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FRIDAY, JANUARY 20,

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1956

Continued from page I

THRONE SPEECH

year, but made no mention of
the plight of municipalities,
whose debts have skyrocketed
since his government was elect-
ed June 10, 1953.

The pattern emerging in B.C.
is similar to that which has char-
acterized the reign of Social
Credit in Alberta — a steady
reduction of the provincial debt
at the expense of the munici-

palities, whose debt structure

rises in proportion and drives
them to thé verge of bankrupt-
cy — with a consequent greater
dependence upon the provincial
government. :

The Throne Speech boasted
that “during this year my gov-
ernment plans the largest high-
way program in the history of
British Columbia, with the

building of roads to make more
accessible the natural resources
of the province.

“This year, an increased ef-
fort will be made particularly
in the construction of the Trans-
Canada, the Cariboo, and South-
ern and. Northern Trans-Pro-
vincial Highways.”

Estimates of the 1956 road-
building program range as high
as $80 million, and some poli-
tical observers believe this
move presages an early elec-
tion, for road-building and elec-
tions have an historic affinity.

Liberal leader Arthur Laing,
following a caucus of the four
Liberal members Monday night,
reiterated his prediction that
there would be a_ provincial
election this year. “Of course
there will be,” he told report-
ers, “and if there should be a
federal election called, that will
make a provincial election even
more certain.”

On the other hand, tax re-
ductions also go hand-in-hand
with elections, and it is signifi-
cant that the Throne Speech
hinted at only one minor tax
reduction. It said that “an
amendment to the Amusements
Tax will be introduced.” This
-is expected to result in reduc-
tion of the present 15 percent
Amusements Tax to 10 per-
cent.

Legislation to implement re-
commendation of the Clyne Re-
port on the milk industry, and
expansion of the scope and size
of the Agriculture Department,
were also forecast in the Speech
from the Throne.

But nothing could better il-
lustrate the. emptiness of the
Throne Speech than the fact
that newspapers here, in lieu

Vancouver 4, B.C.

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of any real program of gov- _

ernment action to develop B.C.
for its people, headlined the
news that Premier Bennett
plans “to beautify Victoria.”

The Social Credit government
“intends to establish a capital
improvement district commis-
sion with the object of the
orderly development of the
provincial capital and the sur-
rounding districts in coopera-
tion with the municipalities in-
volved.”

Addressing the B.C. District
Mine-Mill convention on the
eve of the session, Labor Min-
ister Lyle Wicks said he was
sure that labor would be pleas-
ed with proposals contained in
the Throne Speech. One of
these, it now develops, is the
introduction of bills to “pro-
mote the observance of . fair
treatment to all men and wo-
men in respect of their employ-
ment.” This is so vague that
what it means is anyone’s guess.

The Throne Speech dealt with

the proposed observance of the
B.C. centennial in 1958, and said
that “legislation making provi-
sion for the proper commemor-
ation of this significant event
will be placed before you.”

Other matters touched on
were the need for more mental
hospitals and “further reform
or correctional institutions .
with construction this fiscal
year of a new industrial school
for girls.

“Further extended activities
of the British Columbia Power
Commission” is also promised
—but what does this mean,
when in the past year the
Power Commission has steadily
retreated and given over key
areas to the B.C. Electric?

No mention was made of com-
mercial. Sunday sport, approv-
ed by Vancouver citizens in a
plebiscite last month. It is
thought that the Socreds, sit-
ting pretty with 28 seats in the
48-seat House, may delay ac-
tion on this matter on the pre-
text that the federal Lord’s Day
Alliance Act requires clarifica-
tion.

The Throne Speech avoided
the real issues which must be
solved if B.C. is to develop its
resources for its people under
Canadian control. It will be up
to the opposition to force these
problems into the open during
debate and make the Bennett
government place its position on
record, for all to see and judge.

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HARVEY MURPHY

Murphy spikes
Province story
on Kitimat ‘raid’

“We are not going into Kiti-
mat to raid,’ Harvey Murphy,
western vice-president of Can-
adian Mine-Mill, told the B.C.
District Union convention here
in contradicting’ a report in
the Vancouver Province. “We
are willing to cooperate, and
help them get the same condi-
tions and wages in the smelter
there as we have in Trail .

“To that end we are willing

-to make common representa-

tions with them on all that af-
fects smelters. We know that
the AFL got in there through
a deal made in the U.S. before
a man was on the job, but we
are not playing the role of
Steel and raiding them after a
union is established.”

Speaking on Canadian auton-
omy, the vice-president said
that the pact between Mine-
Mill and the Teamsters’ union
in the U.S. had no force in Can-
ada.

“We are not negotiating in
Canada,” he said, “but we are
in full accord with our inter-
national officers’ action across
the line.”

Murphy lashed out at em-
ployers in Ontario who are put-
ting themselves above the law
and dragging arbitration board
grievance awards into the
courts. The Ontario Labor Re-
lations Board makes such arbi-
tration findings compulsory.

“Even St. Laurent says the
railwaymen should arbitrate,”
he said, “but it is up to the
government to do more; they
ought to express an opinion on
whether or not the railway
workers’ claims are justified.

You can’t blame the railway.

workers for protesting commen.
sory arbitration.”

Clark explains
Teamsters pact

The pact with the Teamsters’

Union into which Mine-Mill has _

entered in the U.S. is. by no
means a merger, but a start
towards “integration with the
main stream of labor,” Mine-
Mill International President
John Clark told the 13th an-
nual convention of the B.C.
District Union here this week.

At the same time he told
delegates that there is a possi-
bility that the AFL may Brant
to the union the old charter of
the Western Federation of Min-
ers, AFL president George
Meany having expressed him-
self in favor of such a move in

meetings held with him in

Washington.

Otherwise, the pact could be-
come a merger, he said, “but
we are not going to be swallow-
ed by any other organization;
we must keep our democratic

traditions and our -constitution —

as they stand now.”

Iiveaway of

resources hit

by Mine-Mill

Concern over the future of the province’s natural re-
sources coupled with a sharp warning that they must not
be allowed ‘to come into the direct control of foreign interests
was voiced by the officers’ report given to the 13th annual
convention of the B.C. District Union of Canadian Mine-Mill

here this week.

“Weare very much concern-
ed with the outlook and the
steps being taken by the gov-
ernment to conserve B.C.’s
natural resources,” the report
stated.

“These resources do not be-
long to one generation of Brit-

‘ish Columbians, they belong to

all future generations, and con-
trol must be vested in the prov-
ince. Under no circumstances
should: foreign interests come
into direct control and owner-
ship of B.C.’s future.

“Where a country has these
resources, metals, forests, etc.,
plus an abundance of potential
power development, and pur-
sues the proper policy, indus-

try must go where the power
development is... .”

The report stressed the point
that under present giveaway
policies pursued by both pro-
vincial and federal governments,
Canadians were not only los-
ing their rich natural resources
to U.S. development and con-
trol, but their jobs as well.-

“Everyone has hailed the de-
velopment of an asbestos in-
dustry in the northern part of
our province, but the fact is
that only the primary product —
is developed here and the fibre

in its raw state is taken thous-
ands of miles for processing,
thereby denying the opportuni-
ty of employment to workers
in British Columbia,” the re-
port pointed out.

Continued from page I

FEDERAL-PROVINCIAL

of $66 million in payments to
the provinces.

“Of course, it is up to each

province to accept or reject this.

plan. If a province wishes to

-collect its own taxes, it has

the constitutional right to do
so, as Quebec now does.

“The new plan is an improve-
ment on the former unsatisfac-
tory system of federal-provincial
tax agreements, and slightly
increases the payments to the
poorer provinces.

“However it leaves untouched
the central problem of the
federal-provincial revenue dol-
lar, and offers no relief to the
municipalities and small home
owners. The federal government
collects about 75 percent of all
taxes. The provinces and mu-
nicipalities are saddled with
the cost of education, unemploy-
ment relief and health services.

In addition to this, the
present federal policy of en-
encouraging and facilitating

’ the ownership and control of
natural resources to the U.S.
cripples the provincial de-
velopment of these resources
— which is the most fruitful
source of new revenues for

the more undeveloped pro-
vinces.

“As to. the present proposals
which are to be discussed prior
to the expiration of the present
tax agreement in March, 1957, if
a province wishes Ottawa to col-
lect all of these taxes, it should

receive at least 20 percent of.

the income taxes collected in its
territory instead of the proposed
10 percent. The rate of corpora-
tion taxes should be increased.

“If the province wishes also
to impose these taxes, then the

federal government should re-
duce its own income tax rate
in that province by 20 percent.

“But the deeper question of
taxation must be fought out. So
long as almost $2 billion is as-
signed yearly to armaments, the
whole taxation and social legis-
lation system is at the mercy of
the arms race, :

“The speech from the throne
indicates that the St. Laurent
government persists in a policy
of Negotiating from strength’
instead of recognizing the new
possibilities for step by step dis-
armament. Until popular de-
mand succeeds in halting the
arms race, the arms burden will
cripple progressive tax reform
and social legislation,

“The municipalities and pro-
vinces are demanding a change
in the system of payment for
elementary education. As the
LPP proposed months ago, the
whole cost of elementary educa-
tion should be assumed by
Ottawa, and paid to the pro-
vinces. =:

“Now, that the counrtywide
demand for health insurance is
rising, and will be discussed on
January 23 by the federal and
provincial governments, it is
imperative that the federal gov-
ernment at once bring into being
a. national health insurance
scheme, administered by the
provinces, 60 percent of the cost

of which should be assumed by
the federal government,

“The fest tax proposals, in
this light, only scratch the sur-
face of the problem of provin-
cial and municipal finances. A
new deal for the provinces and
municipalities is long overdue,”

JANUARY 20, 1956 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 12