Probe shows big baki

By MARK FRANK

OTTAWA.—An air of mystery dropped over proceedings of the price probe committee
last week. Secret meetings in the anonymous background of a Toronto hotel room with
kingpin bread manufacturers present, had the distinct odor of an effort to fix prices, follow-

interests in price fixing game

ing removal of the subsidy on

Lurking in the background, ac-
cording to testimony, was the
all-powerful flour-milling trium-
virate: Ogilvie Flour Mills, Maple
Leaf Milling and Lake of the
Woods Milling. Between them the
Big Three operated 15 mills, con-
troled four bakery chains, 38 bread
and cake factories in six pro-
yinees. They held some 231 dir
ectorships in major Canadian in-
dustries

Commitee members pressed
hard’ for a complete story of
what transpired in the smoke-
filed conference room at King
Edward Hotel on Monday, Sept.
15, 1947. They wanted to know
who and what companies were
represented; what their links with
the milling trade were; what sub-
jects were discussed.

Star witness before the com-
mittee was James M. Macdonald,
secretary-treasurer of General
Bakeries Ltd. who stuttered out
his story following sharp cross

Buck to speak
in Gardens-CJOR

Tim Buck, national leader of the
Labor-Progressive Party will be
the guest speaker at the fifth con-
vention of the B.C.-Yukon LPP,
which opens its three-day sessions
on March 13 in the Pender Audit-
orium. i

Arriving in Vancouver last Tues-
day, the LPP leader has already
addressed public meetings in Nan-
aimo, Port Alberni and Courtenay

Other public rallies in Buck's
provincia) itinerary, include New
Westminster, Monday, March 15;
Victoria, Tuesday, March 16; Trail,
Thursday, March 18, and Kimber-
1 iday, March 19.

Re Gham his address to the
LPP convention, main highlight
of Buck’s Vancouver visit will be a
monster public rally in the Exhibi-
tion Gardens on Sunday, March 18.

Saturday from 6 to 6:15 PM over
CJOR in “Town meeting of the air’
program, Buck will be heard In a
panel discussion on the subject
“Where do we go from here with
Socialism?" This is a national
hook-up and can be heard on all
majér BC. stations. Radio broad-
casts have also been arranged for
Buck in Port Alberni and Trail

CCF members score

King, Marshall plan

SUDBURY. — The policies
of the King government are
leading to depression,” John
Probe, MP, (CCF-Regina)
told a meeting of 500 citizens in the
Century theatre last week end. Mr.
Probe urged. Canadians | to elect
“people's representatives to the
next parliament. The meeting
pledged 10,000 signatures to the
prices petition campaign and rales
on the King government to imple-

wheat flour.

ng, milling

examination by Liberal, CCF,
Tory and Social Credit members
of the committee.

The committee finally gouged
out the information that Col. C.
M. Ruttan, then administrator of
bread and bakery products of the
‘prices board, was at the bakers’
parley.

Behind the questioning was the
goal of exposing who and what
agencies were responsible for an
almost universal rise in the price
of bread from 10 cents a loaf
(before the subsidy on flour
lifted) to 14 cents a loaf.

Companies present at what was
undoubtedly a big-time parley on
prices by bakers under the watch-
ful eye of the milling trust inc-
luded Brown’s Bread Ltd; Can-
ada Bread Ltd; Christies Bread
and Cake Co; General Bakeries
Ltd; Weston’s Bread and Cake
Co, and Wonder Bakeries Ltd.

Mr. Macdonald anxious to con-
vey the impression that the con-
ference was not a _ price-fixing
conclave told a fearsome story
of violent disagreement at the
meeting.

“It was the most disgraceful
exhibition among businessmen I
had ever seen in my life,” said
the witness. “I never saw such
an exhibition of name calling and
threatening.”

What the violent discussion was
about did not become clear until
confidential letters were tabled
by Kenneth B. Taylor of WPTB.
It was all about prices.

Some bakers wanted a rise from
10 cents a loaf to 15 cents;
others to 14 cents. The WTPB
correspondence between  Taylu
and Col. C.M. Ruttan, administ-
rator of bread and bakery piu
ducts for WPTB, revealed that
government officials warned the
industry against a 4 cent increase
or “there would be _ serious
trouble.”

Other bakers felt they had been
“railroaded”, according to Ruttan,
by being forced to accept the 3
cent increase instead of 4 cents
They felt they were under the
hammer of the big milling camp-
anies.

The mill-dominated bakeries fell
in line with the 3 cent increase,
forcing the others to toe the line.
Hence the great squabble at the
mysterious King Edward Hotel
meet. Today's price of 14 cents
(the 4 cent increase) is now an
accepted fact on store shelves.

If nothing else the probe into
reasons behind the sudden rise
in bread prices was settling the
following:

@ The 24 ounce loaf selling
for 10 cents and a similar loaf
selling for 14 cents appear to be

alike in terms of nutritional
value. The lower priced loaf acts
as a “loss leader” or ‘“come-on”

in the opinion of some members
of the committee. The big take
is on the 14 cent item.

@ Moves had been underway

for “price-fixing” and contravent-
ion of the Combines Investigat-
ion Act by the bread-baking in-
dustry under pressure from their

Seamen calling for unity
to defeat old-line parties

MONTREAL.—A warning against increasing fascist ten-

dencies in Canada, and an outright pledge that the Canadian
Seamen’s Union will lead an energetic fight against Adrien
Arcand and his followers was given last week by delegates
to the seventh biennial convention
of the CSU. The 101 delegates— halted entirely if all sections of
including three women—represent- the Canadian labor movement join-
ed 12,000 deep-sea and lake seamen €d forces and compelled a govern-

sailing under CSU banners.

Coming from all lake centers in
Ontario and from Atlantic and Pa-
cific ports in the east and west,
they met in a six-day convention
which was the most solidly united
of any held since the CSU was
formed back in 1936.

While wages, hours and better
conditions for seamen and the pos-
sibilities of having to take picket
line action to gain them, were the
basie issues before the delegates,
they were tied to a clear under-
standing of the issues on the Do-
minion and international fronts.
The decisions which came out of
the convention showed that the
CSU is, as it was viewed by guest
speaker Percy Bengough, president
of the Trades and Labor Congress
of Canada, a hard hitting organi-
zation destined to play a powerful
role in the coming fights which will

numerous connections through in-
terlocking directorates and share
ownership by flour milling outfits. |
Thus General Bakeries according |
to witness P. Leo Kelleher, torm:.
erly with the comnany, fought for
a 15 cent loaf. The company he
said was controlled by Glenora |
Securities, a holding company |
under the thumb of Ogilvie fiour
Mills—biggest of the Big Three
millers.

@ Witnesses put forward, in
particular, James M. Macdonald
and J. Leo Kelleher were dist-
inctlv evasive during questioning
on the simovlest items. They ap-
peared to be deliberately conceal-
ine facts and names from mem-
bers of the committee. Macdonold
for instance consistently said the
King Edward Hotel did not dis-
cuss prices. His testimony later
broke down under stiff examinat-
ion. He finally admited that re-
moval of wheat subsidy had oc-
casioned a discussion of costs,
and spoke of his own personal
support for the 14 cent loaf con-
sidered too high by government:
Officials.

Witnesses: like Macdonald, Kell-

eher, and Col. Ruttan former
WPTB administrator, but now
employed as director of the Ont-
ario Bakers’ Association were
constantly told by committee
members that their memories
were faulty.

If the truth were known, wit-
nesses were being highly cautious
of revealing too much information
that might involve others in the
high-price swindle. Indeed “the
whole truth and nothing but the
truth”, part of their solemn oath
was still far from being realized.
The price probers would have to

go further afield and deeper.

democratic

Lacroix Bill a threat |

rights

TORONTO.—Warning against further restriction of

civil liberties, Alderman T. C. Sims, speaking on behalf of

the National Executive of the LPP, urged Canadians “to tell
their MP’s in no uncertain terms to vote down the iniquitous

be waged on behalf of labor and
the people.

It was the CSU which led the
fight recently to rally the Canadian
people around the battle to prevent
the shipping of arms to China.
That’s a fight that has just started
and the convention. went unani-
mously on record demanding that
the Canadian government halt the
sending of all arms to Chiang Kai-
shek. No CSU member will willing-
ly sail an ammunition ship to
China, convention delegates em-
phasized, and shipments could be

jment embargo Such a campaign, it
was stressed, would find public
opinion behind it

The convention pledged itself be-
hind the fight to win freedom for
textile union leaders Madeleine
Parent and Azellus Beaucage, On
the political front the seamen went
on record for the defeat of the two
old-line parties and. called upon
Canadian workers to “unite
at the polls to elect a government
truly representative of labor and
farmers.” j

A busy six-day agenda which saw
full-dress debate on the above is-
sues and many others facing the
nation, did not prevent the CSU
delegates from walking the Rogers
|Majestic picket line with UE-CIO
workers who last week were under

‘attack from Ontario provincial po-

lice.

The election of officers saw Pres-
ident Harry Davis unanimously re-
turned; T. G. McManus unanimous-
ly chosen as_ secretary-treasurer.
Conrad Sauras was eleceted CSU
vice-president and national organ-
izer. Other vice-presidents chosen
were James Thompson for British
Columbia. and Theodore Roy for
Quebec.

Business agents for 1948 are De-
war Ferguson, Toronto; Ray Col-
lette, Montreal; Cyril Lenton, Lake-
head; William Genitis, Halifax.
Mike Jackson was re-elected as
Great Lakes director.

posed sales tax as another raid
on the living standards of the
workers, and declared that “John-
son-Anscomb Coalition is now
preparing to take more food away
from the children in order to
educate them.” The ocuncil de-
cided to undertake the fullest

‘mobilization of its affiliated mem-

bership and the people generally
against the sales tax.

Delegates approved a resolution
to this effect and decided to
forward a copy to the Trades
and Labor Council (AFL) for en-
dorsation.

A resolution presented by the
council’s legislative committee urg-
ing Attorney-General Gordon Wis-
mer to introduce legislation pro-
tecting civil liberties and outlaw-
ing all forms of racial or color
discrimination, was referred to
the council executive for further
consideration and elaboration.

Delegate Don Guise, business
agent of local 28, Civic Em-
ployees Union reported to dele-
gates on efforts of his union
to secure a satisfactory wage and

Sales Tax denounced as
‘raid on living standards’

Unanimous vote in opposition to the imposition of a
sales tax “in any form” highlighted Tuesday’s meeting of the
Vancouver Labor Council (CCL). Harold Pritchett, secret-
ary of the B.C. Federation of Labor characterized the pro-

working agreement with the city
council. The council pledged sup-
port to Civic employees in their
stryggle for improved wage and
working standards, and also voted
another $50 donation to aid the
Island coal miners’ strike. —

VLC delegates also pledged full
support to the radio operators
and engineers now on strike on
all deepsea shipping.

Yes, we have no gas?

NEW YORK— Enough gasoline
and oil to meet U.S. demands for
1 years can be manufactured

only a quarter of known
coal reserves, Dr. Homer Z, Mar-
tin of the Standard Old Develop-
ment Company’s laboratories re-
cently told the New York sectior

estimated
much greater than those of natural
gas. :

Se

nds of the house, ;
at Ne eS etons ‘Lacroix Bill, which threatens the

Bruce Magnuson, Lumber and whole of labor.”
Sawmill Workers Union, warned) pQJision of the. King government
that the coming 30 percent increase |, | i Vite enactment of the Lacroix
in freight rates will mean a further | +i 7 pp pill will come as a shock
increase of ten percent in living 1, Gemocratic Canadians. Enact-
costs, He said the delegation ME ment of this Lacroix Bill would
AFL unions in Ottawa this ae make of this country a virtual pol-
would demand a roll-back in Dread ice state; with freedom of political

Robert Carlin, MPP (CCF-Su , thought extinguished. Ostensibly
bury, said what was needed was 4 J:0cted against the communists
two-fisted battle to punch prices ion. it would in effect throttle

down and wages up. He said the any and all expression of popular.

‘ de-
Marshall plan could only mean
pression. The war millionaires were

not ag er nS on oie: the is Canadian democracy.
people mus .

in, president of the| It is notorious that Wilfred La-
Mine Sani A ‘Smale Workers Mats sponsor of this bill, is a lead-

auxiliaries, pledged the
organizations in the pr

paign.

‘opposition to © the war-and-crisis
program of big business. It’s target

ices cam-|der of Jacques Cartier in Quebec.
It is well known that Lacroix and

his anti-Canadian co-conspirators
gave aid and comfort to Hitler be-
fore and during the war. Now, with
the willing compliance of the King
government, Mr. Lacroix is -acting
as an agent of Wall Street's “anti-
communist” program of thought-
‘control and militarization of the
North and South Americas.

What Canada urgently needs is
not padlock laws and the banning
of a workers’ party which spear-
‘heads the fight for peace, social ad-
vance and Canadian independence.
This country needs a Bill of Rights

PUBLIC MEETING

TIM BUCK

Nationa! Leader LPP

EXHIBITION GARDENS

Subject: A CCF Government for Canada

and political expression to all citi-
zens. If anyone is to be “quaran-

aid of her er of the secret clerical-fascict Or- tined” it should be the profiteers,

warmongers and fascists—the real
enemies of Canada.

guaranteeing freedom of thourht!

SUNDAY, MARCH 14th

j 8:00 P.M.
DOORS OPEN 7:30

Sofie

R,