The inspiration of the Donbas By JIM TESTER I have been talking and arguing about the Soviet Union for close to 45 years. In fact, it was my spirited defence of the first work- ers’ state that drew me into the then illegal trade union movement in Kirkland Lake. An old left- wing Swede overheard my heated remarks in the old Lake Shore Mine ‘“‘Dry’’ and recruited me into his union. ‘‘cell’’. That was back in 1932. I suppose I came by my labor thinking fairly honestly. As a Scottish immigrant from radical West Fife, my father spent the depresion years preceding the first world war on the West Coast. He had been greatly influenced by the ‘‘Wobblies’’ of that day, par- ticularly by speeches from ‘‘Big Bill’’ Haywood. The realities of the °30s, with the massive unem- ployment of young people, put the finishing touches to my educa- tion, despite its narrow Anglo- Tory base in the Toronto school system of the °20s. For most of my life I have been aware that when the working class in the Soviet Union took power in 1917, and decided to govern themselves, they were breaking new ground. I have al- ways felt, despite difficulties, they could do it. This fall I had the good fortune to visit the Soviet Union as a Northern Neighbors tourist, and put that faith in working people to the acid test. For the first time, with my own eyes, I was able to see how far they had come in the past turbulent 59 years. In most areas it is impressive. In a few activities we can show them a thing or two, but as far as life-style is concerned, we can teach them very little — if anything. However, as an old machinist, industrial mechanic and mill- wright my main observer creden- tials are for technology. As an old photography buff, with a weak- néss for cameras, I am impressed Policies for people, not monopoly — Kashtan The accompanying report from Regina arises from the’ appearance there of William Kashtan, Communist Party leader, during his recent tour of British Columbia, Alberta, Sas- katchewan and Manitoba. By W.C. BEECHING REGINA — ‘‘We stand for a program of expansion rather than the Trudeau government’s policy of so-called controlled growth,” said William Kashtan, leader of the Communist Party of Canada to a Regina audience, Nov. 20. Pointing to rapidly growing un- employment, Kashtan said: **The present policies of the Govern- - ment of Canada are directed to create unemployment and to re- strict people’s purchasing power. “Inflation is considered to be the main danger by the government, and its aim is to create enough unemployment to have a ten- dency to bring down wages and prices. The Communist Party has a program to control inflation, while maintaining full employ- ment. “The Tories have the same policies as the Liberals," said Kashtan. ‘Their policies can be summed by the statement ‘what's good for the monopolies is good for Canada.’ But we say ‘what's good for the people is good for Canada. We project policies to - build up Canada.” Kashtan was met by represen- tatives of the media in Regina who were keenly interested in what he thought would be the next steps in _ labor’s fight against wage con- | trols, and in what the Communist Party considers to be the main causes of inflation and a program to overcome it. The media were also greatly interested in the par- ty’s position on the victory of the Parti Quebecois in the recent elec- tions in Quebec. Kashtan told them that the struggle, not only for the restora- tion of collective bargaining but - also for an expansion of labor’s rights under the collective bar- gaining process was both neces- sary and in the books. ‘*The lessons we can draw from the election outcome in Quebec,”’ he said, ‘‘are that a goverment which pursues policies which harm the people inevitably will be defeated, as was Bourassa in Quebec. In this present crisis there has to be a program opening prospects for a better life, espe- cially for young Canadians who comprise 50% of Canada’s un- employed.”’ He said that the election of the Parti Quebecois in Quebec is ‘‘a challenge to find a way to genuine Canadian unity. It is a challenge » to overcome the causes of Cana- dian disunity. Separatism gained because Quebec. doesn’t have equal partnership in Canada asa nation. We in the Communist Party call for a new constitution which would establish Canada as a bi-national state, guaranteeing Quebec the right to self- determination up to and including the right to secession.”’ | Kashtan said, ‘‘that is a part of the total set of proposals we ad- vocate for making life better for the people of Canada.”’ In answering a question about what the Communist Party consi- dered to be the causes of inflation, Kashtan told the reporters that the situation prevailing in the socialist countries was living proof that inflation was unneces- sary and was caused by the opera- - tions of capitalism. **Wages aren't the cause of in- flation.”’ he said, ‘‘but it’s the printing of money. by govern- ments, the monopoly control of markets and prices, monopoly profiteering — the very problems that the government isn’t tackl- ing.” Kashtan expressed the opinion that signs point to the fact that an election in 1977 is at least being copsidered as an option by the government in Ottawa. PACIFIC TRIBUNE—DECEMBER 3, 1976—Page 6 with Soviet optics. Their cameras produce clear, sharp pictures. But they are generally heavy, cumbersome and noisy. (AI- though, the Zenit line, now avail- able in Canada, is a ‘“‘best buy’’ for the beginner!) Fora long time I have been aware they could learn a lot from the Japanese, who are the world’s leading innovators in photography and stereo systems — after years of copying the. West. When it comes to heavy machinery, particularly. mining machinery, that is another story. Their designs for heavy machin- ery are superb. Rugged, with an eye to built-in safety features, they are beautifully machined and well. put together. I made it my business to examine the: farm tractors from the Soviet Union, when their first exports arrived in Canada a few years ago. I could only pronounce them as excellent, and certainly at least the equal of anything pro- duced in North America. Their performance and reliability is now widely known. Soviet agricultural machinery is very good, but I rate their min- ing machinery even higher. Their immense open-pit excavators in the coal-mining industry are well known and widely copied. Less . well-known are the underground mining machinery complexes that incorporate hydraulically-con- trolled metal propping systems. Timbering has largely been re-— placed by arched metal supports and reinforced concrete. Mines ventilation and safety measures in the mines are, undoubtedly, the most advariced in the world. Their central control systems are Part of Jim Tester’s group at the main square in Donetsk. In 1922 Lenin stressed: “The importance of Donetsk cannot be over-emphasized.” He was not only thinking of the raw material wealth and industry here, but equally, of the working class fighting traditions. marvels, in themselves. All oper- ations in the mine are being con- stantly monitored: Break-downs and accidents are immediately noted. Remedial action is taken without delay: ’ The Soviet Union is the world’s largest producer of coal, with re- ' serves for many years to come. In 1975 they extracted about 700 million tons of coal, a third of which went to steam-generating plants, a quarter for steel-plant coke. A lot of it is used in the ’ chemical industry for the produc- tion of synthetics. The largest coal-field in the USSR is in the Donbas area of Ukraine. It pro- duces 33% of the country’s out- put. Thereby hangs a tale. Located in the middle of the Donbas area, the industrial city of Donetsk, with a population around the million mark, is one of the most important steel and machine building centres in the Soviet Union. The significant thing is that this city produces 19% of the country’s heavy machine output, specializing in mining machinery. They produce 95% of all mining machinery here, and 100% of the coal-cutting . combines. Drilling rigs and other equipment for metal mining are made in Donetsk. The first hard- rock, raise-boring machines | were, in fact, designed and built here. a Not only is the school system geared to this effort, with a close working relationship between de- sign institutes, universities and ° the miners’ union, but the whole atmosphere of the city reflectsthe _ pride and innovative spirit of the miners. It is a clean, beautiful in- _ dustrial centre, with thousands of | trees and flower-beds. For a — coal-mining centre, that i is saying — something. q This is a living example of the 4 possibilities in a one-industry centre, such as Sudbury. The 13 q mineral elements produced in the — fabulous Sudbury Basin have a o different potential from the Don- * bas coal, but they could be the - basis for an industrial complex, second to none in the world. We have the people. What we lack, at this point, is the kind of social system which could accomplish — this. TRAILS UNDERWAY IN EDMONTON Angola independence marked By KIMBALL CARIOU EDMONTON — The first an- niversary of Angola’s indepen- dence November 11, was marked here by several days of events, sponsored by the local Free Southern Africa Committee (FSAC). On November 11 and 12, a series of films were shown at the University of Alberta. The films included ‘Angola’ s Second War of Liberation’’, which outlines the MPLA’s activities and prog- ram during 1975, and the attempts by imperialism to prevent the An- golan people from achieving real liberation; ‘“‘A Luta Continua’, concerning the struggle of FRE- LIMO in Mozambique; and ‘*Sambizanga’’, a film on the role of women in Angola. At a forum Nov. 13, a number of papers on Angola were pre- sented and discussed. The colo- nial history of the country, the history of the liberation struggle, Angolan literature, colonial and post-liberation education, economic reconstruction and the role of the MPLA and the Ango- lan government in the country’s Peace Appeal wins support TORONTO — The Canadian Peace Congress has announced the names of two more major or- ganizations which have endorsed the Stockholm Appeal — the British Columbia Federation of Labor and the National Union of Students. These follow the recent endorsation given by the Man- itoba Federation of Labor. The B.C Federation represents 235,000 organized workers throughout the length and breadth. of the Pacific Coast province. The National Union of Stu- dents speaks for more than 185,000 students across Canada. The - Stockholm Appeal, launched by the World Peace Congress throughout the world, calls upon all governments, and all organizations within countries to work to stop the arms race. One of its aims is the-setting of a ° date for a United Nations world disarmament conference. The Appeal has been signed by more than 200,000 Canadians and en- dorsed by organizations repre- senting better than 800,000 mem- bers; In Finland, 860,000 have signed, in Bulgaria, more than 6,000,000 in the USSR, some 150,000,000. future were topics of discussion. In the evening a highly success- ful social was held to raise money _ for the committee. FSAC is faced with financial problems following | the Sept. 18 arrest of 61 of its — members and supporters for pro- : testing a cricket match here bet- © ween a local team and the Derek Robbins 11, sponsored by a mil- — lionaire living i in South Africa, During October, 21 of those ar- | rested were tried on charges of | assault by trespass and obstruc- tion of a police officer. Charges | were dropped against three anda | decision on the remaining 18 will | be handed down Dec. 9. The re- maining 40 will be tried following © 4 the first decision. FSAC has won wide support e j for its stand against sports con- — tacts with South Africa, and forits — work in exposing the nature of apartheid and imperialism in | Southern Africa. It will soon be | publishing a pamphlet detailing © much of the economic connec- — tions between Canada and South | Africa, as well as information on — the apartheid system, the Trans- kei “independence’’ fraud, and— other topics. As the political struggle in Southern Africa con tinues to heat up, FSAC plans to expand its activities and base o' support.