hunter. Knowledge by police that they were dealing with a new- comer to Canada, and the lack of attention to her desperate screaming while in the police cells calls for a thorough going investigation, the letter pointed out. 50 years ago... INCO LENGTHENS WORK DAY SUDBURY — International Nickel Corporation has started a new onslaught upon the living standards of the miners of Northern Ontario. With only a curt notice it announced that the work day would be lengthened by half an hour and that the mid-day break usually allowed so the miners could eat lunch would be eliminated. ~ Judging from Inco’s overall plan a wage cut is-also likely. In recent months known rebels have been “weeded out”. They were ruthlessly fired. The story was circulated that the fewer the men the less chance there was of layoffs. Now with the militant leadership of the miners gone, Inco plans to catch up on falling profits at the expense of the workers. The Worker, The Tribune, October 31, 1955 October 25, 1930 Profiteer of the week: Sept: 30. How'd you like a couple of punches right in the computer card? If that’s your attitude to Bell Canada when you get irksome notes about fee hikes or overdue accounts don’t feel guilty. You contributed to an after-tax profit of $271,533,000 for nine months ended Figures used are from the company's financial statements. Editor — SEAN GRIFFIN Associate Editor — FRED WILSON Business and Circulation Manager — PAT O'CONNOR Published weekly at Suite 101 — 1416 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, B.C. V5L 3X9. Phone 251-1186 Subscription Rate: Canada $10 one yr.; $6.00 for six months: All other countries, $12 one year. Second class mail registration number 1560 PACIFIC TRIBUNE—OCT. 31, 1980—Page 4 EDITORIAL COMMENT Canada’s duty at Madrid In Madrid during November, 33 European countries, Canada and the United States will meet to review prog- ress in the implementation of the Final: Act of the Conference on Security and” Cooperation in Europe. It was agreed to in Helsinki in 1975, and its results | examined in Belgrade in 1977. With such a group of powers confer- ring on security and cooperation in Europe, and the ramifications of the Final Act being what they are for the future of the human race, the Madrid conference merits public concern, public intervention, expressions of opinion to the Canadian Government, even while the conference proceeds. Few Canadians have seen the Final Act because the Canadian Government - failed to keep its word “to make it known as widely as possible.” We have also been misinformed by the media, in line with Washington propaganda, that it deals only with the human rights of Soviet dis- sidents. What it deals with is “cooperation versus the costly cold war,” and “détente versus nuclear brinkman- ship.” For example, Principle IX, Coopera- tion among States, adjured them to share “the benefits resulting from increased mutual knowledge and from progress and achievement in the economic, scientific, technological, social, cultural and humanitarian fields,” and to reduce differences in the levels of economic development, particularly in the in- terests of developing countries through- out the world. The states are requested, “To refrain from any act of economic coercion de- signed to subordinate to their own in- terest” another state’s sovereignty “and thus secure advantage of any kind.” The USA’s “allies” know what that means, as do the Western bankers of state-. monopoly capitalism who claim credit for economic difficulties in Poland. Out of keeping with Principle [X was a statement last June by External Affairs Minister McGuigan, who will lead Cana- da’s team to Madrid: “We have suspended scientific and cul- — tural exchanges and high level visits” (with the USSR). “We have supported the U.S. grain embargo... We have tightened trade ... The government has indicated its decision to proceed with the purchase of a new fighter aircraft.” Yes all in the same paragraph! The Final Act declares, on disarma ment, the “interest of all” in “lessening military confrontation and promoting disarmament ... to complement polit cal détente...” It speaks of the “necessity” of steps toward “general and complete disarmament.” Yet, Mac | | | | | | 3 | | Guigan is taken up with Ottawa’s efforts to “increase the ability of NATO,” a de | monstrably aggressive pact, now deploy ing monstrous new nuclear weapons 12 western Europe. That is not the way the Final Act perceives security. The same MacGuigan, at the United Nations in August, charged that the | | | world expenditure of $450-billion 09 armaments “epitomizes absurdity”. How absurd then, for a country like Canada to squander $5-billion a year on arma-_ ments, and to boost it 3% a year at NATO's command. In June, when he rejoiced in fightet plane purchases and cultural cutoffs, MacGuigan also made this point: “,..we have announced our call for 4 Canadian boycott of the Olympics.” That fiasco is familiar enough; less familiar 15 the reference to sport in the Final Act bearing Trudeau’s signature. “In ordef to expand existing links and cooperation in the field of sport, the participating states will encourage contacts and eX- changes of this kind, including sports meetings and competitions of all sorts, on the basis of the established interna- tional rules, regulations and practice.” 4 sorry record indeed for Trudeau an MacGuigan. To do more than scratch the surface of the Final Act, every Canadian should demand his or her copy from Ottawa. But more urgent is the duty to instruct Mark MacGuigan on his tasks in Madrid — to work for détente and disarmament, not to incite cold war and risk nucleaf annihilation. And not to be the battering ram for U.S. propaganda stunts. Closure justifies outrage — The federal government’s indecent. haste in dealing with the country’s con- stitution — a haste and authoritarianism which has outweighed everything, de- mocracy, justness, and the deep-going interests of Canadian sovereignty — has set a monstrous new mark. Cutting off debate in the House of Commons by.in-.. voking closure, a high-handed measure used only three other times in the past quarter century, the Liberal regime has committed an outrage. Instead of a measured and democratic approach to writing a made-in-Canada constitution, the government insists upon riding off on its mission to capture _ the outmoded, chauvinist British North America Act, which denies French Canada its legitimate status as a nation, and treats Native people like permanent charity cases. Tory screams of indignation conflict with their own anti-democratic policies when in power; and the New Democrats _who. made a trade-off with the Liberals (BNA Act for western concessions) wi vote a token “no” against closure. But there is legitimate reason for out- rage’and protest. Instead of rushing to patch up the BNA Act as a monument to Trudeau, a responsible government would be approaching the question in 2 serious way, seeking the maximum contribution from the Canadian people and their organizations, not least the labor movement. The government must be condemned _for its anti-democratic action, and for making the debate on a Canadian constitution an object of narrow political . expediency.