Lui ILL By BEN SWANKYY EDMONTON Once again the Social Credit Provincial government has decid- €d to export Ajberta’s natural gas. This time it will be from the Peace River area to .the U.S. -horthwest, with a branch-line to Vancouver, An American com- Dany has been given a 22-year-con- tract, The bill embodying the export contract was rushed through the Provincial legislature in two days to prevent concerted action by the many groups already publicly ‘OPposed to export of natural gas. This opposition, which is for- - Midable, includes the LPP, CCF, Liberals, some Social Credit back- benchers, the Alberta CCL, the armers Union of Alberta, the Alberta Federation of Agriculture, the Edmonton Journal and many Others. Even the Financial Post, in a front page article on April 12, admitted that “the people of Alberta are in the vast majority Violently opposed to the export of Sag,”’ However, there were other Voices loudly raised in support of €xport, those of the oil interests and the newspapers they control. GULUP TOMER ATT MT ICI UL ULL Uitte \ Compl]iments G. L. MASON WATCH REPAIRS 402 Holden Building 16 B. Hastings Bill railroaded through legislature by Socred gov't people oppose | export “of gas The oil men were jubilant and their jubilance was reflected in booming oil and gas stocks. The government built its case for export around a report pre- pared by the government-appoint- ed Petroleum and Natural Gas Conservation Board, This board estimated Alberta’s established reserves at 6.9 trillion cubic feet, | its réquirements for the next 30 years at 6.5. trillion cubic feet, and it recommended that the dif- ference of 300 million cubic feet be exported from the Peace River area, There is good reason to doubt the validity of the boards’ esti- mates and not a few people are of the strong opinion that the board was out to establish a case for export. 'MLA’s had less than a week to study the board’s report before the Manning government intro- duced and railroaded through its gas export legislation. The gen- eral public heard of this report only through the newspapers. The indecent haste with which the whole thing was engineered is reason enough for suspicion. Apparently there is much be- hind the scenes that the govern- ment did not want brought out. The export contract, for instance, allows for the export of only a limited and comparatively small amount of gas for the first five years. an amount that would not under any circumstances warrant. the building of the $100 rmillion pipeline envisaged by the com- pany.’ The question is being ask- ed: Has the Social Credit govern- ment made any secret commit- ments on the volume of gas that TRADE UNION ‘RESEARCH BUREAU Labor Consultants _ Extends May Day Greetings 339 W. Pender PA. 5831 ALEC RE TTT eT CULT COL OLE ab EERE EIEK COMPLIMENTS LOTUS CAFE 10 E. Hastings Excellent Service MAY DAY GREETINGS /ROSY’s MEN’S WEAR 117 E. Hastings St. * x » MAY DAY GREETINGS LOTUS — CONFECTIONERY 443 Abbott 5St. - Approximate route the natural gas pipeline will follow to the U.S. Pacific Northwest, with a branch line to Vancouver. will be allowed for export after the first five years? * * * Although widespread opposi- tion to export has compelled the provincial government to man- oeuvre in an effort to conceal its real policies, the fact is that it has always favored export and has awaited only favorable circum-~ PPPPPPFPPP PIII II ILI IIS “Best Value From Phone PA. 2452 \ PHSHSHSHHHHSHSHHSSSSOSSoSoosogosogogqggy SESSSSSSSSSSSOSOHHSSs (SEAMEN ARE IN THE FOREFRONT FOR WORLD PEACE AND PROSPERITY MAY DAY GREETINGS ally admitted as much when he é said at the last session of the from legislature: “If . . . the gdvern- : ment now refuses to approve the & export of gas . . . it would be r ocd er oO qi e breaking faith with those Atlantic to Pacific” 156 West Hastings West Coast Seamen’s Union (Canada) 61 W. Cordova St., Vancouver, B.C. EXTENDS MAY DAY GREETINGS TO ORGANIZED LABOR AND FRIENDS : SSOSSSS —— ‘charged in the legislature that ‘stances (such as the board’s re- port) before putting its policies into effect. Less than two years ago the government stated it would al- low no export until sufficient re- serves were established to take care of all Alberta’s needs for the next 50 years. It also said at that time that when a surplus did be- come available the needs of Can- ada would be taken care of first. But 15 months ago the govern- ment modified this policy in a drastie fashion. It now said that a reserve of 30 years would be sufficient and changed its ‘“Can- ada first’? policy by stating that it would export gas wherever needed for the ‘‘security and de- fense of this continent.” ; .The real purpose of the modi- fication was revealed shortly after when‘it allowed natural gas to be exported to Anaconda Copper of Montana, It has since been shown that Anactdn- da Copper had ample supplies of gas and other fuels right in the U.S. and the “defense pur- poses’” reason only served to _ cover the real reason, which was to get cheap Alberta gas as a means to increase profits for this big war plant. is to be exported only from the Peace River, area —- and in the same breath assures owners of the rich Pincher Creek gas reserves that their turn will come soon, probably within a year. The facts prove that the Alberta government for a long time has been the agent of the U.S. oil and gas interests and that its poli- cies are determined not by the but by the desires of the oil mon- opolists to increase their wealth. Premier Manning himself practic- who have invested and riskeq mil- lions on exploration and develop- ment <5..2 , (For the oi] interests literally hundreds of millions of dollars export policies. The Liberal provincia] leader Gulf Oil Company stands to gain $500 million on a $10 million in- vestment in the Pincher Creek area. Export of natural gas will result in hundreds of millions of dollars in profits for American oil kings. Most of the gas: reserves are held bythe concerns that have cornered Alberta oil, and Imperial Oil (Standard Oil in the U.S.) is the biggest of these. For Albertans, one effect of the government’s gas export policy | make its benefits available to all Now Premier Manning says gas |" needs of Alberta and its people’ are at stake in the government’s. is an increase in the price ot natural gas to consumers in the province. The more gas is found in Alberta, the more Albertans pay — a peculiar application of Social Credit theory. x x. * In contrast to the government’s sellout of natural resources to U.S. interests, the Labor-Progres- sive party is proposing that no export of natural gas be allowed until Alberta’s requirements for the next 50 years are assured. When a surplus does accumulate it should -be exported to other Canadian provinces to serve Can- adian needs. In the meantime and without further delay the government should take steps to see to it that gas is made available to all Al- berta communities that want it. And while continuing to control the price of gas, royalties should be increased from 15 to 50 per- cent. Such measures will bring industries to Alberta, conserve its natural gas resources and Albertans, . MAY DAY GREETINGS from LOUISE COFFEE BAR — 203 Carrall St. MAY DAY GREETINGS HOME FANCY SAUSAGES 254 E. Hastings St. TA. 3613 COMPLETE LINE OF SCANDINAVIAN IMPORTS | “= MAY DAY GREETINGS STOCKHOLM CAFE. 311 Main St. WE, SPECIALIZE IN WORKMEN’S MEALS MU ee SOUT TTF i WAND STUDIOS 8 East Hastings St., Van. CATHAY STUDIO 545 Lonsdale, North Van. EXTENDS MAY 2591 E. Hastings, Van. DAY GREETINGS x ESSSSSSSSSSSHSHSOSHSSSSGSHGPSPOGP PPP PII IG IPI PIS SOOO SSS SSSSSSSS SSS . GREETINGS TO ALL WORKING MEN AND WOMEN ON MAY DAY 1952 “LET US UNITE FOR HIGHER LIVING STANDARDS, FRIENDLY WORLD TRADE AND PEACE” 4 er EXECUTIVE BOARD | : United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union q 3 “Shoreworkers’ Local UFAWU oceceeseeneanaesesnennnnneresnnirerieaDonenrere ONE IITS C aIRUNE — MAY 2, 1038 — PAGE