—¥ THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER _ NDP LEADER Tommy Douglas accepts affiliation cheque from Local 1-405 President Art Damstrom as IWA Regional President Jack Moore looks on. DOUGLAS COLLECTS NEW AFFILIATION National NDP leader Tommy Douglas left the IWA regional convention with more than the applause of the delegates ringing in his ears. As he left the hall, he had in his pocket a cheque for $510 to pay for the affiliation to the NDP of Local 1-405 IWA. The cheque was presented to Douglas by Art Damstrom, president of Local 1-405. Said Douglas: “I believe that people can beat money any day of the week. We don’t need the money that the old line parties do. But we do need a certain amount of money to pay for ordinary expenses. If we could raise one-tenth of the money that old line parties do, we would sweep this country.” HIGH PREMIUMS A resolution calling for implementation of a provin- cial government auto insur- ance plan prompted strong criticism of insurance com- panies at the region conven- tion. The resolution from Local 1-405, Cranbrook—which was adopted—charged that private insurance com ploiting the public through unnecessarily high premiums. George McKnight, of Port Alberni, said that when he complained about an increase in his own insurance, the A sailor, after placing some flowers on a grave in the panies are ex- company sent him back his insurance and his cheque. After that, he tried five different companies but each had turned him down, in- cluding a cooperative insur- ance company. He called this a blacklist and said the companies oper- ate a province-wide detection system. Jack Groves, of Victoria local, said Indians can’t get insurance because the insur- ance companies can’t lay claims against them since they operate under federation jurisdiction. If an Indian be- comes impaired, the insurance company can’t claim against him. He said he knows of about 40 people in Saanich penin- sula who can’t get car insur- ance. HANEY HANEY BUSINESS GUIDE ESQUIRE MEN’S WEAR (Graham Mowatt) Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing “THE STORE WITH THE POPULAR BRANDS” THAT LOSS IWA John Squire, long-time New Democratic Party MLA for Alberni, lost his seat in the Sept. 12 election because un- ion leaders and working people didn’t work hard enough for him, according to Walter Allen, president of Lo- cal 1-85 IWA. Allen told delegates to the annual regional convention that the IWA must not make the same mistake. Allen said: “The member- ship of our local union and the membership of other local unions in an industrial town voted against a union officer who was representing them in Victoria. Quite simply that is what happened. Why it hap- pened, of course, then be- comes an excuse, not a reason. “I think it was not the premier of the province or the cabinet ministers coming into the constituency and making promises to our membership that uvset the election. “It was the fact that our members believed those prom- ises. They forgot that it was not always that way in the Al- berni Valley. Allen went on to say: “They came to the mistaken conclu- sion that there was some other way of getting the things that we require than through working for them. I have to assume my share of the re- sponsibility for the fact that not enough work was done in the Alberni Valley and that our members made the mis- take in the casting of their ballots because of our lack of work, “There is a lesson to be learned by us also at this con- vention. We have not always had things in the agreement that we have now. “There are too many of our members who were around COMING TO VANCOUVER? stay at the AUSTIN MOTOR HOTEL Wonderful comfort at low prices Right in the heart of down- town Vancouver, Granville at Davie. Completely refurnished, with TV, dining and lounge facili- ties. All public rooms air- con- ditioned. Lighted parking for 150 cars. Single without bath $4.00 - $5.00 With bath or shower $5.00 - $7.00 Write or phone for our low weekly rates Telephone MU. 5-7235- Vancouver Member; CAA and AAA BRITISH COLUMBIA AT ALBERNI when the fight was on for a better contract, who have for- gotten how things were then. There are a lot of peonle who were not around when the fight was on to get these things that we did acquire.” He said the IWA has a democratic organization from top to bottom and it is every- one’s job, as delegates and as officers of the regional coun- cil and the local unions, to protect that contract and to maintain the kind of organi- zation that has been establish- ed in the international union. “The minute we forget what we have to do to maintain these things, that very minute we still start losing those things — and we learned that much on Sept. 12 in the Al- berni Valley. We learned it to our sorrow. “Squire should be here, not only as a delegate but also as an MLA. He didn’t fail. We failed.” Be Comfortable This Winter... 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