Food

lothes
‘peer

Tobaree Se

-By ANDREW ROTHSTEIN

Founders of Soviet state

A

looked forward to this day

aS the 37th anniversary of the

‘USSR approaches, it finds the
Soviet people taking giant strides
forward on the road from Social-
ist to communist society by org-
anizing abundance of consumer
goods.

The founders of the Soviet
state always looked forward to

‘this day.

Lenin told an economic con-

gress in May 1918: _

“Socialism alone will make
possible a wide expansion of
social production and distribu-
tion and their effective subordi-
nation to scientific considera-
tions with a view to easing the
lives of all working people to
the utmost, making it possible
for them to live in prosperity.”
During the long years when

the Soviet people were making
great efforts to build up the
heavy industries — coal, iron,
steel, engineering, chemicals, oil
— Stalin and his colleagues point-
ed out again and again that this
was a means to an end.

The end was the complete eco-
nomic reorganization of the USSR
on the basis of public ownership-
and management, to ensure its
independence and the rapid rais-
ing of the standards of life of its
people. — : :

In his last work, Economic
Problems of Socialism in the
USSR, Stalin again underlined
the latter aim. The time to put
it into effect has now arrived.

In October 1952, the 19th Con-
gress of the Communist party of
the Soviet Union prepared the
way. It provided for speeding up
the rate of expansion of consumer
goods imdustries and proclaimed
the aim, as Malenkov said, of

“creating in our country, with-
in a short space of time, an
abundance of food for the popu-
lation and of raw materials for
light industry.”

On August é, 1953, Malenkov
announced that that program was
being speeded up still further.

The consumer-goods output
planned for 1955 would be reach-
ed “much sooner.”

The 70 percent increase in re-
tail trade, compared with 1950,
which was planned for 1955 would
be reached in 1954. :

“Hitherto we have had no pos- _

sibility of developing light indus-
try and the food industry at the
same rate as heavy industry,”
said Malenkov, but now there
could be “a drastic change.”

am t xt

These _ figures reflect the
change: :

+ Dairy butter marketed in
Tsarist Russia in 1913 totalled
104,000 tons (half. of it for ex-
port). ‘ : .

-couver, $5; _
$1; N.C., Port Moody, $1.50; N.W.~

In 1953 it was 400,000 tons; in
1955 it is to be 560,000 tons; and
the following year 650,000 tons. ’

+ Sugar output now is nearly
three times that of Tsarist Rus-
sia and in 1956 will be four times
the 1913 figure.

+ More than twice as much
fish is being landed today as in
1913, and there are to be further
huge increases.

+ Twenty times as much con-
fectionery as in 1913 is being
produced.

Heavy industry now represents
70 vercent of Soviet industrial
output and employs 70 percent of
industrial workers — “the mat-
erial basis of socialism” as Mik-
oyan put it — is expanding still
further.

Giant programs of industrial
aid to China and Korea ‘are be-
ing carried through. ~<

Trade agreements are in effect,
not only with People’s China and
the People’s Democracies - of
Europe and Asia, but with India,
Britain and many Western coun-
tries. :

The years 1953-54 have seen a
further great expansion of the
Soviet people’s purchasing power
— the market for their growing
output.

Successive price cuts have

“Now,don't get ideas - theyre low
uncivilised people over there who.
don't understand our Western ways!"

WE PLL
[ cost or uiving cur |
ices bei eae

brought prices down to just over
' 40 percent of 1947 levels.

The output of consumer goods
is being accelerated by switching
many defense industries to con-
sumer goods production.

By 1955 they will producing
one-seventh of the Soviet Union’s
bicycles; over half its aluminum
kitchen utensils; nearly two-
thirs of its refrigerators; over a
quarter of its metal bedsteads.

% it t :

These and many other figures

“bring to mind the preliminary
conditions for the development
of Socialist society into Commun-
ism indicated by Karl Marx in his
Critique of the Gotha Program—
when productive forces have “in-
creased with the all-round devel-
opment of the individual, and all
the springs of cooperative wealth
flow more abundantly.”

It is only in the light of all
these great results, with the So-
viet Union’s gathering speed on
the road to Communist society,
that its initiatives for peace in
so many directions — the Geneva
Conference, prohibition of atomic

weapons, disarmament — can be

properly understood.
All these initiatives breathe the
quiet confidence of immense

- strength — and immense resolu-
tion to strengthen world peace.

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

remarks

Gov't has dog-eared-

views on jobless, foo

HE outery against U.S. Defense
Secretary Charles Wilson’s
“workers are like dogs” state-
ment show that the working class
and the people have gone a long
way since the Hungry Thirties.
They are not going to let anyone
get away with insults like that;
neither do they accept the view-
point that unemployment and its
solution is not a government re-
sponsibility.

This is not the first time Wil-
son has blurted out what he really
thinks. Shortly after he became
a cabinet member he said that

“what is good for General Motors
is good for the country.” His
expose. the fact that
maximum profits, not jobs and
higher living standards, is the
studied policy of U.S. big busi-
ness and its Cadillac cabinet.

x % 5o3

Do we have any “Charles Wil-
sons” in.Canada? Far. too many
— and not the least of them
“What’s a Million” C. D. Howe,
second in command to Prime
Minister St. Laurent.

Now neither Howe or St. Laur-
ent has said publicly what Wil-

“son said. But action speaks loud-

er than words. After all, is the
St. Laurent cabinet doing any
different than Eisenhower’s cab-
inet?

Unemployment is rising in Can-
ada. It is generally estimated
that there will be about 750,000
jobless across the country this
winter.

In this situation what does the
government do? Every statement
issued from Ottawa so far sug-
gests that the government in-
tends doing nothing. Indeed, one
sees again the sort of situation
which prevailed in the Hungry
Thirties with every level of gov-
ernment passing the buck to
someone else. Unemployment has
become a political football. Govy-
ernments twiddle their thumbs

- while whole families go hungry.

Wilson tells the unemployed to
fend for themselves; the St. Laur-
ent government does likewise.

OPEN FORUM

Received with thanks 3

J.L.; Vancouver, $2.40; J.W.,
Port Edward, $1; R.W., Vancou-
ver, $1; J.., Okanagan Mission,
$2: NS, Vancouver, $1; J.L.,
Cumberland, $1; J.0.A., Sointula,
$1; W.A., Allison Harbor, $6.50;
A.J.C., Prince George, $1; LB.,
Vancouver, $1; M.B., North Van-
couver, 50c; T.M., Wellington, $2;
A Friend of Ol’ Bill, Vancouver,
$5; A.B., Extension, 55¢; R.K.,
Prince Rupert, $3; J.S., Vancou-
ver, $1.50; M.J.E., Prince Rupert,
$10; H.B., Alberta, $2.

O.R., Salt Spring Island, $2;
H.R.Y., Vancouver, $1; O.W.,
Vancouver, $3; J.C.C., Courtenay,
$1.50; Mr. M., Vancouver, $1;
W.W.L.,. Calgary, $2; V.1-C., Van-
N.N.S., Vancouver,

B.,‘ Vancouver, $1.50; P.K., Van-
couver, $2; J.K., Vancouver, $1;
J.C., Port Alberni, 50c; M.R., Vic-
toria, $2.50; W.C., New Westmin-
ster, $1.50; C.W.S., Willow River,
$1.50; L.C., Vancouver, 40c; W.M.
R., Vancouver,. $1.50; 3

AML, Vancouver, $1.50; EF.,

New Westminster, 40c; WF.,
Vancouver, $1.50; J.T.D., North

Burnaby, 40c; C.G., Prince
George, $1.50; L.J.M., Prince Ru-
Fert, $1.50; G.N:, Courtenay,
$1.50; J.B., Vancouver, 90c; A.H.,
New. Westminster, $1.50; F.A.W.,
New Westminster, $1.50; W.S.,
North Vancouver, $5; A.E.E., Sas-
katchewan, $1.50; E.G., Vancou-
ver, $1.50; A.G., Whonnock, $4.50;

A.E.E., Saskatchewan, 50c; J.G.,

Kamloops, $1.50; J.N., Kamloops,
$1.50; H.K., Nelson, 50c; E.D.,
Vancouver, $30; S.H., Vancouver,
$1.50. .

German rearmament

C.J.C., Vancouver, B.C.: Recent-
ly I wrote to the Vancouver Sun

objecting to an article entitled

“Save Germany for the West”

and pointing out that this view- .

point is in line with those people
who seem obsessed by ‘the idea
that Europe must be kept divid-
ed. However, the Sun refused
to publish my letter. /

Fe

Why must Germany be “saved”
for anyone?

« Professor Bernard Lavergne,
in his article “What Should be

‘Known about the so-called Euro-

pean Army” draws a comparison
between the various postwar
French governments and _ their
policies and that of the Vichy
government: { i

“It is a most lamentable fact,”
he writes, “that for four years
now our governments have, un-
der one pretext or another, been
pursuing a policy of gradually
conceding to Germany the advan-
tages which Hitler, had he been
victorious, would have demanded
of us outright. In other words,
a Vichy policy is being pursued,
we are voluntarily and gradually
giving up what a victorious Ger-

‘many would have taken away

from us by force, and at once.”

Professor Lavergne concludes
by stating that only a policy that
aims at agreement between East
and West can guarantee peace.
How true!

sad

Wilson uses insulting words; St

Laurent follows the “soft-words-

turneth - away - wrath” technique.
They both, however, have the
same point in view.

x ut x

There is obvious need for 2
much more powerful upsurge of
activity by the entire labor move
ment. Time is running out. .

The fight must be centred ‘a
the demand that government po}

cy be directed to expanding PIO

duction lines and ending bread-
lines. But, if production lines
are to be extended to produce the
things needed by the Canadian
pegple and peoples elsewhere, |
labor movement must begin fight
ing for policies which will make
that possible.

It is not enough to demand 12
creases in unemployment insur-
ance, Family Allowances, Pe
sions and so on, essential as
measures are to protect the Ui
employed. But they don’t create
many jobs.

What there must be is a 2®
tional development program cP
unrestricted trade with the wor
as the essential element of 4
successful ‘fight for the millior
new jobs this country must have

This can be achieved only in ahs :
ditions of peace, not in condition>

of the present Made-in-USA col
-war. ,

The St. Laurent government 1
following the Wilson line. It
essential therefore that the labo"
movement fight for a change
the direction of Ottawa policy 2”
for polices which put an en

This is the basis upon vehict
the fight for full employme?

and higher living standards ¢4?

be successfully waged. This Hh
‘also the way to deal with :
Wilsons in Canada. Lape

Flashbacks

40 years ago

(From the files of the phe
Federationist, November 6, 19

The B.C. Federationist blamed

land ‘speculators for the fac* Cae
nearly a score of old-time T° :
dents of the New Westrunsté
district left B.C. to take up Ja”.
in Tasmania.- The paper St@ ime
that in B.C. “the best land has a
ready been given over to ee
speculators, who are merely 1?
ing it at increased prices. as:
money-making proposition.”

\

eel) years ago

(From the files of The Advocater

November 3, 1939)

Pioneer Miners Union ant
ed it would appeal convict!
W. A. Cameron, one of six
executive members charge :
unlawfully calling a strike 7
refusing to bargain colle
with Pioneer Gold Mines.

union

‘union charged that the compare 4

had refused to bargain colle
ly with it.
10 years ago

(From the files of The PeoP!
November 4, 1944)

The lLabor-Progressive Le

called for provincial owners
of all hydro-electric hase
and municipal ownership of
BCER. ; :

_ PACIFIC TRIBUNE — NOVEMBER 5, 1954 — PA\

the

these

{eto
the U.S. domination of Canada. —

nounc-

d with —

ctively Dl

rees

.

pata ante tied

iy