Security guard (centre with camera) stands watchfully over pickets outside Shoppers store in Lougheed Mall
as mass pickets by B.C. trade union movement continue. New injunction has been applied for by the

company but judge has reserved decision.

— Walter Alliott photo

Flour price hike pretext
for further profiteering

By H.K. WARREN

So we are to have anincrease
in the price of bread ranging
from 2-3 cents per loaf. Andthe
latest pretext for this rise is
that the millers have increased
the price of flour by $1.75 per
hundred pounds.

The monopoly food interests
have used many pretexts for
increasing prices on food items.
The first, and the oldest pretext
was the rising labor costs. This
fallacy has been fully exposed in
these columns and other labor
newspapers and has been shown
to be just that— a fallacy.

Other pretexts have been used,
Shortages, high feed costs, high
transportation costs, ad-
infinitum. All of these argu-
ments have been fully exposed as
nothing more than anexcuse to
gouge more and more profit.

Now comes the latest pretext.
The increase of the price of flour
is used toexcuse an increase in
the price of bread by 2-3 cents
per loaf.

We have previously shown that
100 Ibs. of flour will produce 150
loaves of bread. This means that
if the predicted price of bread
increases by 2-3 cents, then, at2
cents, one hundred pounds of
flour will increase the price by
$3.00. At3centsit willincrease
the price by $4.50. So, the
increase in the price of flour to
the miller can doonly one thing
— give the large bakeries an
opportunity to increase their
profit. What is hailed by the
daily press as a disaster, proves
to be a bonanza for the bakeries.
At 2 cents increase the bakeries
stand to increase their profit by
$1.25 and at 3 cents they stand to
profit by $2.75.

Is the increase in the price of
flour warranted? When wheat
was priced at $2.89 at the Lake-
head, bread was 22 cents per
loaf. It then decreased to $1.89
per bushel, but, the price of
bread did not decline. In fact,
since 1939, the price of bread has
done nothing but increase,
despite any fluctuations in the
price of wheat.

Now, all of a sudden the
pretext is that the increase in the
price of wheat warrants an in-
crease in the price of flour,
resulting in the increase in the
price of a loaf of bread.

Is the price at the Lakehead of
$3.41 per bushel the real price?
Under the new two price system
it would appear that both the
farmer and the consumer are
being led down the garden path.

I quote directly froma Letters
To The Editor to the Report on
Farming of Winnipeg in the
issue of July 21st 1973 ‘‘. . .Our
initial priceis $1.79 witha final
payment of about 20 cents to
come (approximately $1.99 per
bushel), and just 11 miles from
where I sit, wheat is quoted
today at $3.03 plus premiums for
protein’.

Is the price on which the
millers based their increase in
the price of flour a real price? It
certainly is not. They are basing
their increase on the quoted
price of overseas deliveries. Not
on the price they are paying the
farmer for good prairie wheat.

The millers and the food mono-
poly interests are using the new
two price system to gouge the
consumer more for the final

product and to depress the
farmer price to a new low. A
disaster tothe farmer hasbeen
turned into a bonanza for the
gouging practices of the large
milling interests.

Cont'd. from pg. 1

or even to protect themselves.

from beatings by Teamster
goons— socalled ‘‘guards’’ for
the strikebreakers. Numerous
farmworkers have been hos-
pitalized, while over 2,000
strikers have been arrested and
jailed by state and county police.

Boycott activity in Vancouver
has already begun. An infor-
mation picket consisting of eight
people was placed around Kelly
Douglas Ltd., suppliers for
Super-Valu— the major outletin
Vancouver for California
grapes. Business stopped dead
at the warehouse as close to one
hundred employees refused to
cross the picket line, and truck
drivers, including Teamster
drivers, turned away on sight of
the pickets. By noon an
injunction wasserved, barring
further picketing at Kelly
Douglas. Management in-
formed Mrs. Borst of their
intention to file a $143,000
damage suit against her.

Information pickets have also
been manned at Pacific
Produce Co., another big im-
porter of California grapes.
Safeway stores, remembering
well the last boycott in whichit
was the main target, does not
carry grapes at all, nor non-
union California lettuce.

Gail Borst needs help to
organize the boycott in Van-
couver. She needs people who
can help picket stores or ware-
houses dealing in scab grapes.
People are needed whocan aidin

Fishermen back
Iceland's stand

The Vancouver local of the Uni-
ted Fishermen and _ Allied
Workers Union sent a letter last
week to Icelandic premier Olaf
Johannesson expressing sup-
port for  Iceland’s firm
declaration of her intention to
police her 5-mile limit and
strong opposition to the British
Conservative government’s
armed defiance of the new zone.

Vancouver local organizer
John Radosevic said that it was
“outrageous and shameful’’
thata major power like Britain
should ‘‘infringe on your right to
protect and preserve your
natural resources.”’

Britain earlier sent naval war-
ships into Icelandic waters inan
attempt to force capitulation on
the Icelandic government but
Johannesson only reaffirmed
his government’s intention to
defend the limit and in turn shut
British planes out of the NATO
base at Keflavik. Two collisions
between British naval vessels

and Icelandic boats have
resulted from Britain’s ag-
gressiveness.

Fisheries and the conserva-
tion of fisheries are of decisive
importance to Iceland, devoid
as itisofnaturalresourcesand
areas of arable land. Over 80% of
Iceland’s exports for the last
century have been fish.

Canadian fishermen have no
small interest in the outcome of
the boundary war as they would
like to see the firm estab-
lishment of fishing limits for
foreign fishermen in Canadian
waters.

‘‘The principles we would like
to see initiated (by Canadian re-
presentatives in negotiations
affecting this country’s fishing
boundaries) are similar to those
you are now fighting for,’’
Radosevic said.

Fishermen will likely soon be
pressuring Canadian representa-
tives for the implementation of
just such principles as further
talks with the United States.on
mutual fishing rights are slated
to open again some time in
October.

_ Grape boycott |

disseminating information and
provide opportunity for her 0
speak to house gatherings al
community organizations.

They also need funds, as it costs
the UFWU over $200,000 pe
week to carry on the strike.
you can help in any way phone
Gail Borst at 733-2719 or 738-6141.
wl

Railway strike

Cont'd from pg. 1!
the railways continue to hold
the so-called guidelines.

The B.C. Federation of Labo!
met last week with represent
tives of the Associated No™
Operating Railway Unionsa"
other Federation affiliates am
stated that ‘“‘the B.C. labor mov
ment is fully in support of He
efforts of the railway unions?
win a decent settlement. This!s
particularly essential,” the
Federation said, ‘‘because ?
the indisputable fact that
railway workers have falle?
seriously behind other
ganized workers.

‘In addition, because the!
way unions recognize
importance of grain shipments,
they have adopted a nation@
policy with which the Feder
tion is in complete agreement?
making an exception fromt
general closure and movil

rain shipments.”
= The Federation declared that
‘it should be clearly underst in
that any interference withst

ail-

e
shipments will be the Sty
responsibility of the Tal
companies.” d

Agreement was reache

Monday afternoon betweentt
union and the company tone
grain but crews were not ¢4 ike
out for the evening as the St
was due to move to Quebec: k
In the Commons last aie
amidst predominantly int
servative clamor for the tee
mediate government Mi.
vention and back-to-work a
lation, NDP leader David Le 0.
called on the governmen’
warn therail companies re cot
would “‘takeadim view 2 uct
tinued provocative actions 2
as layoffs. |
“Railway workers have alee
right to strike,’’ he said, to
they should be allowe’ ¥,
bargain freely without ink
constant threat of back-t0”
legislation.”

Boycott of Portugues
African wines launchet

The Southern African Action Coalition, recently or8@"
in Vancouver, has launched a campaign calling for acomy
boycott of Portuguese and South African wines 4?
pressure to be brought to bear on theprovincial governme!
remove all such wines from Liquor Control Board shelves.

The group organizing the boycott has wide supp?
several churches, the United Nations Association,

voice!

Women as well as the Human Rights Committee 0°
Vancouver and District Labor Council.

The campaign was launched after a meeting last ¥°
held by the Peace Council which heard NDP MLA E
Barnes pledge active support for such a boycott.

Wines on the boycott list are:

South African: J.V.R. Brandy, Paarl Brandy, ost
Ruby, Paarl Muscatel, Paarl Old Tawny, Paar! 010
Cream,»Paarl Pale Dry, Paarl Reisling, Paar! Doodeberé

Portuguese: Brizard Roma, Brizard Roma
Convido, Dao (red and white), Faisca Rose, Gonzalé?
Gonzalez Three Eagle, Harvey's Fine Old, Kophe Rose,

Victoria Black Label, LCB Fine Old, LCB Medium
_ Medium Full, LCB Old Tawny, Malmsey Madeira
se, Osborne Rose, Sandeman Three Star, Sercial 4

Full,