sae pete

[UABOR FRONT)

By WILLIAM KASHTAN .

It will be interesting to see what the minority Liberal gov-
ernment does with the reports of the two royal commissions
set up by the Diefenbaker government — one on the Unem-
ployment Insurance Act; the other on railway transportation.

come known, were both negative documents containing propos-
als of a retrogressive nature.

The Gill Report, it will be recalled,
had a “carrot and stick’? approach. It pro-
posed to extend the coverage of the Unem-
ployment Insurance Act to additional
groups and increase benefits slightly, but at
the same time proposed to cut the period
of payment in half, eliminate young people
under 18 from benefits, and discriminate
against workers seasonally employed as
well as against married women and those
receiving supplementary benefits.

Characteristically enough, the committee bringing these
proposals forward was chaired by the head of an insurance
company. Likewise characteristically enough, the trade union
movement, which is most concerned with the operations of
the act, was not even represented on the committee.

The same negative features characterizing the Gill Report
are to be seen in the McPheison Report, which, apart from
anything else, proposes to close down or curtail railway
operations in many communities and throw large numbers
of railway workers out of the industry.

* * *

Both reports have a similarity to them. In one the unem-
ployed are to be sacrificed; in the other, railway communities
and railway workers. Is it any wonder therefore, that the
organs of big business welcomed the reports and urged they
be immediately acted upon?

The federal election intervened before the reports could
be debated in Parliament but they are still lying around and
pressure for their adoption is likely to continue.

The trade union movement was far too slow in reacting
against these reports. In part this may have been due to
divided opinions as to the nature of the proposals they con-
tained. Some took the position that the ‘‘positive’ aspects
of the Gill Report should be accepted and the negative ones
opposed, while with respect to the McPherson Report, the
railway unions asked for a ga ar ey of Inquiry to give
the report further study.

* * *

Without going into the whys and wherefores of these
attitudes wouldn’t it be the better part of wisdom with a
new Parliament in session, for the trade union movement
to insist that both reports be thrown out of the window?

Neither of them constitute a solid bsse upon which to
‘build something useful for the working class. On the con-
trary, the foundations upon which they rest would help
monopoly and its profits at the expense of the working class,
the same foundations around which the idea of labor manage-
ment cooperation is being peddled these days.

Now is the time, then, with a minority Liberal govern-
ment in office and with the New Democratic Party a balance
of power in the House, to demand that the two reports be
thrown out and replaced by legislation to really protect the
interests of unemployed and employed alike.

; In light of what Prime Minister Pearson stated during
the election campaign about social legislation it is fairly
obvious that the trade union movement will have to exert
all its strength to achieve this objective.

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The Gill Report and the McPherson Report as they have be-.

Canada’s interests require new
Columbia treaty says Herridge

Scrapping of the present. draft
Columbia River treaty with the
U.S. and renegotiation of a new
treaty was urged by H. W. Her-
ridge, (NDP-Kootenay West) in
a speech in the House of Com-
mons May 24. Here are key ex-
cerpts from that speech:

“T am going to confine my re-
marks ... on one very serious
and important question, namely,
the development of the Colum-
bia River. The Columbia River
treaty was signed by the repre-
sentatives of the governments of
Canada and the United States in
Washington on January 17, 1961.

Ratification was approved by the
United States senate with only a
few minutes discussion, and with
only one dissenting vote on March
2, 1961. The treaty has not been
presented to the Canadian parlia-
ment for consideration.

“However, Mr. Speaker, the
terms of this document have been
available to the people of Canada
for more than two years, and the
result has been a growing under-
standing of the terms of the treaty
as well as the disastrous effect on
the rights and vital interests of
our country.”

(Mr. Herridge at this — point

U.S. NAZIS ACTIVE. Photo shows American Nazi Party mem-
bers staging a demonstration during a recent peace rally in Los
Angeles. On Sunday, April 28 some of the above Nazis were
arrested following a felonious assault on spectators at a rally
for Israel in Los Angeles, and face charges.

‘DISGRACE’ SAYS NDP

RCMP actions hit
in Commons debate

RCMP snooping and _thought-
control activities were challenged
in Parliament last week by the
New Democratic Party.

NDP national leader, Tommy
Douglas, charged that the force
has gone ‘‘far beyond” its respon-
sibilities in investigating such
groups as the Voice of Women
and the Canadian Peace Research
Institute.

David Orlikow (Winnipeg
North) said ‘‘fishing expeditions”
by the Mounties to universities
and elsewhere are still going on
and Colin Cameron (Nanaimo-
Cowichan-The-Islands), cited two
cases in detail as proof that “right
now the situation is nothing short
of a disgrace .. .”

Cameron said he was approach-
ed the day after the April 8 elec-
tion by a married couple. The
wife had ben visited by an RCMP
intelligence officer. The officer
suggested — after finding out the
woman was alone at the time —

that she spy on her neighbors and
her husband spy on fellow log-
gers.

The woman was “Jiterally ter-

rified.”” They were simple folk .

with a central-European name
and she feared to refuse the
RCMP Sergeant’s request in case
she was judged to be Communist.
There were inferences, he added,
that the husband might lose his
job if he failed to co-operate.
The sergeant had picked them,
Cameron said he was told, be-
‘cause they were NDP supporters
and ‘obviously very close to the
Communist party, and therefore
they could quite easily slide into
the Communis! party and be wel-
comed with open arms.”
Cameron charged that ‘“‘no one
but a complete political ignor-
amus would have that view and
to send people out on this sup-
posedly very critical, dangerous
enterprise of riding herd on sub-

versives in Canada . . . is to my
mind, disgraceful.”’
The second case involved a

young man in his riding who had
suddenly been discharged from
the navy. After finally being per-
mitted to see the youth’s file,
Cameron found that his name had
mistakenly been confused with a
man of the same name who had
run against Cameron as a Com-
munist candidate in 1953.
Cameron stated that he knows
personally that the two are not
related and charged: ‘“‘This was
the basis on which the highly in-
telligent intelligence service c¢!
this country sent this boy back
from the navy under a cloud that

is still hanging over him.”’

une 7, 1263—PAGIFIC SA gh et 2

itemizes the long list of prominent
Canadians and large number of
organizations across Canada, and
in the Kootenays, who have gone
on record against the draft
treaty. He concludes that, ‘“These
organizations have made their
views known to governments and
members of opposition parties
who have become aware, as a re-
sult of this, of the oposition to
this treaty as it now stands and
the effects of this treaty in gen-
eral.”’)

DELAY ‘BLESSING’

“However, as the facts have
come to light through the months,
we can view this delay as a bless-
ing in disguise. This present delay
presents an oportunity to the gov-
ernment for the first time to do
some effective planning for the
development of the water re-
sources of the Columbia river to
the advantage of Canada and with
equity for the United States.
Therefore, on behalf of this party
(NDP), I suggest the following:

‘1. That the Canadian govern-
ment inform the United States
government and the government
of British Columbia that the pro-
posed treaty is not satisfactory.

“9. That re-negotiation be com-
menced on the basis of the adop-
tion of the principles for develop-
ment adopted by the international
joint commission, (which was
headed by Gen. A. G. L. Mc-
Naughton, ed.).

“3. That the government pro-
ceed on the basis that sequence
9 (a) is the most aceptable plan
for Canada. (This includes the
main McNaughton proposals, ed.).

BUILD MICA NOW

“4. That we propose a flexible
approach for the timing and stag-
ing of developments to fit the
load curve. That we should begin
the buiding of the Mica creek

dam first in order to provide flood °

control protection to Canada and
the United States.

“5. We prepose the development
of Dorr dam in order to satisfy
primary flood control in the Unit-
ed States.

“6. We urge the appointment of
General McNaughton as chief ad-
viser to the Canadian government
negotiating team.

“7. We urge that. prior to any
final decision, public hearings be
held in east and west Kootenay.

“8. Then the result of the dis-
cussions and evidence presented
at the public hearings in east and
west Kooterays should be refer-
red to the external affairs commit-
tee when it is studying a_ pro-
posed treaty.

“Tn conclusion I urge hon. mem-
bers of all parties to consider this
present delay as .an_ opportunity
to make a thorough review of
every aspect of this problem, so
that when we come to make a
decision with respect to any treaty

presented to the house, they will ~

have all the facts available.

“T am confident that when they
have that information they will
say, with a good many of us:
‘Thank God for General Mc-
‘Naughton, his services and his
advice to this nation.”

W. GERMAN SHUTDOWN

Since 1958 in West Ger-
many 24 coal mines, which

produced 10,800,000 tons - of

coal annually, have been
closed down because of mar-
ket difficulties, throwing 165,-
000 miners: out of work.