25 years ago... FASCISTS THREATEN ‘ CZECH EDITOR Fascist immigrants are threatening the editors of the democratic Czechoslovakian Ludove Zvesti with violence ac- cording to a leading editorial of the paper’s current edition. A photostatic text of one of the letters is published on the paper's front page. “It is not surprising that their anger and hatred should be di- rected against the democratic press”, writes Editor Joseph Durjancik, “We are exposing their evil aims and taking the wind out of their sails.” The editorial notes that fascist elements are being inspired by Karol Sidor, former minister in the Tiso Slovak fascist state and now residing in Montreal. Tiso was a Hitler puppet set up in World War II. The editor re- ports that Sidor’s followers met in Toronto recently to discuss war plots against Czecho- slovakia. The Tribune, February 25, 1952 ' FLASHBACKS FROM THE COMMUNIST PRESS 50 years ago... SALVATION ARMY EXPLOITS IMMIGRANTS LONDON, England Commissioner Lamb, of the Sal- vation Army, complained that the Canadian Government was not giving them proper coopera- tion in their efforts to bring settlers to Canada. The Depart- ment of Immigration replied that it “had been forced to the unwelcomed conclusion that the Army’s immigration work is not as altruistic as is generally believed.” Commissioner Lamb was forced to admit that an Army Hostel in Manitoba, which cost 9 million last year did not accept one single boy into it. This not- withstanding the fact that the. Army compels the boy to sign a “document before leaving Eng- land, authorizing it to collect. from him after he has obtained work in Canada, money from his wages to repay the Army for the “expenses” incurred by it in bringing him to Canada. : - The Worker, February 26, 1927 id Tecbune Syndicate | PANISH ROLLS EO. | it S OWN NT a aN fis a RA “We're holding the line on prices. Of course, a dozen now is TEN!” PACIFIC TRIBUNE—MARCH 4, 1977—Page 4 EDITORIAL COMMENT Responding to big business demands, the Trudeau government has underta- ken to slash social spending, and hold estimates to a 7% increase for 1977-78. When he tabled the estimates’ in Commons, Feb. 16, Treasury Board President Robert Andras said the hatchet job had been “conducted with a rigor almost without precedent.” The miserly increase approximates the annual inflation rate so there is, in fact, no increase at a time of record un- employment, growing poverty and in- creasing welfare needs. Among the cuts is $325.5-million slashed from Un- employment Insurance Benefits after “cracking down” on the jobless. Besides the 889,000 “officially” unemployed, © Stats Can. admits 309,000 were left off ' because they have not looked for work in the past four weeks. Little wonder! The same agency says (Feb. 15) that even in 1974 (latest figures!) 18 to 20% of Cana- dian families had before-tax incomes be- low the poverty line of $7,028. The nasty pattern includes cutting personnel from the Unemployment In- surance Commission and _ Statistics Canada, but adding 800 additional man-years to the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, 623 man-years to the penitentiary system, and'967 man-years to the grossly mismanaged Post Office. While agonizing over restraints, the Liberal government awarded a contract for 350 (of a reported 700) personnel carriers called Piranhas, at a cost of $174-million, openly spoken of as civi- lian control vehicles. (A piranha is a vor- acious flesh-eating fish.) The vehicles will be built under license to a Swiss firm, by General Motors of Canada, diesel divi- _Who’s for wage controls? - Phase 3 of the battle against wage con- trols got a resounding boot from two New Democratic Party premiers when they met with Canadian Labor Congress leaders and NDP party leader Edward ‘Broadbent in Ottawa, Feb. 14.. Despite growing insistence by labor and sections of the NDP, Blakeney of Saskatchewan and Schreyer of Manitoba refused to heed workers’ demands and argued that the majority of voters sup- _ port controls. Their decisions, despite Broadbent's favoring an end to controls, means keeping the clamps on the wages of the public sector workers whom they have the authority to free from the con- ‘trols. In contrast, one of the first acts of the Parti Quebecois, following its election in Quebec, was to end controls on the wages -of public sector employees. A sign of labor’s view of the weak- kneed position of two NDP governments was the recent withdrawal of support for the Manitoba Government, by the pro- vince’s* largest union, the 15,000- member Manitoba Government Employees Association. In its annual brief to government in 7 Workers made victims in Ottawa budget estimates © legislated wage controls being imposed . participation in the program .. .” It cal - for pressure on parliament to end wagé sion, London, Ont., Autoworkers maj well create the means for smashing thei own strikes. Meanwhile, nat only the Liberal gow ernment, but the monopoly system with its Tory and other apologists, offers nO policies of assistance to working people A $486-million job creation program. may sound impressive until it’s admitted it will not touch some 90% of the um employed. Defence spending, however, has beet given multi-million dollar propulsion Financial Post recently devoted a 20° page section to “opportunities” for mili ary orders, with high-paid ads from munitions corporations. That’s ouf money they’re fooling with. There is a heavy responsibility on thé working class and democratic move ments, on the trade unions, on the New Democratic and Communist Parties t0 fight a common battle to turn back this - assault. The demand for new policies in4 “new budget, tax cuts, an end to wage controls and the freeing of éxpenditures on health and other needs, has to bé . thrust on the ruling class. The government's 7% solution is n@ solution. It deserves not only condemna’ - ’ tion but an all-out fight for new policies, a fight both extra-parliamentary and through a new balance of forces in parli ament. The Communist Party’s curren! coast-to-coast campaign, through thé media and General Secretary William Kashtan’s country-wide tour, present answers to the crisis of confederatio® and to the economic crisis. The taking up — of these policies, circulating and debat’ ing them, helps to rally the torces neces sary to defeat monopoly’s crisis policies: December, the MFL told Schreyer it “remains unswerving in its opposition td on the work force ... and rejects thé constant charge by government, indus: try, or self-styled lackies, that wages are 4 main culprit in fuelling inflation ...” In January the SFL announced its “re: newed determination to engage in milit ant action until controls are defeated,” And at the end of January the Man- itoba NDP convention voted “that thé Government of Manitoba show its dis gust and distaste for the federal gov ernment program by not renewing ‘its led for support for the CLC fightback program. ad It is clear that working people cannol, wait for reluctant “friends” like Schreyet! and’Blakeney; it is evident that a Phase 4 is needed to mount country-wide action controls. Such concerted action, building on thé victorious October 14°Day of Protest, should be coupled with a sharp demand for a federal budget designed to pul Canada back to work.