Grand Fall

—vast hydro giveaway

$ project

In arecent article dealing with the Columbia Treaty sellout, S. Sarkin,
whose articles have often appeared in the PT, writes that the treaty is a ne-
gation of our sovereignty, and that with it the U.S. has opened wide the doors
for a new huge project called Grand Falls Projeet in Labrador.

Space does not permit publication of the full article but we publish below
the section dealing with this project which would mean the further export of

hydro electric power from this country.

By S. SARKIN

The New York Times of Jan,
12, 1964, carried a story under
the heading ‘‘The Change of Can-
adian Policy Makes Possible the
Export of Electricity’’. The story
goes on to say that *tin about
1968 New York’s Broadway will
be lit by power which will flow
over a thousand miles from Lab-
rador and this will be done by
a corporation known as Brinco
(British Newfoundland Corpora-
tion Ltd.)’”’

This Corporation was organ-
ized in 1953 (originally by the
Rothchilde Banking interests) and
is owned by seven English, Can-
adian and American Banks and
mining companies. It has already
obtained the concessions for all
forest, water and mineral
resources over an area in Lab-
rador and Newfoundland which is
larger than England and Wales
put together.

Only recently, the shares of
Brinco rose from $5 to $7. The
new hydroproject is based on
the use of the Hamilton River and
the well known Grand Falls lo-
cated on this river. These waters
consitute a potential hydro elec-
tric power of 20 million kilowatts.
This is 3 times larger than the
famous Coulee Dam and will
rank as the greatest hydropower
project in the Western world.

Recent developments in tech-
nology make it possible totrans-
port electricity over long dis-
tances, It should be noted that
this was first demonstrated in
the Soviet Union. A most inter-
esting side effect of the pro-
jected development of the Grand
Falls has been the fact that the
Consolidated Edison Company
has decided to halt plans for the
building of an atomic electric
power station in the state of New
York. :

This company has become a
participant in the Grand Falls
project, It seems that despite
the long distances involved inthe
transmission of the electricity, it
will be much cheaper than build-
ing an atomic plant in the state
of New York.

Three governments were in-
volved in granting these con-
cessions to this private company
called Brinco. In the first place,
it was necessary toget agreement

from Newfoundland. Because
Quebec has some jurisdiction
in Labrador and also because it
is anticipated that transmission
lines will run through that pro-
vince, her approval was eS-
sential. Then, too, the Federal
Government needed to give
agreement because of the inter+
national boundary involved.
_ The chief credit for bringing
together all parties around this
deal is given to R.H. Winters
who is chairman of Brinco. Win-
ters was a former cabinet mini-
ster of the St. Laurent gov-
ernment. He carried the port-
folios of Resources and Develop-
ment, as well as the Department
of Public Works. Winters was
well known as the protege of
C.D. Howe and is a close friend
of Premier Lesage of Quebec.
In addition, he numbers
amongst his friends Mr. Small-
wood of Newfoundland and Prime
Minister Pearson. Except forthe
fact that heis Chairman ofBrinco
he also holds Directorships in

13 huge companies and has im-.

portant connections on Wall St.
During the Eisenhower campaign
he wore an “I like Ike’’ button
and in the Federal election cam-
paign of 1962-63 Winters was an
active money raiser for the Lib-
eral Party, He travelled through-
out Eastern Canada and ad-
dressed meetings for Liberal
candidates,

All of the above is information
gathered from a story carried in
the New York Times dated Jan.
12, 1964, Thus, it is not diffi-
cult to see why this gentleman
was in such a strategic position
to bring the parties together and
put the deal-over.

The News and World Report
of Jan. 27, 1964, carries a story
in connection with the Columbia
Treaty and the New Grand Falls
project. This story states that
‘699 local producers of hydro
power in ten American states

are investigating the possibility .

of importing power from a pos-
sible project on the Nelson River
in Manitoba,’’

Thus the picture emerges that
the sellout on the Columbia River
is only a part of ageneral sellout
of all Canadian water resources
to the United States. What is
involved here is a partnership
with the financial moguls of the
United States and Canada.

Liberals suffer setback;
Communists gain in UBC vote

On February 5, the annual
Model Parliament elections at
U.B.C. were held. The results,
which reflect the changes that
have taken place in Canadian
politics since the melting of the
Cold War began, are significant.

Last year, the campus Liberals
received: a clearcut majority of
votes gaining 41 of 80 seats in
the House; this year they will
form a minority government. of
36 seats.

The Liberal failure at UBC
echoes the Party’s shaky position
in Ottawa and is evidence of
student disillusionment with Lib-
eral policies on nuclear arms,
the Columbia River, and higher
education. While UBC students
face continually rising fees, the
Liberals have done nothing to
implement the 10,000 scholar-

:ships promised to university stu-

The UBC Liberals tried to
conceal their bankrupt policies
under the slogan ‘‘Happiness is
Voting Liberal’’; fortunately, the
majority of voters was not de-
ceived.

In contrast, the Communists
on campus organized an election
campaign around the slogans
‘‘Send the Bombs Back to the
U.S.A.?’, “Stop the Columbia
Sellout’’, and ‘Free Education’’.
Because of the new student in-
terest in Communism and
because the Communist Party’s
consistent fight on important
issues, the Communist vote at
UBC rose from 94 votes to 212.
This gives the Party 3 seats in
the House, one more than last
year.

Unfortunately, the NDP on
campus failed to gain one of the
five seats lost by the Liberals.

nae elle OS sare me | ee i te Spon NS ais |, Pegi GE a 4. | SRE

LABOR ROUNDUP

B.C. laborg

The labor movement in B. C.
has thrown itself into the fight to
save what’s left of the federal
government’s pension plan. Post
cards to MPs and petitions to.
Parliament are on hand at the
offices of the Vancouver Labor
Council, at the Labor Temple on
Broadway.

VLC officials report that many
affiliated unions have already
taken the cards and petitions for -
circularizing among trade union-
ists and the public generally.

The post card urges MP’s to
vote in favor of the pension
scheme, Aim of the petition is to
get 100,000 signatures in favor of
this progressive legislation be-
fore the coming session of Par-
liament.

Indicative of public reaction to
the Liberal government’s retreat
on pensions was a statement made
early in the week by NDP na-
tional leader Tommy Douglas.,
Speaking in Calgary, Douglas

charged that changes in the orig-
inal Liberal election promises
represented ‘‘a sellout to the in-
surance’’ monopolies:

Such tactics are characteristic
of the Liberal party, he stated,
During elections they pose as
progressives, but as soon as.they
assume office, the real powers—
those who ‘pay the piper’’ — take
over. :

: @

Contract negotiations are un-
derway in anumber of industries.
The giant IWA is holding its re-
gional wages and contract de-
mands conference on Thursday,
Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20, 21
and 22, Plans have been laid for
extending the conference to Sun-
day, if necessary.

Local 1-217 (Vancouver) has
already stated it will propose a
30-cent an hour across-the-
board increase, plus anaddition-
al 30 cents for tradesmen. In ad-
dition, itis expected that attempts

Two labor pioneers

Two working class leaders,
known throughout the land, cele-
brated their sixtieth birthdays
together in Vancouver last week.
Joe Gershman, the editor of the
Canadian Jewish Weekly, was
in the city for the annual drive
of the paper andfriends and com-
rades utilized the occasion for
the celebration of the birthday
of Sid Sarkin and J. Gershman
together.

Joe Gershaman and Sid Sar-
kin are both pioneer builders
of the working class movement
in Canada. Both of them were
active participants in the
struggle to build the trade union
movement in eastern Canada.
Both have spent their entire adult
life in the fight for better working
‘conditions for the working people,
for peace and for socialism.
It was therefore most fitting that
these two old and stalwart com-
rades-in-arms should have had
a twin celebration.

Upon receiving the gifts and the
‘good wishes of their many
friends, Sid Sarkin said that ‘‘the
best gift which can be made to
both of us is to build our move-
ment,, increase the circulation
of our press and win the young
people for peace and socialism’’.

He went on to relate some in-
cidents which both he and Gersh-
man shared in the struggles. Joe
Gershman expressed the thought
that what was being celebrated
was not the birthdays of two
individuals, but that it represen-

SID SARKIN
ted a tribute to our movement.

The editor of the Canadian
Jewish Weekly analysed the chan-
ges which are taking place in the
world today and spoke about the
need to win over the Jewish
masses to the camp of peace and
progress.

An appeal was made for the
paper and over two thousand
dollars was raised on a quota of
twenty-five hundred dollars. The
warm and joyful evening was
concluded with a. special tribute
which included appropriate
songs, slides and narration. The
entire evening was an expression
of deep affection and respect to
Joe Gershman and Sid Sarkin,
and the movement they represent.

Photo shows the first woman cos monaut, Valentina Tereshkova,

at a reception given in her honour

‘In London where she was warmly

irds strength
for hectic pensions battle

‘military control of NATO.”

will be made to win a5-day week
6-hour day for shingle weavers—
a condition already won intheil"
dustry in the U.S.A, Other locals
have not made public their d@
mands, ic
6 i

J. A. Laffling has been appoint
ed Conciliation Officer in the n®
gotiations between the Vancouve
Civic Employees Union (Outside
Workers) and the city, The unid?
is demanding 19 cents an hol!)
on a one year contract.
Jack Phillips, union secretar
has charged an attempt will
made to hold workers to a lev®
close to that established earli@l
in Burnaby - $2.14 an hour, Lak)
fling was also conciliation offic#
in the dispute. .

i )

Negotiations between the Pp
vince’s carpenters and contraé™
tors are reported to have rea
ed a deadlock. The Union is dee
manding a considerable tighten
ing up of its contract inthe fields
of room and board, travellife
time, and wage parity with othe!
trades in the construction indus”
try, such as plumbers and ele@
trical workers:

The union is offering a tw?
year agreement; the contractol®
want one for five years, Nego"
tiations started at the end of No
vember, 1963,

@

Mine Mill has charged in #
press release that Section 55 of
the Labor Relations Act, whic
legalizes government strike
breaking, is part of‘‘the farewe!
potion mixed by Joseph Morti®
just before he was promoted from
head of the IWA to a Vice-Presi”
dent of the CLC.”’

The union states it requestel
the removal of this section a9 T@
‘cently as January 28 (in its a”
nual brief to Victoria) while th?
rest of the labor movement ‘'T@
mained silent,’ because of its
association with Morris and th
IWA,

CYPRUS

Cont'd from pg. 1!
Charter and the generally 2%
cepted norms of internatio?
law, are now trying to foist of
the people and governments Q
Cyprus a solution of problem
which concerns only Cypriots

The Soviet Premier charg)
that the plan for a NATO fore’
is a ‘flagrant encroachment
the sovereignty, independen™
and freedom of the Republic °
Cyprus, an attempt to put thié
small neutral State under #

Should we speak at all abot!
discussing the Cyprus problem#
an international forum,” sail
Khrushchev, ‘‘there exists
agreement between all state”
embodied in the United Natio™
Charter, as to where such issv@
should be considered.”’ 3

Acceptance by the Liberal gov’
ernment in Ottawa of the NA”
police plan for Cyprus would eft
danger world peace and enme?
Canada in NATO military act!
which could lead to Canadia”
fighting against peoples in sca
tered parts of the world. :

Coming soon after the ace
ance, under U,S. pressure
NATO ‘‘commitments,’’ of nv
clear arms on Canada territo!!
support for the U.S.-British P¥%
would further endanger Canad?
security and prestige.

Rather than become enmesh@
in NATO military action on CY,
prus the Canadian governmel
should be pressed to demand tt)
the whole issue be placed in th
hands of the United Nations o

PS inayore @

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