> isanenonampeh a aaah ts eco th

cies with which ne : Bs: tye
‘Today it is pursuing policies which are, in their

_ “two-party” system by whi

- Pro-fascist monopoly interests

Strategy dictated
Bracken ouster

By TIM BUCK

en BRACKEN created a mild sensation on
July 19 by making public his decision to resign
from the national leadership of the Progressive
Conservative Party.

In his letter to the president of the Progres-
sive Conservative Association, Bracken suggested
“health” as the ostensible reason for his resigna-
tion, The more influential factor in
determining Bracken’s course of action was in-
dicated in the opening sentence of his letter:
“I am writing to you with respect to the question

of the re-statement of our policy and my personal

relationship thereto.”

Bracken’s “personal relationship thereto” is
the crux of changes now being arranged in the
top leadership of the Progressive Conservative
Party.

His acceptance of the national leadership in
1942 was supposed to signalize a real change of
heart on the part of the interests which dominat-
ed that party. To emphasize that, the word Pro-
gressive was added to the party’s name and its
electoral shop window was: dressed up with
new progressive-sounding statements upon pol-
icy. But the maneuver didn’t bring electoral
success and-recently it has been evident that the
ultra-reactionary big-money interests were deter-
mined to replace John Bracken with a man more
of the type of Col. George Drew.

Why do the Tories want a leader who will,

advocate Tory reaction more brazenly and iilit-
antly than Bracken was’ able tor = Them ams

. Mediate reason is that the Liberals are beating

them to it in the contest for the support of in-
fluential reactionary interests.

The Liberal government has discarded the
oretence of “liberal revival” and the reform poli-
it won the elections in 1945.

essentials, Tory policies. Even the Financial Post
has been impelled to complain that it must be
extremely difficult for the average voter to sec
any difference between the. Liberal and the Pro-
gressive Conservative parties. 1 1 ig
the policies of the two bees pallies mae re

gol isi is developing V
deep-going crisis that a ae ag alist ae
has maintained its monopoly of | «

But the strategists of the two old sega ne
confronted by a deeper problem than t a Sy
simple coalition. There are elements im DO
Liberal and Conservative parties who favor as
other effort to attract the masses of voters W ‘
want reforms. ‘The dominant elements ™ AS
of the parties reject this line Howey i ne
are directing their efforts to consolidate ’ Sse
ible support around policies based open i. i
of warmongering monopoly bea an 7
actionary forces allied with 1.

More pe rons workers, farmers ars aes
middle-class people are deserting the “see
parties, Their desertion is changing the ele ae
tine of division between Liberal vs. Tory itis se
parties vs. theeold.. The contest Dera) ai
and Tory party bosses is being 7 neat i
question of which and who shall dom1

-war

coming coalition of the de one Prd
ici a nm

Nolicies of the King gover ‘on in Canada to

the soil’ for a revival of react

. reforms. The
challenge the popular demand ts opportunity

jonary elements 1
da militant, pro-
supported ee
i y which such
strument by whic :
et n might be achieved 1s
’s resignation 1S

John Bracken :
4 preliminary move—to clear the way for ikea
4 4 Dominion, governmen

the “hall mark” of

to unite the extreme react
aroun

leadership

.

This, merging of

of national politics. .

Next on the list?

FREIGHT RATES

Farmers pose govt

taking over CPR

» °—SASKATOON

STATEMENT declaring that “if the CPR
cannot seet its way clear to operate with-
out increasing its rates, then the farmers are

prepared to advocate that all rail transportation
in Canada be owned and operated by the govern-
ment as a public utility,” has been issued by the
Interprovincial Farmers’ Union Council. “And,”
the statement adds, “this does not mean that

“the government should merely take over nomin-—

al ownership of the railways in order to provide
guaranteed returns, on watered stock.” ‘
Partial text of the statement reads:

“The, reaction of the farmers, of Western
Canada to the new demand of the railway com-
panies for another freight rate increase can be
summed up very briefly in the phrase ‘tHe
colossal nerve of some people.’ As far as the
members of the United Farmers of Canada (SS)
and those of the Alberta Farmers’ Union are con-
cerned, the railways completely failed to prove
that they were entitled to the 21 percent freight
rate boost granted them recently by the Board
of Transport Commissioners. .. . |

“Moreover, it is remembered that the rail-

~ ways in seeking the 21 percent increase argued —
that they needed it in order to meet the request ©

of their employees for higher wages. They got
the increase in spite of the fact that the majority
ot.the citizens of Canada were opposed to it. But
the railway workers even then had great difficulty

. in securing a wage increase and finally settled

for a figure that failed to completely compensate
them for the increased cost of living. Now the

companies, apparently counting on the public

having poor memories, want another 20 percent
freight rate increase. They are certainly working
the ‘increased wages requires increased rates’
gag overtime.

i. Itemay be just part of the general
campaign being conducted by the corporations
which insists that the Canadian public blame
the workers and the farmers, rather than
the profiteers, for the continued rapid rise in
livin costs...

“It should be clearly and definitely under-
stood by the Dominion cabinet and the railway

officials and all others concerned with Canadian ~

rail transportation that the farmers of Western
Canada were and continue to be strongly opposed
to the 21 percent freight rate increase. They
whole-heartedly support the request of the seven
provincial governments that the increase be sus-
yended while a thorough investigation is made
into the entire rail-transportation rate structure
hy an impartial Royal Commission.”

LABOR FOCUS

B.C. Federation

>)
can doom govt

By BRUCE MICKLEBURGH

OME trade unionists have had the illusion

they ‘could afford to do without political
action. There has been a lingering pattern of
“pure and simple” trade unionism which tried
ic confine the activities of the local to dealing
with the employer on the given job.

Such pipe-dreams have been jolted by the
direct threat to the bargaining-power and free
existence oi every local posed by the Coalition’s
labor-wrecking Bills 39 and 87.

If for no other reason than that the govern-
ment has openly taken on the job of union-
busting for the whole big business class, every
trade union local must directly concern itself
with getting rid of the government that is out
to get rid of the local. ,

The job has to be done on a grass-roots,
local basis. But no local can be very effective
unless, the whole fight is led and co-ordinated
on a province-wide scale.

That’s where importance stands out of the
coming convention of the B.C. Federation of
Labor (CCL)-which may well be one of the most
important events in the political history of this
province. For it lies within the power of this
convention to spell the doom of old-line party
government in this province, a move that would |
have far-reaching repercussions for the whole
Canadian labor movement.

The continuing sharp government turn to the
right, coupled with other developments compell-
ing general recognition that the CCF is the only
realizable alternative to the present government,
place a big job before the convention. That is

the job of charting for 60,000 workers in basic
industries the course by which they can mobilize
themselves for unfettered and all-out political
action, directed by labor itself, to elect a CCF
government in B.C.

An additional job will no doubt be to assess
the rich experience already gained in struggle
against the ICA Act, so that this struggle may
be developed to a higher level. The living stand-
ards of its families are labor’s first consideration, —

and united action can sweep away the bosses’

legislative roadblock.

Part of that fight concerns the strange case _
of Harry Strange. Strange, a nonentity in the
labor movement, was nominated by the national
office of the Canadian Congress of, Labor as a
“Jabor representative’ for Wismer’s Labor Re-
lations Board. The B.C. Federation of Labor had
already ,made nominations on the strength of
promises by Wismer for the democratic amend-
ment of the act. Wismer’s acceptance of Strange
was part of the double-cross of the B.C. Feder-
ation of Labor pulled when Wismer embarked
on a course of worsening the act. Bill 87, accord-
ing to Wismer, was framed by the Board of
which Strange was a part. In fact Wismer re-
peatedly told the legislatore that the “labor
represéntatives” acquiesced in the sections that
were most hotly challenged by the CCF. The
Vancouver Labor Council has asked the CCI, to
withdraw him but the Congress executive has
withheld action for three months.

Call to the convention, which will be held
in Vancouver on Labor Day weekend, draws at-
tention to the problems facing labor due to the
King-St. Laurent abandonment of the principles
of the United Nations, as well as to rising prices,

aes

increasing threat of economic crisis, the “in- —

famous” ICA Act, the three percent sales tax,

“political maneuvering in the flood disaster,” and —
the “present wave of nerve-shattering propa-
ganda . .. reminescent of the Nazi and Fascist —
tirades of 1938 and 1939.” : ae
The Federation is fortunate in having an able _
and progressive leadership (Danrfy O’Brien,
Harvey Murphy, Alex McKenzie and Harold
Pritchett are its table officers) and a consistent
record of actively championing labor’s interests.
Kor that very reason it can expect intensified

attacks from the big business forces who seek _

to bend all labor to their pattern of “respect-
ability.” :

In the final analysis, the Federation conven-
tion, like other forthcoming conventions, will be —
as strong or as weak as the active participation
of the membership, through the locals, in the
framing of policy resolutions, and the sending
of the largest’ and strongest delegations possible.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—AUGUST 6, 1948—PAGE 9

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