Expect unity debate. Helen Sobell asks permission to by Catholic unions By CLAIRE VALOIS QUEBEC — The 100,000-! strong Canadian Catholic Syn-| dicates (CCCL) will hold its annual convention at Limolou Quebec, September 13-20. It is not expected that this union will affiliate with the _ Canadian Labor Congress this year, though the issue should cause much debate. The re- sponsibility for this expected; further delay in unity moves lies with the CLC — not with the Syndicates. Even before the birth of the . CLC the Syndicates, back in _ March, 1956 took a first, posi- tive stand in favor of labor unity. At their 1957. conven- tion their position was clear: , they would continue negotia- - tions with the CLC with a view to affiliation. In essence, they wanted _ Status within the CLC similar to that given the Canadian Brotherhood of Railway Em- ployees. They explained that they musi preserve the right to organize the unorganized. As the Syndicates now have members in all industries: tex- GAS HEATING SALES AND INSTALLATIONS ® COMMERCIAL @ INDUSTRIAL @ RESIDENTIAL Harry C. Weinstein GAS CONTRACTOR 3823 W. 12 or 315 Powell AL 2991-L_ MU 3-5044 ROOFING & SHEET METAL REPAIRS Duroid, Tar and Gravel Reasonable Gutters and Downpipes NICK BITZ BR 17-6722 tiles, paper, chemicals, mining, ete., their lines of jurisdiction would cross those of other ' AFL-CIO unions. But they ,, Stressed that these -complica- tions already exist within the CLC which has two electrical unions two textile unions, and so forth. The Syndicates look upon the maintenance of their right | to organize the unorganized as | indispensable to their growth and, indeed, to their survival. It is expected that the com- | ing convention will take one or two very significant steps. The first will be to amend the con- stitution so as to cancel out the “confessional” character of the Catholic Syndicates. Since birth, the Syndicates professed to be a “‘confession- al” organization, basing their program on the social doctrine of the Roman Catholic church. Forces within the Syndicates also wish to make other con- stitutional changes, whereby the central body of the CCCL would be strengthened, organ- izationally and_ financially. The present, fairly autonomous federations — one in each ma- jor industry—can obstruct pro- gress. In the interest of maintain- ing unity to settle the above- mentioned urgent- problems, the CCCL may not take a de- cisive stand in relation to set- ting up a new political party, at this time. The fight for free education, for government-sponsored. hos- pital insurance and for demo- cratic reform of Quebee’s' back- ward labor legislation will surely get support of the CCCL September convention. Of one thing we can be sure: Since nobody from south of the border pulls the sirings in the CCCL, the convention promises to be a wide-open debaie, where widely-divergenit views will be argued and hotly con- tested, in one of the more democratic forums left to Can- adian labor. PATRONIZE CEDAR FUEL & TRANSFER Phone: 556-R-3 Cedar, B.C. George Gee 7 G & B HEATING Lid. Gas - Oil - Electric - Plumbing - Sheet Metal INSTALLATIONS — SERVICING No Down Payment — 6% Simple Interest First Payment October 1, 1959 4415 Hastings Street _ CY 9-491 9 ‘be held at have a baby with jailed hushar y DOROTHY # LOS ANGELES—Morton Sobell and his wife, Helen, have asked prison authorities for permission to haye a child together. In an interview here Helen Sobell made public a letter she wrote last April to James V. Bennett, director of U.S. federal prisons. — Reaffirming «her belief in her husband’s.ultimate vindi- eation and release from the 30-year sentence he is now serving for ‘conspiracy to commit. espionage,’ Mrs. So- bell wrote: “We know that in the years jto come Morton will not only be freed, he will be vindicated. We will once more take our place a8 proud and happy citi- zens at*-that time. In’ order, however, that we not lose the | future, as we have the present, in one of: its most meaningful aspects, our children, we must consider: this. dearest wish of our hearts now, if it is net to be lost by. default . . . There is no stain on our hearts or minds or bodies which would make us hesitate to bequeath our heritage to another child.” With several other women, including Widge Newman, sec- retary of the Los Angles So- bell Committee, we sat at lunch in the relaxed aimos- phere of a Southern Californ- ia patio and discussed some of the difficult considerations of such a request. “Sometimes. even the .mosi devoted of Our supporiers.:for- get thai we are human and: not just a ‘case’ to be supported politically,” Helen. Sobell said wryly. “Mortie® and. Bis have al- ways wanted smore childzen.. When he was‘ ‘first arrested we thought he w Then t year of the. “Pi £ eight and a Id ‘be:tteed im- f mediately becatise, athe: chargé” was so ridiculously untrue. each “month. and® each’ half years we thought it would be soon. Until suddenly one morning I realized