JUL LUM LLL Le UL LOUIS ST. LAURENT DOUGLAS ABBOTT | > TRADE Minister spoke to the National Fed- €ration of Liberal Women at their Ottawa gathering on April 1. All-Fools’ Day. His ranting Speech sought to make fools of Canada’s people.' Howe curtly told the labor unions not to rock the boat by demanding wage in- freases to cope with the infla- tionary cost of living. He brag- Sed about the way the St, Laur- ent government has, déeliberately Pestricted production of Cana- dian manufactured goods — thanks to the huge_arms order, issued by his department. The arrogant Howe did not utter a word about the tragic Dlight of the 377,700 Canadian Workers registered as unemploy- ed at government employment ureaus, victims of his pro-U.S. Policies. (The Trades and Labor Congress puts the figure over 400,000.) A week later, his chief, Prime Minister st. Laurent, violated the age-old right of the Cana- lan people to lay a petition of heir srievances before the goy- frnment, He brusquely refused ® give audience to.a delegation ®t the League For Democratic Rights, although many MP’s met these spokesmen of Canadian Citizens who seek a Bill of Shts, St. Laurent and Howe, C. QD. Howe to- Sether with Pearson and Abbott, “re the four senior cabinet mem- = Who, by virtue of an order- “Council, which was exposed ¥ the Pacific Tribune on Aug- "st 3, 1951, can adopt secret decisions affecting all Canadians nt without publishing them in Hote Canada Gazette, or inform- § parliament, — Canadian Press despatch aa Ottawa March 11 opened tth this paragraph: “Prime ‘ister St. Laurent said Mon- Tae by implication, that the ~ gs of foreign policy is the wSiness of the cabinet, not: par- ‘ament.’’) ; Beate tap root of this undemo- in ms arrogance is to be found in 4), Policy declaration made cabi © House of Commons by ‘y.2et minister J. L, Isley’ on ®mber 12. 1945, Isley de- Phere. is a danger that the House of Commons may ‘Shall four men-- or parliament - rule Canada? be losing sight of its real func- tions. The time of the House is being taken up in many cases with an apparent attempt to govern rather than to legislate. The government has the duty to govern, under the (Constitution. This dis- tinction is fundamental . The House has not an in- alienable right to the disclo- sure of all actions of the ex- ecutive. “The authority of the gov- ernment is not delegated by the House of Commons; the authority of the government is received from the Crown.” t } . Four years ago Tim Buck, LPP national leader, in his book Canada: The. Communist View- point, drew full conclusions from this anti-Canadian state- ment of the: Liberal Ilsley. He pointed out that this crass viola- tion of the rights of the people and their parliamentary repre- sentatives, this reversion to the “divine rights of kings” was warp and woof of the Liberal party’s policy of betrayal of Canada to U.S. monopoly capi- tal and its war policies. Much water has flowed down the Ottawa river past Parlia- ment Hill since November 12, 1945.. Canadians of all classes and regions are today speaking up against the pro-U.S. policies and actions of the Liberal re- gime at Ottawa. ‘For, not even the brutal R. B. Bennett, nor the infamous Bond Head of the Family Compact of 1837, ever trampled so violently upon Can- adian interests and democratic rights. In his introduction to the new program of the Labor-Progres- sive party, Tim Buck empha- sizes: “The governmental dictum that the Canadian parliament does not have. constitutional - authority to govern Canada, that the authority of the gov- ernment does not derive from the elected representatives of the Canadian people, must and will be challenged and reversed. The cunningly con- ceived process by which Can- ada, politically aswell as economically, is being made subservient to the United States must and will be stopped.” This vital democratic prin- ciple is at the heart of the new Labor-Progressive party pro- gram. It is a program that be- longs to every patriotic Can- adian who wants his, or her country to progress and realize its great destiny, , e Can Canadians restore the supremacy of parliament? Can they build a powerful people’s coalition that will elect a ma- jority of MP’s to parliament who will staunchly stand for the sovereignty of Canada? Who will reject pro-U.S. policies which Who's rocking t By WILLIAM KASHTAN neta time back Finance Min- ister Douglas Abbott called on labor to work harder and longer —an additional 40 minutes a day. The trade union movement properly rejected his advice and since then fought for and won the 40-hour week in industry after industry. Now Trade .Min- ister C. D. Howe has taken over where Abbott left off. A few days ago he told labor ‘“‘not to rock the boat’ by going after. substantial wage increases. It is not usual for a cabinet minister to speak this way with- out some definite purpose in mind. The purpose seems to be to make labor the scapegoat for continuing inflation and rising living costs’ as part of a pre- election battle now opening up and, at the same time, pour cold water on the growing demand in labor’s ranks for parity with U.S. wage rates. It is, of course, false and Howe knows it, that wage in- creases are responsible for in- flation and rising prices. Every economist, banker, businessman and MP knows that the U.S.- imposed arms program’ is re- sbonsible for the present infla- tionary spiral and the resultant rise in the cost of living. In fact, as long as the arms program continues (the Lisbon NATO: conference raised it to $300 biltion) inflation will also continue, The trade union movement is thus absolutely correct in fight- ing against the effects of the St. Laurent government’s policy by going after substantial wage in- creases. Howe knows, too, or should know, that big business gener- ally has made a grand “kjlling”’ since the arms program started. Profits were never higher in key industries. It is the drive for maximum profits that has, to- gether with the arms program, brought prices up. The legiti- mate wage demands of the work- ers could have been met and can still be met out of inflated pro- ts without raising prices. In other words, if anyone is rocking the boat, it is the gov- ernment’s inflationary policy. and those who profiteer from the arms program. e What is the real state of af- fairs regarding wage increases? Howe claims that “labor has not done so badly,’’ but fails to point out the phenomenal rise in the cost of living which, together with direct and indirect taxation, has by and large wiped out wage increases, undermined purchas- By CHARLES SIMS have already wrought havoc to Canada’s industry and farming, and which, if not opposed and broken with. will drag Canada into U.S.-instigated atomic world war and deep economic crisis? The new LPP program de- clares that this can be done, through people’s struggle. It points to the struggles already arising on many fronts of Can- adian life against the policies and dire effects of U.S. domin- ation of Canada’s national life and economy. It predicts that these struggles will mount, that the people’s opposition to the pro-U.S. Liberal, Tory and So- cial Credit parties and the right- -wing CCF leaders will rise stronger and stronger. This program is a _ splendid patriotic document, for it speaks the truth. It is a document that will open the eyes of thous- -ands of Canadians to the real situation they meet every day; it will give them answers to the present problems, and show to them the only way forward to rescue Canada from bondage and war, : The LPP program gets at the reots of Canada’s problems of .today and tomorrow. It is an inspiring, invigorating eall to working class and people’s ac- tion for Canada’s interests and security. It relates our own Canadian struggles which grow out of our soil, traditions and problems e boat ? ing power-and, in effect, lower- ed living standards. It is not a matter of dollars earned, but what the dollar can buy today. ‘On that basis the picture is en- tirely different to what Howe tries to depict. “He apparently wants labor to forego its cease- less fight to improve its living standards. Howe’s statement is a warn- ing and a threat to the entire ‘trade union movement, empha- sizing again that he speaks for big business, It presents labor with a chal- lenge — to develop a ‘climate favorable for winning its de- mands. In this connection it is nothing short of a scandal that neither the Canadian Congress of Labor nor the Trades and Labor. Congress nationally is presenting the trade union case for increases to the public. In- stead, the top leadership lets each union go on its own, getting what it can. Certainly the time is ripe for forms of joint action at every level by all unions, in- cluding the independent unions, So that united labor, in coopera- stion with the most diverse com- munitqy organizations, can achieve important victories in this, the sixth wage round since 1946, \ .. tive Bookstore, LESTER B. PEARSON DseC. HOWE with the canvas of world politics, emphasizing the tremendous changes that have been wrought in the world situation since the Communist party was founded in Toronto 30 years ago. It gives the facts which convincingly rrove that the vibrant camp of peace and socialism( headed by the Soviet Union) is stronger than the decadent camp of war and imperialism, headeg Wy the us It confidently predicts that the Canadian people, in unity with the peoples of all lands, will stay the hands of the imperialist warmongers, will compel peace- ful co-existence and competition of the socialist and capitalist worlds, provided the working class and its allies stand firm and unite to fight for peace, democracy and national inde- pendence, The pro-U.S. forces in Can- adian society are a relatively small clique of bankers, mono- polists. munition-makers and politicians. The pro-Canadian forces make up more than 99 percent of our people, and they will win, they will elect a ma- jority of pro-Canadian MIP’s to Canada’s parliament: and estab- lish a genuine People’s Democ- racy in our time, provided the Canadian people act in good time. Above all, the LPP pro- gram is a call, a guide to labor and people’s action for Canada. Tim Buck has stressed that this program is submitted to the members of the LPP, and to all Canadians, for their study and consideration. This is another proof of the democratic charac- ter of the LPP, a proper rela- tienship between a_ political party and the people. It is a document that deserves the study of every Pacific Tribune reader. (Copies, priced at 10 cents, may be obtained in Van- couver at the People’s Coopera~ 337 West Pen- der Street.) : It is a program that will strengthen the patriots of Can- ada in their struggle against the U.S. parties and politicians at Ottawa, to uphold the honor and security of Canada, and to speed the day when the people will re-establish the supremacy and sovereignty of parliament. PACIFIC TRIBUNE — APRIL 18, 1952 — PAGE 9