By RAY McINNES
(Kamloops, B.C.)

(This article is based on an
actual happening. The namg
John is fictional, for obvious
reasons.)

OHN is a railway worker.
He’s young, works hard,
is popular with almost

everyone who knows him, and
he’s honest and law-abiding.

One day John had the mis-

fortune of witnessing a fight
between two men, both of
whom he- knew well. One of
the men fell to the ground
after being hit. several times
by his opponent. The fight
was stopped.

The beaten man required
medical aid. He then filed
charges of assault against his
adversary, naming John as an

A rail worker's dilemma

accomplice.

John’s case was remanded
several times. Finally, the
magistrate told John “I’m
sorry, but I have no alterna-
tive under the law but to find
you—guilty.” Then he added,
“The fine will be $350.”
“Bang” went the gavel. Jus-
tice was done.

But wait a minute. Next
thing that happens is that the
railway police send a report
of court convictions to their
superiors, who in turn for-

ward this information to the |

employee’s department head.
Next thing John knows, he is
once more standing before the
bar of justice. The railway is
about to try his second case
again. If guilty, the punish-
ment will be the loss of his
livelihood.

John takes his union repre-

sentative with him, though
goodness knows of what help
he could be. Although the

. law permits a union represen-
tative to attend a company in-
vestigation, the conditions of
employment and the disciplin?
ary system are arbitrarily es-
tablished by the railway. The
representative cannot inter-
rupt the proceedings of the
“investigation,” but is allow-
ed only to ask questions of
the accused (through the of-
ficial) or to make comment,
subject to the approval of the
official. If John is lucky, he
will face a “nice, fatherly”
type, who will ask favorable
questions and will put in a
good recommendation.

“Are you the same John
oto OL «5. ».Streetewno,
on the afternoon of .....;
etc., etc.?

“Yes.”
“Do you realize this is a

_ dismissable offense?”

YeS 7 a

Questions, questions, ques-
tions . . . John almost wishes
he were never born .

One final question: “What
can be expected of you in fu-
ture, if you are to remain in
the service of the railway?”

“Wait a minute,” protests
the representative. “Shut up,”
shouts the official.

John tries to think: *.. . re-
main in the service .. . what
can be expected...”

“What the hell more can
you expect from a man than
eight hours work?” he sud-
denly hears someone shout-
ing. “Shut up. Shut up,” he
hears from his questioner.
With finger pointing at the

One offense—two judgments

union representative
voice. booming to 4 ©
derous pitch, the official b
out: “One more crac
that and out you g0!
Finally, it’s all or
John goes home to awa
verdict. Hours pas |

days; a week. Still n0-

stands today. J
criminal — waiting f 5
ond judgment. Will it te
primand? Or will it D®,
ence of starvation a
family, by removal 0
cheque?

Your guess is a8 8
mine. ee

‘MAN AND HIS WORLD’

—and the Montreal citizens

Editorial in Combat

HE greatest fair in the his-
tory of the world! Even the
land was created by man,

the Montreal worker, in the
middle of the river; truly it is
man and his world! The exhibi-
tion of the achievements of
science, economy and culture of
people of all continents, of ma-
ny nationalities, even of differ-
ing social systems, all here with
us in Montreal! It’s really some-
thing! And we are proud to be
the hosts, very proud!

But we would not want those
. invited to think that it is us, the
ordinary Montrealers, the low-
wage earners, the workers, who
are exploiting this exposition and
_its noble theme for our own
benefit. Far from it! ;
- We are not speaking of the
sharks who have raised their

prices in the hotels and restaur-
ants as their “contribution” to
the well-being of the visitors.

We are speaking of the great
majority in Montreal who will
pay and are paying already the
bill to all the profiteers—direc-
tly and through the intervention
of the provincial and municipal
government.

Item No. 1: The almost uni-
versal increase in rents in Mon-
treal in spite of the ‘“protec-
tion” of the provincial govern-
ment’s Bill 20, belated, hasty
and full of loopholes.

Item No. 2: All the renters
evicted by landlords who seem-
ed to have a pipeline to the legal
date before which they could
whisk out the tenants to bleed
the “visitors” white.

Item No. 3: A 33! percent
increase in the sales tax from
six percent (already the highest

in Canada) to eight percent for
the benefit of the provincial gov-
ernment. This is very bad for
the Quebeckers, particularly the
low wage earners, as well as for
the guests. Truly, a “special”
for Expo which will last a long
time.

Item No. 4: Increase of muni-
cipal taxes and school rates,
which in its turn will hurt the
poor tenants again, seeing that
the famous Bill 20 allows land-
lords even without opening the
leases, to increase rents in the
case of an increase in municipal
taxes. (And why, we ask, must
one take it for granted that it is
only the tenant who must pay
for an increase in taxes and,
most of the time, even more?)

Item No. 5: It is only thanks
to the tireless fight of the con-
sumers, and above all of those
consumers organized by such

organizations as the League of
Women of Quebec, that the gro-
cers did not dare raise prices as
they had promised two or three
months ago. b

Item No. 6: The level of un-
employment had already gone
up before the opening of Expo.
It is already more than twice as
high as Ontario, What will hap-
pen after Expo?

Item No. 7: Have you read the
letter of Mr. Lafond? What do
you think of a democracy that
tefuses a job to an employee on
a parking lot outside of Expo
because of his socialist political
opinions after be had alrea-
dy been hired and that here it
was the secret police, the RCMP.
who furnished the dossier? We
are not speaking of the demon-
strations and the petitions which
will be forbidden in all of Mon-
treal, nor of the preventive ar-

ee He OHS

oe

bi 8909 -SMUaT QAI WRI .F1

‘rests of the supp?
Item No, 8: At Wi
we having impose”
false concept of Ba
which hides the GON,
the French-Canadian
der the emblem of a
Well, our friends: 8
welcome, We 38 og
our heart: we havé yol
settle—but not will

question of whore 9
the bills for our Bf" 5
the merchants,

lords, the big shots ne
ticians who smile,

in their pockets CM fl
those of others) FF
wage earners. Come
68 (which will bea!”
of October, 1967) whi
the class struggle“
evitably explode!

Massivé
petition

OsEPH L. Raul is
man, Americans work
cratic Action, Jas | cil
nounced a nation?
petition campaigh
Vietnam wart
now. ae a press conraul
the Hotel Biltmor? ing
ihe campaign was mn Of }
by a “wide spect US
cans who agree
take new initiative’
war by taking t
“end the bombings ao
nam now, witho i
Joining Rauch @
ence were Rev:
ther King, Rabb!

10

ia
ef?
Bet

rican ‘
William Butler a
SANE; Philip

director, American
gress, and Gerba! a
man of the Natior

pereaannes. ee