Bennett’s austerity drive aimed

at schools, hospitals, workers’ pay|

This photo shows the bodies of eight U.S. seamen from

the Panoceanic Faith who were

brought to Vancouver after an heroic feat by Soviet seamen from the ship Orekhov to
wrest their bodies from the sea. Photo shows them covered with a white sheet and
American flag aboard the Soviet freighter. The Soviet seamen, who brought their bodies

to Vancouver, won priase for their heroism an

column on page 2 pays tribute to their feat.

d humanism. This week Tom McEwen’s

U.S. church groups
urge general strike
if war is escalated

A general strike. picketing and
boycotts if the U.S. escalates the
Vietnam war was urged by 800
members of a Conference on Church
and Society. meeting in Detroit.

Sponsored by the National Council
of Churches. a Vietnam study group
presented the plan to member
churches from all parts of the U-S. It
said that if any of four acts of
escalation occur a nation-wide
appeal from churches to labor and
other Americans for a one-day
general strike.

The four acts it lists are: use of
nuclear weapons, land invasion of
North Vietnam. direct military

offensive against China. and

bombing of the Red River dikes in
North Vietnam.

Adopted by the delegates. some of
whom thought it didn’t go far
enough, details of how the strike
would be organized were spelled out
at a press conference by church
‘eaders.

First. all regular church programs
would be cancelled and churches
would open for “penitential”’ prayer.

Second. on the following Sunday all
churches would hold penitential
services and take offerings to
support protest actions.

Third. the nation’s religious
leaders within 36 hours would call or
yeoples of all faiths to close then
businesses and industries
transportation and school facilities
for one dav.

Fourth. an emergency conclave of
religious leaders from all over the

nation would be called in Washington |

to plan further action.

The report adopted by the
delegates also called for refusal to
pay federal income taxes: to set uf
draft counceling services for
conscientious objectors: abolition of
the draft.

Victoria hits
yard shutdown

The Mayor of Victoria last
Thursday wired Prime Minister
Pearson protesting the shutdown of
the Victoria Machinery Depot and
urging that federal action be taken to
provide work for the large shipyard.

The management of the Victoria
shipyard, one of the largest

employers in the city, announced,

recently that the yard would be
closed for lack of federal contracts.

Threatens labor |
with wage freeze!

Premier W. A. C. Bennett’s announcement last
that he will introduce a program at the next sessi0
legislature calling for cutbacks in spending for sch od
hospitals, housing and other social services,
widespread protest. His threat to impose a wage
labor has also come under sharp fire.

Taking advantage of the campaign
launched by the federal government
and Canadian big business to use the
“inflation threat’ to block needed
social legislation, Bennett has seized
this opportunity to get his
government off a very difficult spot.

The fact which Bennett conceals
from the public is that last year
funds in all provincial departments
(including pension funds) were used
up to the tune of many millions of
dollars to pay for the Columbia dams
which are running many millions of
dollars over original estimated
costs.

Estimates made during the last
session of the legislature were that
B.C. will have to spend between $70
and $100 million more than originally
estimated to build the storage dams
for the U.S.

Last year Bennett cut back school

construction and other social needs
because provincial funds were being
earmarked to pay for the dams. He
came under sharp criticism for his
action. Now he hopes to be able to
step up his austerity program and
blame it all on Ottawa and the
‘threat of inflation.”

Lashing out at Bennett’s
deception, B.C. Communist Party
leader Nigel Morgan charged that,
“The premier is attempting to divert
attention from his Columbia River

‘treaty fiasco and the impossible

burden it has placed on B.C. by
providing dams and river controls

USSR

How socialism is narrowing
the economic gap with capitalism

34. YEAR GAP IN-INDUSTRIAL PRODUCTION

. is a freeze on

November 10, 1967—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 12

ast week?!
n of HF

for the benefit of the
costs. He is draining _soure
money for needed public serv ‘afl
cover deficits in his improvid
anti-Canadian scheme.”

: the.
“Canadian complicity m " |
criminal and costly Hi Br i
aggression in Vietnam 1S cal
source of inflation. The fam¥@* 6
high costs of continuine | :
escalation and profitee™ i \
undermining the whe “eee

i wi
American economy, J inte

of tight money and risin; nade

rates overflowing into :

Nigel Morgan declared. :
kine

“Premier Bennett i ‘oie ]
advantage of Ottawa's se po
the U.S. war machine 10 ie nd
labor in a straight-jacke heal h
back on urgently neede ices
education and welfare servi
the people of this province:

: ; is

“Cutting services 1 pane

solution. Hospital _ ailitd
facilities are already rai

behind rapidly expandiné pope

needs. }

t
“With prices rising mat

profits of monopoly 17g dumm

mineral, wood, natura i ‘bowl

being exported for a ditt rerest

back for a dollar; and 0% wt j
running from an ae > Motel Ni
increases are unavoida cot |

“17 nev!
said. “B.C. labor will BE ace 7

Mr. Strachan’s ac©
selective wage 2 p
which is simply
towards Prime Min
state monopoly capita HS od eX"
which have already ae ple
hardships on the Britt a
stem
"qf Premier Bennett ‘10
about tackling inflation Oe : cost |
out for disassociatl oo P
from U.S. aggression 4 viel!
the criminal wasté n a
impose effective con vane
and prices; prov! e hols

>

loans for housiné: 1 ess
hospitals and ° dc
requirements,” he sane
“Premier Bennett ard
le to say where ©
pak from. If he ae yee so
export of our unproces ot TOlig
take steps to reéal? i:
Columbia (on which us:
default) and make "ty
costs of the DEN gg
receiving at OUF «asl
impose a capital ae 0 po
be plenty of resource cde
our needs’’ Morga? oe

BRE

Jack Moore, first vera e
the B.C. Federalilt
condemned Bennet
social programs:

. t
B.C. you can't cul oor
programs,” he salt fot wae
that Bennett’s Be simp! i
price controls wou oot a

wage controls. f
. wages: eed” 7