JURA LI on |

702- BES

FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 1, 1957

EDITORIAL

SLIPPERY PATHS

pl IS not the custom of the Toronto Globe and Mail, as the

chief organ of Toryism in Canada, to provide space for
Neither the CCF, the CLC, nor the
Labor-Progressive party nor any important trade unions have
ever had access to the Globe and Mail for the free expression

articles by labor leaders.

of their opinions in article form.

On the contrary this paper has always distorted those
opinions. It is traditional in the labor movement that the
Globe and Mail and other big commercial daily papers serve
the interests of the capitalist class. It is also not customary
for the GBC to take kindly to radicals.

So when J. B. Salsberg writes articles for the Globe and
Mail. and the CBC features him-on “Fighting Words” and
“Close Up” and when all of this takes place within six months
of his deliberately demonstrative departure from the ranks of
the LPP also announced through the Globe and Mail, it is
natural that comment should be made upon such phenomena.

The Globe and Mail is of course not in the least concerned
for the free debate of socialist ideas. Salsberg’s ideas were
publicly debated in meetings and in National Affairs Monthly
for many months, and rejected, democratically in a national
convention. His reply was to try to injure the LPP, by his
manner of leaving it, and by consciously striving to raise doubts
and sow confusion.

This was grist to the Globe and Mail's mill. They publish
Salsberg’s articles because they do a disservice to socialism and
to the Canadian labor movement. Not for a moment would
they be printed if the Globe felt that he was really clarifying

troublesome matters of socialist theory and practice. The:

Globe class instinct is unerring. It recognizes a good thing for
itself. The CBC too is motivated by the same impulse. It is
not as “non-political” as some may suppose.

The evolution of J. B. Salsberg in the past year is a
classical process.

When a socialist adopts a negative, unbalanced, sub-
jective viewpoint, and codifies it into a political platform
directed against his former beliefs, the inevitable result is —
J. B. Salsberg in the Globe and Mail:

Experience shows that if on the other hand, such a person
were to continue to study, to debate, to examine his own
positions critically while asking for, and receiving the assist-
ance of his colleagues, from whom he could learn and whom
he also would teach — and if this were to take place within
the party and accompanied by modesty the result would be
quite different.

The revision of Marxist principles in order to “explain”
one’s confusion — no matter how couched or how cunningly
put — leads to a slippery path. In the conditions of class
struggle and political conflict inevitably it pulls one down-
wards. That the journey down is made while flying banners of
“unity,” “re-alignment,” “democracy” and the “dignity of
man” does not alter its direction or deceive for very long.

There were some who were inclined for a time to look
with sympathy upon Salsberg’s talk of a “new socialist align-
ment.” The way in which Salsberg has been clasped to the
bosom of the Globe and Mail makes it much easier for them to
see that his position serves no one save the capitalist class.

There is nothing wrong with the Canadian labor move-
ment, the CCF or the LPP that J B. Salsberg is going to cure.
Having turned upon his former political ideas, his course
leads directly away from the socialist cause and the interests
of Canadian labor.

(REPRINTED FROM THE CANADIAN TRIBUNE)

S SRUTNIKS
MESSAGE

While all four parties within the House of Commons played at the polities of another
election, ouside a delegation of Labor-Progressive party
all-party unity on foreign affairs and support of the atom-armed armies. of NATO threaten- |
ing to drag Canada into a new Middle East war. ]
the group urging big power negotiations.

Union blasts ‘callous attitude’

as 1500 laid off at Kitimat

Labor is incensed at the abrupt manner in which 1,500 men
“for a period of a year or more” by Saguenay-Kitimat Company this week, and United Steele
workers of America representative Wally

strate the company’s “callous
Construction work on two
new potlines will be halted for
The cutback
companies’

at least a year.
will the
capital expenditures about $30
million in 1958-59.

In Ottawa Frank Howard,
CCF member of parliament
for Skeena, blasted the move
as “a result of leaving invest-
ment of capital in private
hands,” ‘

Howard said the shutdown
was “completely unnecessary”
and said he would ask the gov-
ernment to pay transpor‘ation
costs of workers who will have
leave Kitimat in a search for
jobs.

Howard asked Labor Minis-
tr Michael Starr to help ab-
sorb the jobless workers into
other industries, and provide
unemployment insurance ben-
efits immediately.

Steelworkers representative
Wally Ross declared that many
of the men affected by the
layoff had been assured only
a month ago that their jobs
with Saguenay-Kitimat would
be of long duration. On the
strength of that promise many
had bought homes and moved
their families to Kitimat. _

“Then, overnight and with-
out warning, the firm shows
its callous disregard for these

reduce

~ workers by firing them,” said

Ross. “Engineers were given
a month’s notice but the great

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Lagan Prone ssit Pasty

SPUTHIKS
MESSAGE

POETS
i PEMCE

MEARS.

i RATERHSTIORAL
| CONTROL!

marchers demanded they end their i

A letter to every MP was delivered by

were thrown out of work

Ross declared in Kitimat that the layoffs demo
disregard” for it workers. : f
majority of workers were fir- other layoffs would occur, and | q
ed out of hand. It is almost the total to lose their jobs maya
unbelievable.” be in the neighborhood of

Ross predicted that with the 2,500, out of a labor force of
shutdown on construction work. 7,000.

Morgan wins right
to distribute leaflets |

TRAIL, B.C”
An attempt by Consolidated Mining - and Smelting:
security guard “Taffy” Jones to prevent distribution of #
Labor-Progressive party leaflet at gates of the sprawling
smelter in the company town atop Tadanac hill backfired this
week when the right of Nigel Morgan, LPP provincial leadets
tc stand on municipal thoroughfares was upheld by Tadanac
police.

Morgan had gone to the
main gate at 5.45 a.m. ee hand
out leaflets to the early shift.
The leaflets urged pressure on
the Diefenbaker government
to compel fulfillment of its
pre-election promises for poli-
cies of peace, trade, assistance
to unemployed and hard-hit
farmers, tax cuts and social
legislation.

Returning to distribute leaf-
lets to the afternoon shift at
2.30 p.m., Morgan was ordered
to “move on” by the company

know, “why are municipal
truck and work crews repla@
ing a company sidewalk?”
Taken by police car
Tadanac police station, Mo
gan won his point when it W'
quickly ascertained that “nes
sidewalk is a public thorough”
fare” and the LPP leader W®
“within his rights to distribute | |
leaflets providing there was 8° |
interference with traffic.” | |

to

Morgan was driven back
the gate by police car, and co?
tinued’ distribution until 4

guard. When he stood his the leaflets were handed OU.
ground Tadanac municipal pol- The LPP leaflet — part ® {
ice were called and an argu- a nation-wide distribution —
ment developed over whether was well received. by the 4,700 1

the sidewalk was “company plant workers. Later anothe |
property” or “a municipal distribution took place at the
thoroughfare.” If company Castlegar division of the Uw: |

controlled Celgar Corporatio™

property, Morgan wanted to

November 1, 1957 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAG™