1 BRIEF La BRIEF John Squire, CCF-NDP-MLA and IWA member from Port Alberni, speak- ing in the Legislature stated, that he believed the time had come for direct television and radio coverage of the legislature proceedings. He added that this would also give those members who left the House early a chance to watch the late speakers. 7 my * Rumour has it that the “mystery deal” cooking between Canadian Collieries Ltd. and Empire Mills is a pooling of interests which would give Canadian Collieries timber reserves from Empire Mills to supply their proposed pulp plant at Union Bay, Vancouver Island. In turn for the timber reserves Cana- dian Collieries would help Empire Mills finance a plywood plant needed to maintain their Tree Farm Licence. oe A a Nearly all campsites in British Columbia will charge campers who stay over two days, stated Recreation Minister Earle Westwood. “We are not in- terested in the money,” he stated. His department is more concerned with stopping those who hog camping sites. * * * Establishment of an eight-inch minimum size limit for salmon taken by sports fishermen in tidal waters is among a number of proposals for sweeping changes in B.C. fishery regulations. Present minimum size limit is 12 inches. It has also been suggested that a new daily bag limit be set of four salmon over eight inches in length for tidal water sports fishermen. The present limit is four salmon or eighth grilse (salmon three pounds or less) or not more than eight salmon and grilse in total. Do Ht * The British Army has a new inyention for their troops which will allow them to see in the dark. The only data available says it is an infra-red device. Study Finds Automation May Weaken Democracy Vast unemployment and social unrest which would weaken the foundations of democracy may be the end result of automation and widespread use of computers, a Fund for the Republic study warns. The study, “Cybernation: The Si- lent Conquest” by Donald Michael, was prepared for the Fund’s Center for the Study of Democratic Insti- tutions, according to a Press Asso- ciates despatch. Replace Labour The report concluded that the efficiency of technical processes which can replace human labour and even do much of the thinking for government and business administra- tors, may bring greater government involvement in many aspects of modern life. The author of the study, a gradu- ate of the University of Chicago and Harvard, has been associated with Brookings Institution and a number of government agencies such as the Defence Department and the Na- tional Aeronautics and Space Ad- ministration. Currently he is with the Peace Research Institute in Washington. The report predicts that cyberna- tion will eliminate immense areas of employment, doing away with en- tire job categories ranging from fac- tory and farm workers to bank tellers and “middle management” executives. Public Works The resulting mass unemployment, idleness, boredom, social tensions and protracted economic hardship — for which Michael sees no ready solutions—mean that “the govern- ment will probably be faced for the indefinite future with the need to sup- port part of the population through public works.” The study goes into some detail on the effect of automation — or cybernation — on employment and unemployment. For example, it points out that there may be lack of employment for “untrained adol- escents,” 26 million of whom will be seeking work in the sixties. The report attacks the assumption that service industries will not be seriously affected by unemployment and that they will be able to absorb retrained factory workers displaced by automation. “Service activities will also tend to displace workers by becoming self- service, by becoming cybernated, and by being eliminated.” Cutback Examples Michael cites outstanding ex- amples of employment cutbacks al- ready to be found in such service categories as the telephone and dry- cleaning industries, home mainten- ance, and elevator operation. Auto- mation may eventually eliminate jobs now performed by bank tellers, Statisticians, salesmen and _ retail clerks. The report also predicts that “as cybernation moves into the areas now dominated by middle manage- ment in government and business, growing numbers of middle mana- gers will find themselves displaced.” In sharp contrast to the growth in unemployment and leisure for blue- collar and service workers and middle management executives, “pro- fessional” people—such as teachers, doctors, scientists, and engineers — will be “overworked” despite devel- opment of teaching machines, and computers which can make certain types of medical diagnoses. HUMILITY A French monk bemoaned the fact that his order was not as fam- ous as the Jesuits for scholarship or the Trappists for silence and good works. “But,” he would add, “when it comes to humility, we’re tops.” . x * ‘ Noel Coward was approached by a reporter for the London Star, who asked, “Mr. Coward, would you like to say something to the Star?” “Certainly,” Coward replied: “Twinkle.” Okay True Socialism In a strongly-worded statement, Paul-Emile Cardinal Leger of Mon- treal has urged Canadians to launch a program of social action at home and abroad. : Canadians are an over-fed people who believe that all men “eat as we do,” said Cardinal Leger. He has re- cently returned from a visit to the Vatican and was commenting on the “local implications” of Pope John’s encyclical “Mater et Magistra”. Wheat Curtain “We no longer see beyond our own wheat curtain” which Canadians have built between themselves and the suffering millions throughout the world. Canada’s indifference to the hun- ger and privation in other lands is “‘a grave collective sin . . . against jus- tice and humanity.” He brushed aside Canada’s present foreign aid program as a “paltry sum”. Canada has a duty to under- developed nations, he said. Cardinal Leger did not stop at a reference to the world responsibili- ties of Canada. . “We should also tackle the task of developing the under-developed sec- tors of our own economy. “The Church considers private property a basic right of every per- son,” declared Cardinal Leger. “This does not mean that property should be allowed to be concentrated in the hands of the egotistic few but rather spread throughout the whole popu- lation.” Historic Trend “Socialization,” he said, “is an irreversible historic trend which is particularly noticeable in our times.” He defined “socialization” as the “concerted efforts of groups of hu- man beings towards a specific goal.” This is a good thing, he added, “provided it exalted the human per- son. There are three criteria to judge where a particular socialization was good.” It must always be primarily for the common good and not for the good of particular persons or of vested in- terests; it must be achieved through and with elected bodies who repre- sent those who are primarily con- cerned, and those who elect these bodies must do so of their own free will and must be allowed to partici- pate in the activity. In other words socialization must always be “truly democratic,” said Cardinal Leger. Campaign Now On There is no need for guessing about the general election cam- paign; it is here. Representatives of the ethnic press, coming to Ottawa for something or other, had their way paid, were given $12 a day for expenses, and had their hotel bills paid. Was this a proper expenditure of the taxpayers’ money? Mr. Diefenbaker’s government was only doing something for ethnic newspapermen that had been started by the Liberal pre- decessors. But Mr. Diefenbaker had vowed, and rightly, to end a lot of things being done by his pre- decessors. —OTTAWA JOURNAL Independent-Conservative rs IWA REGIONAL PRESIDENT, Joe Morris, right, and George Home, CLC Political Education Director, discuss the New Democratic Party Course during the CLC Winter School and Union Staff Conference, at Parksville, OTTAWA REPORT By FRANK HOWARD, M.P. Deputy Speaker's Position A Cabinet Stepping Stone The Speaker of the House of Commons, by tradition, by prac- tice, and by need must be impartial. He must enforce the rules equally on each side of the House. He must not play favourites as between the government and the opposition. Any attempt to have two sets of rules would destroy the effectiveness of the Speaker and would probably destroy the effectiveness of Parlia- ment as well. : During the centuries that our Par- liamentary system has been develop- ing there have been Speakers who have ruled as ordered by the goy- ernment rather than as required by a sense of fairness and justice. A notable incident of recent times was the action of former Speaker Beau- doin during the infamous pipe line debate. The role of Mr. Speaker must be also the role of the Deputy Speaker, for the Deputy Speaker is in the chair quite a bit of the time and exercises the same rights, functions, and responsibilities. Stepping Stone Since the Conservative .Govern- ment has been in office we have found that the position of Deputy Speaker has not been that de- manded by tradition. It has become a stepping stone into the Cabinet. First to be taken along this course by the Prime Minister was M. Henri Courtemanche, who was elevated to the Cabinet post of Secretary of State and then to the Senate. After him came M. Pierre Sevigny who was promoted to the Cabinet as Associate Minister of National De- fence. The third apprentice to be so “honored” was M. Jacques Flynn who became Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys. Political Hassles This Session we elected another new Deputy Speaker, a M. Paul Martineau. For some time M. Mar- tineau was a Parliamentary Secre- tary to the Prime Minister and, as such, became embroiled in many political hassles in the House. Now he is expected to forget his partisanship, remove his eyes from the coveted position of Cubinet Minister and become an impartial enforcer of the rules. We in the New Democratic Party voted against the motion to put M. Martineau in the position of Deputy Speaker because we felt that the government has taken steps which have adulterated the impartiality attached to that office. : neh & ss rnamamma nme a ees. 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