wi nwa A PRE REA iy SOE piaplihipiipineen- aiken REAR EBT A A NB Tw aT ON Lumber layoffs mounting on Island, but govt has no trade proposals [ims ext] (ny cific | eT vonennnanul ay j i ural a & TEUINE: n ape, Net tes Gece ‘acc Uo 1 oe rc FRIDAY, MARCH 20, 1953 Continued from page 1 THIS WEEK ment have provided the main fireworks of the session, Premier Bennett has skilfully laid over estimates for. these departments to the end of the debate. A glimpse of how much is in- volved in the Socred hospital in- surance policies and refusal to eliminate the dollar-a-day co-in- surance charge, was indicated in a release last week from the pro- vincial health and welfare de- partment, stating that one in every six people in the province will be admitted to hospital in 1953. This means that out of a population of 1,165,210 an esti- mated 194,201 will be hospital- ized this year. , Taking the average co-insur- ance payment of $10 per patient, it can be seen that the govern- ment’s refusal to eliminate co-in- surance will cost the people of B.C. nearly $2 million this year alone. The government needs to be pressed hard on this issue. All political groups, unions, farm, community, women’s and cultural organizations should take up the challenge and make their voices heard. These unnecessary and unfair co-insurance levies can be eliminated, but it will take united action to do the job. — ' ok * * Another issue on which the Bennett government has come under heavy fire, and on which it is failing the people, is the vital question of action at the provincial level to get at the pressing problem of finding trade outlets for British Columbia’s_in- ‘reasing pile-up of unsold lum- ber, fish and agricultural pro- ‘duction. This week the plight of large numbers of loggers and mill- workers was drawn to the atten- tion of the House. Presed hard by CCF’ers Moore, Gargrave, Nim- sick and Strachan for action to regain the British and Common- wealth markets, Premier Ben- nett rejected the proposal of a government trade commissioner for the United Kingdom. However the last has not been heard on this key political prob- lem of markets, which concerns the jobs of all those employed in and dependent on primary industries. That this is a major issue not only for lumber and fishing, but for the farm popula- tion (which elected the major- ity of Socred MLAs) is borne out by one of the main resolutions adopted without opposition by the B.C. Federation of Agricul- ture in January: “That we peti- tion the British Columbia gov- ernment through proper British ‘channels to make searching en- quiries into the feasibility of any project such as barter, sterling acceptance, etc., that can be util- ized to develop a more equit- able two-way trade between this province and the United King- dom so as to re-open the U.K. market for B.C. agricultural pro- ducts.” This timely and concrete reso- lution refiects the fact brought out in the latest release of the Dominion Bureau of Statistics, that not only was there a drop of $38 million in the net cash income to farmers from the sale of farm products, but $11 mil- lion of that loss (almost one- third of the national total) was suffered by the farmers of B.C. The Socred government ap- parently has yet to learn what a devastating impact the loss of trade resulting from Ottawa’s war-crisis policies will have on the B.C. economy. Jobs in our main industries are dependent on the export of 60 percent of the lumber production; 80 per- cent of the newsprint; 60 percent of the fish; practically the entire production of the metal mines and 32 percent of the farm pro- ducts. If something is not done, and done quickly, not only tem- pers in the legislature will fly; ‘the people will have their say! * * * Both B.C. industry and agri- culture was dealt another severe blow last week, when the fifth general freight rate increase was granted by the Federal Trans- port Commission. Indicative of how the monopolists (railways, packers, wholesalers, not to men- tion equipment and fertilizer manufacturers) are squeezin, every last cent out of the farm- ers and consumers is the latest release of the Economics Divi- sion of the Ottawa government. According to this official re- port, comparing 1935 and 1951, the Canadian farmer received an increase of 33 percent of the consumer’s dollar on beef, while ‘the marketing cost between pro- ducer and consumer skyrocketed 236 percent. On eggs the pro- ducer received an increase of eight percent, while marketing costs rose 110 percent. On cer- tain vegetables, the producer’s increase was 10 percent, while marketing costs rose by 170 per-. cent. Here is to be seen the typical story behind the intolerable para- dox of the sharply falling cash income of the farmer and pres- ent inflationary living costs of the consumer. Railway freight rates, which had risen six times in four years to a total of 70 percent before the latest increase was announced, are responsible for: a considerable part of that picture. ‘ The people of B.C. will unite around the actions of the pro- vincial government and numer- ous municipal administrations which have taken up the fight against present grossly unfair and discriminatory freight charges. A campaign of resolu- tions, telegrams, letters address- ed to the Chairman, Board of Transport Commissioners, .Otta- wa, should be taken up protest- ing the exorbitant rates and de- manding redress. Delegations to local MP’s should be organized to make it clear that railway charges is going to be an im- portant federal election issue. VICTORIA, B.C. The Social Credit government is content to leave any action to regain Britis Columbia’s lost British and Commonwealth lumber markets in the hands of the’ sales = agencies of the big lumber monopolists, dominated by Macmillan and Bloedel’s and Sea’ board Sales. Premier W. A. C. Bennett has refused to support the suggestion for 4 special government trade commission to go to Britain. Confronted by a barrage of questions from the CCF markets for B.C. wood products and rising unemployment amongst loggers and millworkers, Lands and Forest Minister R. E. Sommers insisted that the government was doing all it could under the “private enterprise” system and attempted to pass the buck for trade problems to the federal department of trade and industry. Repeatedly challenged by IWA. official Tony Gargrave (CCF, ~ Mackenzie) as to what plans the government had for stepping in if private enterprise failed to regain lost markets, Sommers dodged and twisted. He said markets depended on world prices, asked “what can we do?” and argued that trade was a federal matter. Premier Bennett came to the aid of his beleaguered colleague by saying that he had had conversations with the British assistant _ trade commissionr. He declined to say what results were achieved opposition on falling export Continued and rejected a suggested by Robert Strachan (CCF, Cowichan-. Newcastle) that the government send a trade commission to Bri- tain. He ‘indicated, however, that he would support any such action by industry. Referring to the plight of large numbers of loggers and mill- workers thrown out of work by closing of Vancouver Island lum- ber camps, William Moore (CCF, 'Comox) asked angrily, “When. will you. consider the situation dire enough to act. Should the loggers-go on the bread lines?” Sommers replied that the gov- ernment was “certainly disturb- éd” but could only hope that world conditions would improve. Questioned by Leo Nimsick (CCF, Cranbrook) as to any plans of the government if the situa- tion got worse, Sommers said it would be dealt with “as and when” it arose. Strachan replied that for the unemployed loggers “it's here now” and demanded. to. know what Sommers’ depart- ment proposed to do to see that men able to work could go to work. In answer, Sommers prom- ised that “we will look after our people when they are needy.” Opposition leader Harold Winch requested an elaboration of this latter statement, pointing out that at present employable unemployed received no assist- ance from the province. He ask- ed, “Is.there a policy to take care of those in logging and sec- ondary industry who are unem- ployed and whose unemployment Continued GOTTWALD the unity of the Czech and Slovak working people. He steadfastly opposed the policy of the Benes- Mazaryk government which back- ed the Chamberlain “appease- ment” of Hitler and an anti- Soviet orientation. He was a foremost fighter against the hat- -ed Munich policy which betrayed Czechoslovakia to Hitler. Gottwald was the initiator of the December 12, 1943, Treaty of Friendship’ between Czecho- slovakia and the Soviet . Union. He led the working class in the feces of May, 1945, when the revolution of the Czechoslo- vak working people established the People’s Republic of Czecho- slovakia. After the 1946 election he became prime minister. In February, 1948, Gottwald led the unmasking and routing of the Operation X plot of the > U.S. imperialists to overthrow the people’s government and swing’ Czechoslovakia back into the capitalist orbit as they had™ done with Tito’s Yugoslavia. : i insurance is exhausted,” but gov- ernment benches were silent. Laura Jamieson (CCF, Van- couver Centre) also got the silent treatment when she suggested a - public housing program make use of surplus lumber. Weakness of the CCF attack was the lack of concrete pro- posals—none of the suggestions put forward by the labor move- ment for barter or for sterling credits were raised. Sommers seized on this point to charge that the CCF were only interest- ed in having the government go into the lumber business and sell lumber. Some color was lent to his argument by Gargrave’s sug- gestion that the companies pro- duce logs under contraet to the government. ° ; CCCL ~ prive workers of the right 10 strike and the right to picket when on strike. ; _ Among other things, the CCCL - delegation’s brief urged that: — 1. Income tax exemptions be increased and persons evading income tax payments be dealt with severely. 2. Canadian steamship com | panies be required to build an repair their ships in Canadian yards to maintain the ship puild- ing industry at a high level % efficiency. 3. The Unemployment Insult ance Act be amended to increas® payments to unemployed and extend coverage of the act. 4. Old-age pensions be creased to $50 from $40 a mon and made ‘payable to women @ 60 and men at 65, instead of 70 for both sexes. a 5. A pension plan be devised to cover disabled persons. 6. Labor organizations be 8 en free time for CBC broadcasts: 7. Down payments and inter est rates be lowered for prospe™ tive homeowners. : eo! He Sang The U.S. State Department said Paul Robeson couldn’t leave his country to sing to Canadians He sang at the Peace Arch to many thousands! AND AGAIN He will sing and speak for you on the records — of that concert produced by the International Union of Ming, Mill and Smelter Workers! OBTAINABLE NOW FROM: International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers 111 DUNSMUIR ST. Long play 33 1/3 Three record album 78 $6 No. desired (1 | PLUS SHIPPING CHARGES AND TAX. For Us ! 4 And Now He Sings Again — .»VANCOUVER $5 No. desired cel | | in of /