eee by the Na-
tional Geographic Society
this week that it has discover-
ed a vast new blue-green area,
believed to be living vegeta-
tion, on the surface of Mars
confirms the conclusions of a
Soviet scientist, G. A. Tikhov
of the Soviet Institute of As-
trobotany.

Discovery of the 200,000-
square-mile area on Mars was
credited to Dr. E. C. Slipher,
leader of the National Geo-
graphic - Lowell Observatory

ed Mars from South Africa
last year.

The National Geographic
Society said in its announce-
ment from Washington this
week:

“The remarkable transfor-
mation indicates that the di-
vision between Martian orange-
red desert and dark areas is
not necessarily fixed or per-
manent; one may change. to

expedition which photograph- _

This es of Mars shows the much-debated “canals.”

Mars believed to have plant life

the other at any time.

“It helps support the con-
clusion that Mars is not a dead
world, that the darkening is
due to the growth of plant
life.

“Biologists suggest that this
life may be akin to lichens
that grow on earth’s barren
rocks and mountain tops.”

Suggestion _that the blue-
green patches on Mars might
be lichens was made by G. A.
Tikhoy following research at
the Soviet Institute of Astro-
botany.

Until Tikhov made his dis-
covery, the principal argument
against accepting the blue-
green patches as Martian veg-
etation was the composition
of the light from them, which
differed considerably. from
the light of ordinary vegeta-
tion on our own world.

Tikhov reasoned that the
climate of Mars was so much
colder than Earth (it goes as

low as 70 degrees below zero
at the Martian equator) that
Martian plants must be like
those in our own sub-arctic
zones.

His reasoning was borne out
by research. When sub-arctic
plants were examined at the
institute their light correspond-
ed to that of the Martian
vegetation. Tikhov suggested
that Martian plants, like
Earth’s sub-arctic plants, must
take more of the sun’s warmth-
giving rays than plants in a
warmer climate and this would
account for the deference in
light.

The National Ceoecannr
Society now plans laboratory
studies of lichens and other
plants under physical and
chemical conditions believed
to exist on Mars. The Mar-
tian atmosphere contains very
little oxygen or water vapor,
essential to life processes on
Earth.

BILL KASHTAN‘S LABOR COMMENT

OPEN FORUM

Rock Bay’s rocky road

I. F. MORTENSON, Nanai-
mo, B. C.: The other day while
in’ Courtenay, I met a work
mate by the name of — well,
let’s call him Joe — looking
very sad and despondent.

“What's the matter, Joe? You
look like you had just lost
your best friend.”

.“Well,” he says, “it’s got to
the point I think I'll have to
sell my car.

“Sell your car! What for?” °

“It’s costing me too much to
learn to drive.”

“You learn to drive! Haven’t
you been driving for years?”

“Yes,” he says, “but I guess
I’m slipping. Anyway, here’s
what happened. I got called
up for my drivers’ license re-
newal test the other day. I fig-
ured I had another year to go.
The trip down from Rock Bay,
the loss of a day’s work—in
all I figufe it cost me about
$75, and that’s only half the
story.

“I was told to make a left
hand turn at the intersection

‘and this is where I got into

trouble. I had gone ahead on
the green light but couldn’t
make the left turn because of
the cross traffic. Meanwhile
the light changed to red, and
for making the mistake of con-

-tinuing through with my left

turn, I will have to come back
for another test in six months
time.

“Since I can’t set the date
to my convenience it will likely
cost me another $75.”

“Well,” I says, “you must
obey the rules, after all they
are made in the interests of
public safety. Did you say
you work at Rock Bay? Well,
no wonder you're slipping. Do ~
you realize you are breaking
safety rules 18 times when you
go back and forth to work?

“How come? Well, you cross
nine condemned bridges which
have signs under your very
nose that proclaims them un-
safe, so coming and going adds -
up to 18, right? And if you
should drive over the new For-
estry road there are signs at
both ends that say you are us-
ing this road at your own risk.

“Now,” I continued, “what

TLC-CCL merger debate gathering steam

T= debate on the coming
TLC-CCL merger is slow-
rly gathering steam. I reported
last -week that in the US. itself,
_@ growing body of opinion is
‘beginning to shape up on the
AFL-CIO merger, crystalizing
around the issues of autonomy,
democracy and discrimination.
~ Since then John L. Lewis has
made himself heard on the sub-
ject. In a Labor Day TV inter-
view he sharply condemned
the “autocratic” character of
the AFL -
which, on the one hand,
strengthens the power of the
AFL old guard and, on the
other wipes out the autonomous
rights of all affiliates. |
He was particularly critical
of the fact that the CIO had
allowed itself to be swallowed
up without any “compensating
reward,” and predicted that
while the merger would go
through on December 5, it
nevertheless would, sooner or
later, “part like a rope of sand”
as a result of fresh internal
struggle.
A somewhat similar predic-

CIO constitution’

tion was made by Jean Mar-
chand, secretary-general of the
Canadian and Catholic Federa-
tion of, Labor (CCL) in a La-
bor Day speech to a meeting
of CCCL trade unionists. He
said: ~

“I don’t think that the CCCL —

should run in fright because
the TLC-CCL have decided
to merge. I am confident that
this unity is only transitory
and we will see new division
within a few years because
they (TLC-CCL) haven’t the
same principles.” -

The CCCL convention had
the merger as one of its main
points of discussion. If press
reports are correct, the conven-
tion has adopted a policy of
“wait and see” before commit-
ting itself one way or the oth-
er. President Gerard Picard
is recommending that if agree-
able, a committee would be
set up to. study the problem
and bring in recommendations
to next year’s convention.

Pointing to complications of
the merger because of the af-
filiation of Canadian unions

\t i
y

and’ parent bodies in the USS.,
Picard went on to say:

“Canadian workers see in
the ties that bind them to big
American unions a form of
colonialism which does not
fit in well with the national

_ Sovereignty which Canada en-—

j oys. ”

Without at the moment de-
bating with Picard whether
Canada really “enjoys national
sovereignty” the point he makes
on the colonial status of un-
ions in one country constitutes
an important contribution to
the overall ‘debate on the mer-
ger. Picard is not the first

to have raised this question’

nor will he be the last. _Soon-
er or later this issue will have

- to be resolved and the merger

itself creates some of the con-
ditions for resolving it.

fs pcetees oes pero’ ,

Two distinct trends are shap-
ing up in the course of the mer-
ger debate. One trend takes as
its point of departure the need
to eliminate those features of
the merger which are undemo-
cratic and trample on the au-

tonomous rights of the affili-
ates. It takes on the nature

of a struggle within the mer-

‘ger directed to ensuring its
democratic: content and Can-
adian character.

‘The other trend bases itself
on a perspective that continued
internal conflict will result in
the inevitable collapse of the
merger. If this attitude exists
no one else is to blame but
those top officers whose poli-
cies of disunity, McCarthyism, ‘
red’ baiting and interference in
the internal affairs of the un-
ions perpetuate harmful divi-
sions within the labor move-
ment. :

It highlights again the need
for strengthening the fight for
a democratic merger. It is on
that basis that the groundwork
can be laid to achieve genu-
ine all-inclusive trade union
unity, a unity which will truly
serve the interests of the work-
ers of our country. Progress-
ive trade unionists will contin-
ue to play a constructive role
in the fight to achieve this ob-
jective.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — SEPTEMBER 23, 1955 ae

san!
‘withdrew their offal field

ee
right have you to risk you ie
and your passengers
And speaking of the ee eae
of driving, I was just from
the other day to a logge ‘
Rock Bay, who told eon tis
in the process of shaki F.
third new car to pieces ger).
this road in the past Se

ears.
“Maybe if we add it ie of
you: will be a lot beHe
and safer to sell your ¢#» chal
a taxi while in town 4? ork.
ter a plane for. going it wil
Anyway, cheer up, J0&% ch. Be
all come out in the wa
seeing you.”

Tribute to Frank Collet

BRUCE YORKE, ge
Canada Youth Festiva collet
mittee: The late Fra? Mm aa
was a clean living, } in
honest, thorough an!
able woodworker.

His life work Ww}
serve as an inspira 0B
ada’s youth. rtict”
Frank loved sports; a
larly track and field. eno
ed to see all young Poe + fine
athletics and the :
things of life.

That’s why he was as e ws
and an active trade UM" s ine

His work as chairma® pest ;
Canada Day Youth i
Committee was typical e ue
The committee, whi alty ae
up to develop 2 he ub
of Canadianism, wa wsp?
to a McCarthy-like bo .
attack. As a res
Track and Field

jose
ill to ca

to the festival’s trac
meet.

Frank fought herd bet
their unsportsmam
But as an officer eit
sociation he had to ac
young athletes who
cial amateur cards M
ete.

" But Frank did not ee ee ‘
Under his capable st and
a very successful {°°
field meet was held. | oxtot

He was all ovel "5 pp
Oval from 10 2.1m. os poory
He trained a rola
‘on the*spot how
meet = registratio?, - sii
measuring, recording ° e
ing — everything. _

And he enjoyed - ‘ al
ute of it, He later * a ber
that he had never hae
ter time in his Ee ad

Late in the day
dragged away from Mec
ball. throw to help in
the most promising | e pil
award. He presente¢ He
with great dignity: ides
med up the whole + po"

festival in presenti ree "he?
promising athlete ' wie
he said simply to t yo

“Someday we hope « to § zs the
running for Canada i?
Olympics.’ * “4

none someday athlete “po
ed by Frank Collet Os
only compete in the wi
for Canada — they ~
win victories.

Source of all veh ae

JOE POWELL, vance
The U.S. drive for worl 4
tion is clear to @ll, use
government tries to US® "4, he:
‘unions as an instrume? ey
achieve this domination: ng He
top union leaders of at
the state departmen’, Bs
rank and file will a
back and win in the © a is

“Labor is the source | Jo
wealth; all wealth ae
to labor,” is a sloga?
be remembered by Br ;
trade unionists. ot eee