OL’ BILL SHORT JABS F anyone should tell you that Ol’ Bill is thinking of taking a flyer in the field of “free enterprize” it might seem strange and unbel- ievable but at the same time it might be true. During this last week I was confronted with an almost unanswerable argument for that economic program. “Free enterprise,” with a little government mon- opoly assistance looks as if it might be the way to solve some of my economic problems. The argument which has caused me to give an ear to the free enterprisers is a statement of the B.C. Hospital In- Surance Service and it has made me think seriouSly of opening a hespital. 2 Most of the readers of this column know that OI’ Bill has been on the sick list for some time. Last year, along with almost everybody in the province, I found myself mulcted of My share of the so-called gov- ernment hospital insurance scheme (good name), $15 in ™My case. Naturally then, I thought I was' entitled to hospitalization, being sick almost to emergency status at the time. I spoke to the doctor about the chances of getting into the hos- pital. His answer was, “Just try it.” However, it did come to the point where he had to get me into Vancouver General Hospital. I was packed there on a stretcher but before being admitted I was interviewed by one of the brass-hats of the administration. That lady in- < formed me that I would have to agree to pay four dollars a day over and above what the government paid. Not in these words exactly, but that was the tenor of the conversation. I refused to pay any such charge and told her that I had paid my Sovernment insurance for the year and from the government state- ments of what it covered I was entitled to be admitted without any further charge. I was told that they had discussed it with the doc- tor’s secretary and that was the figure agreed on. “Well,” I replied; “you can collect it from her or from Pearson, but I’m not going to pay for it!” meén whispered to me, “Agree to demand to see and when you get in whose name I cannot I spent 27 days there and at the end of that period received a ‘bill for $40.50—$1.50 a day. I got nothing more for that than bed and board if we leave out a couple of doses of Epson salts. Service in settlement of the hospital account of the beneficiary named below.” I am the beneficiary, of course. ‘It shows 27 days, the date of entry and discharge and the amount paid by the B.C. Hospital Insurance Service to the hospital on my account. Now open your eyes! I did when I read the amount. It was $351. Not bad, eh? No operating room, no laboratory service, no dressings, no x-ray, no penicillin or other high-priced adjuncts to medical practice. Just room and board and a couple of doses of Salts worth about 10 cents ‘a pound. $13 a day paid by the hospital insurance scheme and $1.50 paid by myself. $14.50 a day. For that Price one should get a good room in the Hotel Vancouver. Just remember the poppycock the Liberal-Tory candidates were peddling in the recent provincial elections about what their hospital insurance service had done for the sick and ailing people of B.C. and then remember thé statement made by Health Minister George Pearson to the legislature that the act had done wonders in -enabling the hospitals of B.C. to collect bills that otherwise would have remained unpaid. Although I hate to say “TI told you so,” this statement proves. what I contended at the time of Pearson’s speech, that it is not the - Sick and ailing people who are to be benefited by this piece of Liberal- Tory legislation, that the scheme is designed to insure the financial Position of the B.C. hospitals, FROM ... EARL SYKES “Everything in Flowers” 56 E. Hastings ST. PA. 3855 | goo Castle Jewelers i'w Watchmaker, Jewellers |Next to Castle Hotel 752 Granville MA. 8711 A. Smith, Mgr. YEAST END 3 Ake} UNION DRIVERS HA. 0334 Fully 24-Hour Insured Service 613 East Hastings, Vancouver Vancouver, B.C. STANTON & MUNRO Barristers, Solicitors, Notaries SUITE 515, FORD BUILDING, 193 E. HASTINGS ST. (Corner Main & Hastings Sts.) MArine 5746 Rail leader dead ‘To A. F. Whitney (top), who died of a heart at- tack last month, as president of the Brotherhood of Railroad Trainmen, the union’s executive board has named William P. Kennedy (bottom), secretary- treasurer of the unaffiliated rail union for the past two years. Machinists — fight Beck. SEATTLE The big brass of the AFL is now cracking the whip over its respective internationals in an ef- fort to help Teamster Dave Beck paste a big union label on the strikebreaking outfit he organized behind the Aero-mechanics’ picket line at Boeing’s here. : With a National Labor Relations Board election due soon Beck’s main strategy is to prevent the workers from being presented with a clear choice between the Internationa] Association of Ma- chinists, and his own phoney “Aeronautical Workers and Ware- housemen” which carries the brand of the scab. : Beck figures his chances are much better if he can present the contest as being between the un- affiliated Machinist lodge and the “American Federation of Labor.” To this end he is forcing craft unions such as the Electricians, Carpenters and Painters to at- tempt to intervene. Some of these locals (whose jurisdiction is not menaced either way the election comes out) withdrew their peti- tions. But phone calls from inter- nationals sent them scurrying back to the NURB offices to re- PRES : i Machinists’ international vice- president Joe McBreen told the Western States Conference of Machinists in Tacoma. that every lodge will be asked for financial assistance and other aid in the fight against Beck. Highest Prices Paid for DIAMONDS, OLD GOLD - Other Valuable Jewellry STAR LOAN CO. Ltd. Est. 1905 } 719 Robson St. — MAr. 2622 | Strike looms in Okanagan —KELOWNA, B.C. Rejection of 4 union security clause by the Okanagan Feder- ated Shippers’ Association may force a strike which would ‘tie up the entire fruit industry during the height of the packing season. The Federation of Fruit and Vegetable Workers’ Union -(TLC) will take a strike vote among -its 2,500 members between August 8 and 11, “as the only step we can now take.” ‘ ’ Pointing out that a strike, if it comes, will not be of their choos- ing, the union reminded the pub- | lic that Dean F. M. Clement, gov- ernment conciliator, recommend- ed the union security clause re- quiring employees to join the un- ion after six months’ service. The employers have obstinate- ly refused to accept the umani- mous conciliation award of a three-man board set up by the Provincia] department of labor, and apparently are determined to provoke a strike, With an AFL strike pending, the CIO-CCL United Packing- house Workers Union has reached the conciliation board stage of a dispute with Canadian Canners at Kelowna and the Osoyoos Cooper- ative, involving 125 factory work- vers, : Next week the UPW will begin negotiations with Canadian Can- ners and Bestovall Canning Com- pany, Ltd., employing 500 union members in Lulu Island and Van- couver plants. . Urge organization of Panamanian ships — PORTLAND Organization of Panamanian and other Western Hemisphere coun- try ships where no bonafide un- ion exists is being urged on the CIO Wational Maritime Union’s September convention. A resolution points out that or- ganization of Panamanian vessels (most of- which are transfers from SS. registry) has been “talked about” for years and calls for decisive action spearheaded by the NMU. : ; Labor Federatio challenges board on jurisdiction | Federation of Labor, union hee draft a program of actio Members of the committee are Baskin, Jim Bury, Dan Radfo George Home and Bill Stewart. Labor Relations Board provo the’ battle when it rejected Amalgamated Building Work application for certification as & gaining agent for cookhouse ep ployees on a construction job, neat Nanaimo. Since then LRB also re fused certification to the AFL Bak ery Workers at Scott-Bathgaté confectioners, in Vancouver. _ “There is nothing in the act which gives LRB the right i; determine jurisdiction of ynions; said Bill Stewart. “The Board's actions are a threat to the whole trade union movem and we intend to fight the issue through.” AFL and CCL leaders have a ready taken their cases to ie courts. (See also story on page 11). Hit U.S" imports _ of Canadian logs SEATTLE Charge that American Jumbe? | companies, with interests on both sides of the border, are importing — Canadian logs in their efforts t? break down union conditions i? the Washington woodworking iD” dustry is made by Giles Evans secretary of IWA Local 2-75, writ ing in the northwest edition of thé People’s World here, _— rg Pointing out that there is 10 shortage of logs in the U.S., Eva®® + states: , “These American interests 2° importing Canadian logs becausé they are produced with cheap labor, and by bringing about e” forced unemployment, Ameri : loggers can be forced to acceP! — lower wages and poorer condition® “IWA Local 2-75 demands the” imports of logs and of any ge materials or products which 2 plentiful in the U.S. be halted. Pri. “Imports of materials plenti ie in the U.S. means forcing aaa can workers into competition wi i the lowest-paid workers in t! < world. 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