FLASHBACKS FROM
THE COMMUNIST PRESS

50 years ago...
CENTRAL POLITICAL
COUNCIL IN HALIFAX

HALIFAX, N.S.—The first meet-
ing of Labor'!s Council for Poli-
tical Action by the Executive Com-
mittee of the Trades and Labor
Council has been called. All affi-
liated locals of the Council, as
well as the Communist Party, the
Gooperative Society: and other
Labor groups were invited to send
delegates.

The decision’. to form such a
council arose out of a report from
a special committee appointed by
the Trades Council to consider
the advisability of Labor taking
political action to secure better
social and economic conditions.
The formation of such a council
will unite all Labor groups under
one central organization, affiliated
with the Nova Scotia branch of
the C.L.P. and through it to the
national body.

In’ view of the possibility of
both a federal and provincial elec-
tion, the information of such a
council cannot come too soon.

The Worker, May 17; 1924

25 years ago...

POLICE BRUTALITY FAILS
CSU, ASBESTOS FIRM

When Local f of the Canadian
Seamen’s Union in Montreal last
week condemned the “unspeak-
able brutality” of Duplessis police
against the striking Asbestos min-
ers, a young man stood up to
speak. He was Jerry Haughey,
cousin of James Cardinal McGui-
gan of Toronto, Canada’s leading
Roman Catholic dignitary. ©

“As a Roman Catholic and a
member of the CSU_I strongly
support this resolution,” he said.
“The police have clubbed and ar-
rested striking Asbestos: workers
_just as they have done to striking
seamen, In both cases the em-
ployers, their political henchmen
and police, are attacking ‘unions
and their leaders because they are
fighting to defend their unions.”

Solid support for the striking
CSU continues across Canada
and in far-flung seaports. Liberal
and CCF nomination meetings are
being picketed.

Tribune, May 16, 1949

Profiteer of the week:

Our three awardees this week are in the
food business, whatever else they may be
in. Lever Bros. Ltd. which cleared $5,927,000
in 1972, piled $$,499,000 onto that in 1973,
as a result of high-priced peddling of Mon-
arch Foods, Shopsy’s Food, A & W drive-ins,
besides detergents and such. The Oshawa’
Group, which owns a chain of food stores,
added $7,590,000 to 1972’s $6,821,000. And
Standard Brands bettered 1972's $6,695,000,
with $7,542,000 for 1973. Well, there’s $41-
million that didn’t go to the farmer.

Pacific Tribune

West Coast edition, Canadian Tribune-

SN

Editor — MAURICE RU
Published weekly at Ford Bldg., Mezzanine No. 3, 193 E. Hastings St.,
Vancouver 4, B.C. Phone 685-5288.

Business & Circulation Manager, FRED WILSON
Subscription Rate: Canada, $6.00 one year; $3.50 for six months
North and South America and Commonwealth countries, $7.00
All other countries, $8.00 one year
North and South America and Commonwealth countries, $7.00 one year
Second class mall registration number 1560.

SaaS eset eeceeeteeene ee.

ee esses
PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, MAY 17, 1974—PAGE 4

The federal government which*takes
office on July 8, will be obligated to act
at once to-stop soaring inflation. It must
ensure a roll-back of prices to the Jan-
uary 1973 level, non-interference in
wage gains, a $3.00 minimum wage, a
heavy tax on excess profits, sharp
reductions in taxes on working people,
and raising of pensions.

e e e

The danger of a political shift to the

right, being pressed throughout the

system by big business and its poli-

ticians, must be fought from the word

On

While workers move left, battling to
maintain living standards, the Tories
have rushed to cash in on widespread
dissatisfaction with the Liberal budget,
hoping to hijack the working-class vote.
The dissatisfaction is legitimate; the
Tory machinations are not.

Indeed, Tory leader Stanfield, who
vowed to freeze wages if his party
gained a working foothold, and.extend-
ed the proposed freeze from 90 days to
two years, has seen it rejected at the
CLC Convention. His pretense is that
a “wages and prices” freeze is equitable.
In fact, this monopoly-serving device
would freeze wages where they are,
scandalously below prices and profits.

The present wage-price ratio is made
to order for profiteering. And bloated
interest rates, which cripple home
buyers and other consumers compound
invested corporation profits.

It is false-and dishonest for the Tories

to seek votes among working people —

while trying to turn the clock back and
overthrow labor’s gains. Mr. Stanfield
promises an Unemployment Insurance
Inquisition to slash expenditures by cut-
ting jobless workers off the rolls.

G e e

The budget on which the Liberals

The inflation-makers

In mid-April, five major banks, at
the nod from the Bank of Canada,
pushed interest rates up to 10.5%. It
was to stop inflation (!) said the Fin-

_ ance Minister, but two weeks later his

department promised more inflation
through 1974.

_ This week, interest rates were jacked
up again, to 11%—12% and more for
first mortgages. The result is to place
a heavier inflation burden on working-
class families striving to buy homes, or
otherwise keep afloat.

The April consumer price index was
up 10% over a year ago, with clothing,

transportation, dairy and bakery foods
leading.

Among heavy industries, whose pro-
fit rampages spread inflation waves
throughout the economy, the Steel
Company of Canada will implement. a
12°% price Increase in contempt of Ot-
ae tes. (Steleo made $87.7-

on profit last year -mil-
lion in 1972.) ae oo aie

It is clear that parties traditional
dedicated to profits have to be bluntly
compelled by an aroused, united elec-
torate, to put brakes on the profiteer-
ing orgy.

‘Tory $9,5-million election budge

so long to get out of the So

ko, his wife and three chil

this time with Canada ManP©

were defeated, and on which the
now campaigning, was and 1s 4
of tokenism, loathe to attack
seriously, yet sprinkled with
ments meant for electioneeriné:,
To combat the combined }

ensure a strengthened working F
voice in parliament, to utilize ‘eh
tion campaign to unify a ne go
for new policies for the wor i
and all democratic people, dem 1
flagging effort. aa
In his early-off campaign,
David Lewis confirmed the
corporation profits reported ™%
in this paper. Only a strong na rf
against the corporations and t vind
ticians can put a stop to such vi off
of the working people for the ;
cent. It calls for unity on variol®
at various levels of working: ,
democratic organizations, tH®
unions, the Communist Party *
NDP. el
Besides anti-inflation measu
Communist Party’s sixty amet
advocate public ownership “xin
resources, transportation, ba Can
credit, as a guarantee of ‘ha
independence and a sound , a
meeting the needs of Canadial®
demand that land be removed
hands of speculators and Pi
to the privilege of food prow
porations to decide the pri’
basic necessity. _ ae
Signs of monopoly’s determ# in!
force a working-class ret asst
campaign show up in Stanfie inet
ments and are echoed by TH!”
Trudeau. me
To make electoral gains be ag
propaganda barrage, the wor*/ 7,
and democratic forces mus off
offensive and a part of that a
is embodied inthe slogans: si
munist! Elect a large progr tt
to parliament. Prevent a sh
right!

eo e e
Enjoying his Ke
Eugene: Lenko finally got - gutl!

wanted. “After battling Sovlé canal |
ties for 314 years to return t0 ig ut
says the Toronto Star, Lenke

° ol
ployed. “It’s all very disaPhy;
Lenko complains. “After na

I can’t support my wife ane on,
Arriving in Canada as en
in an Ottawa apartment qd We
being paid by the Health i ie
Department. He has applie ‘oyite ath
success, for work and Is @M} gal
freedoms he made such a | free
—he’s free to be unemploye™ “7
hungry: and free to join
others on the welfare roles- |
- If Lenko didn’t know any up
the first place, you could wo di
sympathy for him, But he ©
better. who |
So did Pierre Trudeauy | o's bp
vened personally on LenX<,.
with Soviet -authorities he
once again to drink deeply we
of free enterprise. The least ie
pect is for Trudeau to con er D
sonally intervene on Lenke ;