THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER “WILL LABOUR MEET MEDICARE CHALLENGE?” ganized labour got off its col- By JACK MacKENZIE Ist Vice-President IWA and B.C. Federation of Labour Keynote speaker, As the Federation’s repre- sentative at the C.L.C. spon- sored conference on Medicare in Sault St. Marie, I was im- pressed and encouraged by the obvious determination by dedicated men to establish better health services in Can- ada and by the keen interest shown by the 270 conference participants every one of whom attended every session of the three day conference. centres. Outstanding Contributions from the Toronto and Dr. MEMORIAL DAY MASSACRE On Memorial Day in 1937 a parade of strikers at the _ South Chicago Plant of the Republic Steel Company was attacked by 150 policemen. Newsreel cameramen were present and recorded the attack which has become known as the “Memorial Day Massacre.” This is a de- scription of the motion pictures by Paul Y. Anderson, a columnist for the St. Louis Post Dispatch, after watching the film dozens of times. “A vivid closeup shows the head of the parade being halted by a group of 150 policemen. The flag-bearers - are in front. Behind them the placards are massed. They bear such devices as: ‘Come on Out — Help Win the Strike, ‘Republic vs The People and the CIO,’ The leader of the strikers is arguing earnestly with a police officer who appears to be in command. “Suddenly without apparent warning, there was a terrific roar of pistol shots and the men in the front ranks of the marchers go down like grass before a scythe, as many as a dozen in one heap. “The police then charged the marchers with riot sticks flying. Tear gas grenades are seen sailing into the midst of the marchers and clouds of gas rise over them. The crowd is in flight. The only discernible case of re- sistance is that of a marcher with a placard on a stick, which he uses in an attempt to fend off a charging police- man. He is successful only an instant, then he goes down under a shower of blows. “The ground is strewn with dead and wounded, some isolated individuals are caught, and ‘with business-like precision groups of policemen close in. In several in- stances from two to four policemen are seen beating one man, One strikes him across the face, using his club as | he would a baseball bat. Another crashes it down on top of his head, and still another is whipping him across the back. Then one gives the fallen man a final smash on the head before moving on to the next job. “Ten men died, seven shot in the back and three in the side; none were hit in the front. Thirty other persons, including one woman and three minors received gunshot wounds. More than sixty marchers were hurt seriously and required hospital care. “A Senate sub-committee on civil liberties found that the Memorial Day attack was unprovoked, that the marchers were within the law, that no attempt was made to aid the wounded, and the subsequent investigation by the Chicago city authorities was farcical and prejudiced.” NOTICE Experienced cook (female) wants job as camp cook in small Interior or Coastal logging operation. Phone 581-6247 or write to 9303 - 114A Street, Delta 716, B.C. HANEY BUSINESS GUIDE ESQUIRE MEN’S WEAR (Graham Mowatt) Complete Stock of Work and Dress Clothing “THE STORE WITH THE POPULAR BRANDS” HANEY BRITISH COLUMBIA C.L.C President Donald MacDonald outlined labour’s record of fighting for Medicare and im- proved health services in Can- ada and emphasized that the struggle had just begun. He called on unions to continue to work for community clinics and union sponsored health Two outstanding contribu- tions to the conference were made by Dr. Frederick Mott University of Samuel Wolfe, Director of Research in the Saskatoon Community Health Services. Dr. Mott, who established the United JACK MacKENZIE Mine Workers medicare pro- gramme in Appalachia and later served as President of the original UAW-sponsored Community Health Associa- tion in Detroit, attacked the inefficiency, inadequacy and economically discriminating health services prevailing in MEN'S DRESS SHOES Next to Woodward’ SHOES THAT REALLY FIT! ARE NO ACCIDENT! for example North America today. Dr. Mott outlined various com- munity and group health pro- jects now operating success- fully and concluded: “To start a plan takes dedi- cation and patience. It takes money, and it takes the solid support of some strong group of consumers such as labour unions. There has to be mem- bers, along with an organized professional team to serve them; there must be hospital privileges for the doctors, and an equipped health center in which to serve patients, no mean feat of planning and ac- complishment.” Vicious Campaign Dr. Wolfe is the author of “The Doctors’ Strike,” an ac- count of the vicious campaign against medicare in Saskatch- ewan and the attacks on the doctors (he was one: of the pioneers) who established community clinics during the doctors’ strike. Dr. Wolfe praised such community clin- ics as those established by the Steelworkers in Sault St. Ma- rie and by the Auto Workers in St. Catherines, but criticiz- ed labour for not moving fast- er and with more determina- tion in this regard. He com- mented bluntly: “Tt is not a very impressive record, moving only at a snail’s pace. It is time that or- can be stylish, hard-wearing and supremely confomble wh FI , PROFESSIONALLY-TRAINED SHOE-FITTERS. A SERVICE THAT come toy wake but does a lot more for your foot comfort and foot h NO OTHER SHOE STORE HAS BEEN ABLE TO OF SERVICE FOR OVER SIXTY YEAR That is why whole families get into the habit of wearing only FITTED SHOES at PIERRE PARIS & SON British Columbia’s E THAT COSTS NO MORE ealth. FER COMPARABLE UNIQUE Family Shoe § . : : s at 51 W. Hastings St. in the Heart of Dowtae Vancouver lective ass and took the initia- tive in protecting the consum- er of health care services through the development of a network of health ¢ entres across Canada. . . ‘ Group Practice Praised Dr. Wolfe pointed out the ~~ savings to the public and the improved care made possible ~* <2 by clinics and health centres and pointed out the inefficien- _ cies of the traditional fee-for- service private practice. Final speaker was T. C. Douglas, M.P., Leader of the New Democratic Party and the man responsible for intro- ducing real medicare to Can- ada in Saskatchewan. Douglas’s account of that bat- Mr. — 3 : : f tle was fascinating and, in — spite of his great humility, it — was evident to all of us in attendance that we were lis- tening to one of the great hu- manitarians and great Cana- dians. Labour Challenge The, important question re- mains. Will organized labour ~ meet this challange? Will we ~ sit back and do nothing but — pass resolutions or will we get — busy organizing health care centres throughout B.C. and across Canada. Let us make sure that we do our part and that labour is not found want- ing.