NS ie aad ag

ho is”
stifling —
Canada's

steel industry?

of making our steel industry pro-

ry
i

now working in the three basic

as its steel in-

dustry. Must Canada remain a natl

s ‘call tron:
A NATION is as eronginlee ly sone ion which does

not produce enough s
be kept tied to Wall Street,
steel industry compete:
modern nation and withou
an export trade to the steel-hun-
gry countries of Europe and the
world?

In 1947 steel production in the
U.S. reached 85 million tons. By
1950 it expects to reach a capac-
ity of 9674 million tons, the high-
est in its history. By comparison,
Canada in 1947 produced 2,779,000
tons of steel ingots and castings.
Far from satisfying our needs,
this tonnage had to be augment-
ed by the importation of 1,000,000
tons of pig iron and steel from
the U.S.

Some idea of how this favors
American steel can be seen 1n
steel production’s relation to
population. Estimated U.S. 1950
ingot production will equal three-
fourths of a ton for each person.
In 1947 it stood at three-fifths of
a ton. :

In Canada (1947) it stood at
ene-fifth of a ton for each per-
son, is two-fifths of a ton below
the present U.S. level.

For our future progressive de-
velopment this gap must be clos-
ed. But there is nothing to indi-
cate the Canadian steel industry
plans to expand its production
sufficiently to take care of this.

teel for its own needs? Must we
limping along with an iron and
letely inadequate for our own needs as a
t the perspective of developing

Canadian production, under the
impetus of war and post-war
needs, rose from 1,115,000 to the
1947 figure of 2,779,000 tons. That
proves. that. Canada has the
know-how and the means of great
expansion, not only in ingot and
casting production but also in the
many finishing processes in * the
industry. :

Reported plans for * Canadian
steel mills do not include any new
open hearth or electric furnace
techniques for the production of
ingot steel, the main basis for
finishing and fabricating opera-
tions.

A new blast furnace for the
making of ,pig iron (estimated
300,000 tons) to be finished in 1950
is projected at a cost of $15 mil-
lion at the Hamilton properties of
Dominion Foundries and Steel. A
$2. million development for the
electrolytic production of tinplate

- jg also under way at this plant. A

$20 million cold-rolled strip mill
is nearing completion at the
Hamilton Stelco plant. At Sault
Ste. Marie steel capacity has been
increased recently by 250,000 tons.

This comparatively small

growth cannot solve the problem

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@ People’s victory seen in Italy

Report from Rome by Gino Bardi__..Page © 6

@ The fight for peace

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Radio address by Henry A. Wallace....Page Ay

@ The week in the House
By Bruce Mickleburgh...—.--- Page

@ Hollywood provocateurs
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PTT

‘grade ore, 1,206,246 tons

duce enough for Canada’s needs

and for export.

a 2
GETHER with the skilled
workers, Canada possesses

great quantities of ,high grade
ore for the’ making of pig iron
used to produce steel. Our pro-
duction last year was 1,842,000
tons. According to the Financial
Fost, January 24, 1948, Canada
has immense reserves of high
grade ore, easily accessible and
workable. ' : ;

The following quotation is re-
vealing: : a

“With reserves of high grade
ores in the Great Lakes area
Mesabi range dwindling, the U.S.
must find new sources of iron ore.
High grade iron ores can be im-
ported from Brazil and _ other
outlying sectors; but they must
be brought over routes very vul-
nerable to attack in wartime. In-
land water routes can be used
to transfer ores from Canada
and Newfoundland-Labrador. Ore
sources here are regarded as
much more secure.”

In other words, U.S. iron ores
are running out, therefore the
rich resources of Canada, neces-

‘sary for the building of the Yan-

kee war machine, must be made
available.

From the Steep Rock develop-
ment in Ontario alone, with a
reserve of 70 million tons of high
were
shipped to the U.S. in the last
shipping season. It is said this
will be, the minimum rate of pro-
duction for the next few years.
Other great reserves are known
to be nearby.

Still quoting the Financial
Post: ‘“‘The 3,900 square mile con-
eession of Hollinger - controlled
North Shore Exploration Com-
pany and the adjoining 20,000
square mile Newfoundland-Labra-
dor concession of Labrador Min-
ing and Exploration Company,
also Hollinger-controlled, have re-
sponded in splendid fashion to
drill exploration this past season.
Well over 100 million tons of high
grade ore appear to have been
outlined on the joint concessions.

Association of the M. A.
Hanna Company, one of the big-
gest U.S. iron ore companies,
with Hollinger, should prove of
great assistance in this enter-
prise.”

Instead of government action to
use our resources to build up an
adequate steel industry, employ-
ing many more than the 13,000

steel plants, the government is
handing over our iron ore to the
warmakers of Wall Street. Mil-
lions of tons leave Canada by

-boat for the U.S. mills. At the

same time we import American
ore, pig iron and steel- products,
In 1945 pig iron and steel ingot
imports from U.S. alone cost $11
million. .

~ When it is kept in mind that we
do not produce any paper-mak-
ing or textile machinery. but must
import from the U.S. along with

' a large portion of steel used in

the auto industry and big quan-
tities or structural building and
ship steel, it is clear that with
a new national economic policy,
freed from the domination of
Wall Street, our steel industry
could and would be greatly ex-
panded.
e
ANADA requires a_ progres-
sive steel policy, which would
include the cutting of the work-
ing hours in basic steel from 48
hours weekly to 40 hours. At a
conservative estimate in such
conditions 35-40,000 basic steel
plant workers in place of the
present 13,000 could be employed.
We have the men, the technical
ability, the engineering and lab-
oratory skill and an abundance
of the raw materials for steel
making, including coal. One of
the proposals made by the Unit-
ed Mine Workers of Nova Scotia
in its demand to the Dominion
government for the nationaliza-
tion of coal mining is for the ex-
pansion of the stee] industry.

The growth of the steel plants,
using Canadian coal, would. have

a beneficial effect on mining and —

would mean jobs for many more
colliers, At present Stelco and
Algoma steel plants use U.S. coal.

For many years there has been
an insistent demand for the build-
ing of a steel industry in British
Columbia, as well as at the head
of the Lakes. These are practical

ideas arising out of a long-felt

need in these areas and deserve
the active support of every think-
ing Canadian.

A government which does not
promote the growth of this basis
industry—the key in the economy
of the nation—is derelict in its
duty to the people. Why doesn’t
the federal government promote
this growth? Because it is pro-

moting the interests of the mon-—

opolies as against the interests of
the country. ,
The economic policy: of the

King government is making of
Canada a hinterland of raw ma-
terial resources for the great
monopolies of the U.S., so that
our iron ore goes out and expen-
Sivé machinery ‘is imported.
Wall Street Opposes the growth
of Canadian industry to sell goods
S50 the world market in compe-
tition with American goods. The
B. demands the entire market.
ate is attempting to destroy all
°Ppposition to its Plans for world

_ domination. Just ag it prohibits

the Nationalization of t

industry in Britain, siaanceewaes
Production, ang promotes the re-
Surgence of the German steel in.
dustry under American enaiiee

In this it gets the active aj ,
the monopolists and their ee
ments in Canada. The threat of
socialism and rising dem in
the world and their hatred for the
labor movement causes the Cana-
dian capitalists to sel} their coun-
try to Wall Street. They are pre-
pared, if necessary, to subordinate
some of their immediate econo-
mic interests in favor of the U.S.
for fear of the Possibility of los-
ing all to advancing socialism.

e
"THE future of the steel indus-

try will loom larger in future
Canadian political life. The activ-
ity of the United Steelworkers’
Union, especially in the basic steel
Plants, is of key importance, The
union’s leadership ‘could do a
great service to the nation by
fighting for the industry’s growth
and for its nationalization and
arousing the trade unions to un-
derstanding and activity on this
big national question.

Union bargaining at Stelco, Al-
oma and Dosco, the three basic
steel producers, indicates that the
fight for recognition of steel as a
national industry, long sought for
by steelworkers and partially won
in 1946, is not being pressed. This
weakens the union's bargaining
power and leaves the way open
for re-establishing the wage dif-
ferential removed by the striking
workers themselves in 1946.

Similarly weakening of the un-
ion’s demand for the 40-hour week
is short sighted, not only
from the point of view of the pre-
sent interests of the union but al-
so regarding the political struggle
for steel nationalization, which
has been recommended by the na-
tional council of the CCF to the
1948 convention of that party and
long since proposed by the LPP.
M. J. Coldwell proposes “that the
primary iron and steel industry
be brought under national owner-
ship during the first term of a
CCF government.” That is to be
commended and should be fought
for by every steelworker, includ-
ing such ardent CCF’ers as C. H.
Millard, national director of the
union.

That the CCF projects nation-.
alization is of first rate import-
ance. The steel bosses surely will
exert big efforts to weaken the

‘union and obstruct its full mobil-
ization for the election of a CCF

government which proposes to
nationalize steel. The present par-
tisan policy of the union’s top —
leadership plays into their hands
and will weaken the fight for na-
tionalization if continued. Ree
The steel union, representing
50,000, can out of its vast experi- —
ence and with researchers at its
disposal, project a plan of build-—
ing a strong, nationalized
try.
Clearly the future of Canadian
steel is tied up with the defeat of
the old-line parties and the elec-
tion of a CCF government. Unity
at the polls will do it Fifty thou-
and organized steelworkers can
do a grand job against the Abbott
plan and for themselves, their
union, their families and their —

country. . :

PACKFIC TRIBUNE—APRIL 2, 1948—PAGE 5