Clyne will

investigate

Whatshan .

VICTORIA, B.C.

Premier W. A. C. Bennett has le

decided to appoint Mr. Justice J.
V. Clyne as a royal commissioner
to inquire into the August 11
and 16 mud slides that destroyed
the Whatshan power house.

Ever since the disaster there
has been strong public pressure
demanding .an exhaustive probe
into the Whatshan Dam disaster.

The B.C. Power Commission at-
tempted to disarm its critics by ap-
pointing its own consultant, H. G.
Acres, to investigate.

This feeble move, which put the
commmission in the position of
“investigating itself,’ only suc-
ceeded in heightening the demand
for a public inquiry.

Although no lives were lost in
the disaster, the slides completely
wrecked construction at the plant
which provided power for Kam-
loops and North Okanagan.

On hearing of Premier Bennett’s
decision, B. C. Power Commission
chairman S. R. Weston, key man
in the Whatshan. development,
commented that “‘this will provide
an opportunity for all the facts
to be brought out ‘and separated
from the rumors.”

It is extremely doubtful, how-
ever, that B.C. Power Commission
really wants the facts of the dis-
aster to see the light of day.

The issue is sure to be raised at,
the coming sesssion of the legis-

lature.

Echoes of the bitter struggle of Johns-Manville strikers at Asbestos four yéars ago, as shown in picture above,
in the Quebec courts as eight workers await decision on their case against

incurred. (See story below).

Long hard strike struggle —

faced by Noranda miners

MONTREAL

The strike of 1,600 metal miners at Rouyn-Noranda bears all the earmarks of another lengthy strug-

gle, such as has beeen characteristic of most of the battles of the last few years in French Canada.
“Tf you want to strike,” J. Y. Murdoch, president of the Noranda Mines, told the representatives of

the United Steel Workers, ‘we will see you in three months from. now;

we will see you in six months.”
This arrogance, typical of the
attitude of the U.S.-dominated
trusts of the province, is respons-
ible for the miners’ resort to the

strike weapon. The union has been
asking voluntary and revocable
check-off of union dues, as well as
higher wages and other demands.
While the company indicated it

| might give some concessions, it

and if you then want to continue

maintained an absolute rejection
of any form of union security.

This is the second strike at
Rouyn-Noranda in the last few
years, In 1948, the miners struck
for 80 days on the same issues and
lost.

The metal miners strike ap-
pears to be the opening of a new

City eounell’s organizing

ability ‘somewhat less than
penguin colony’ says Zlotnik

After 39 months of British
Empire Games bungling, Vancou-
ver City Council last week approv-
ed a final plan for building the
Games stadium at Exhibition Park
at a cost of $1,557,613 — which is
$192,613 more than the original
budget.

“work will start on Tuesday,”
president R. D. Welch ‘of Marwell
Construction Company cheerfully
announced. Some 200 Vancouver
unemployed, taking this statement
at face value, turned up bright
and early Tuesday morning this
wek looking for jobs, only to dis-
cover that there was no work to
be had, and actually no work had
started. ‘‘The carpenters will be
here Wednesday,” the jobless were
told.

Completion of the BEG stadium
is promised in six months. The
Games are scheduled to*start next
July 30.

City council’s lamentable handl-
ling of the British Empire Games
(the pool contract is still up in the
air) recalls similar bungling on
council’s part in connection with a
civic centre, a new central library
and the Grandville Street bridge.

Sid Zlotnik, LPP field or-
ganizer, charged this week that
city council’s organizing and ad-
ministrative abilities were

“somewhat less than those of a

penguin colony.” :

Zlotnik recalled the sorry record
of council with regard to~ the
building of Capilano Stadium.

“The great majority of sports
clubs and of the public generally

wanted an adequaté all-purpose |

stadium,” he said. “What they got
was a professional baseball stad-
ium on terms that constitute a

sell-out of the citizens of this city.

“The city entered into an agree-
ment with Sick’s Brewery to con-
struct a $300,000 stadium with a
seating capacity of 5,200, the

money to be provided by Sick’s at

three percent interest. All that
Sick’s wanted and got in return
was 90 percent of the gross re-
ceipts for the duration of the con-
tract (25 years) while the city re-
ceives a mere 10 percent. If con-
struction costs turned out to be
greater than the $300,000 original-
ly estimated, then the city had the
right to withdraw from the agree-
ment.

“The final cost was $550,000.
The city did.not withdraw. A bill
for unauthorized expenditures of
$13,000 was presented to council.
At first the aldermen refused to
pay, but under further pressure
from Sick’s they rescinded their
earlier motion, and paid. They
took this action despite warnings
by Corporation Counsel Russel
Baker that taxpayers could take
legal action to compel the alder-

G

men to foot the bill out of their
own pockets, since the city was
not legally responsible for the
$13,000 under terms of the con-
tract. .

“The right to decide what games
would be permitted in the Capi-
lano’ park was vested in Bob
Brown, stadium manager, an em-
ployee of Sick’s, subject to an ap-
peal to the City Engineer.

“Thus council, with its usual
broad vision, frustrated the de-
sire of sports enthusiasts for an
all-round stadium, and turned
ever to a private corporation
control and the lion’s share of
the profits of the operation.

“Over $550,000 was spent, and
Vancouver still had the problem
of a stadium. Vancouver’s profes-
sional football team still had no
home, amateur sports were left
floundering — when suddenly the
award to Vancouver of the 1954
British Empire Games brought the
whole issue before aldermen
again.”

Zlotnik produced figures to

show how other cities had solved,

their stadium problems.

“Five years ago Mobile, Ala-
bama, built a stadium seating 36,-
000 for $985,000,” he said. “It is
operated by a non-profit-sharing
corporation, and all net profits
must be used for stadium improve-
ments or for developing public
parks and playgrounds. The city
donated $135,000 towards building
the stadium; the rest was donated
by -:prominent business leaders.

“Miami, Florida, in 1948 in-
creased the size of its stadium
from 37,000 to 60,000 seating cap-
acity in 70 days. This was done
by’ using precast concrete joists,
floor slabs and special steel fram-
ing. Although principally used as
the site of the. famous Orange
Bowl football games, the Miami
stadium is used for more than 70
other attractions,
eos, civic pageants,
extravaganzas.”

and musical

If these and other cities could
do it, said Zlotnik, “why is it
that Vancouver city council
takes 39 months to make up its
mind on a stadium, and still
-hasn‘t settled the simple issue

of building a BEG swimming
pool? ’ tans

including rod- +

round of strike battles in the
province of Quebec. The rela-
tive calm which reigned in the
aftermath of the series of pro-
longed and bitter strikes is now
coming to an end. It has been of
short duration.

The workers had not been deé-
feated; although the majority of
strikes were not won, the trusts
and government can gather scant
satisfaction from the fact that the

‘| workers had to go back to work to

get a “breather” before the new
round of struggles breaks out
again.

The scenes of violence and
struggle have again been re-enact-
ed in the courts. Sometime soon, a
decision will be forthcoming from
the courts on the action taken by
eight workers of Asbestos! against
the provincial police on charges of
false arrest, injuries and medical
expenses arising from the brutal-
ities of Duplessis’ thugs. In this
trial, one worker after another
went to the witness stand to relate
how strikers were beaten and tor-
tured by the provincials during the
violent efforts to smash the heroic
asbestos miners strike against the
U.S.-owned trust.

Some 225 workers from As-
bestos, Louiseville, | Vickers,.
Warden King, Dominion Textile,

Canadian Copper Refinery and
others are still on bail on charg-
es arising out of these strikes.

The labor movement in Quebec

provincial police for false arrest, injuries and medical expe

face of provocation, 80

‘

reached a new high level o ano
consciousness and mila
Whereas in 1939, the average ae
lost by workers engaged in sit

in the province was six day5
1949 the average had risen
days. Of 31 strikes in Queber'é f
ing 1952, the average had 8 J
still higher, for most strikes last it
more than ten weeks 42 ‘tf
strikes in Louiseville went one
11 months, and in the CaM.
Copper Refinery for eight mom F

oa bY
The strikes were marked no
ipline # ; g
; phe

great determination, dis¢l
solidarity of the workers: ie
stood fast and fought b fe

and employer intimidatiom
wild police brutality. -

This series of strike uy
has left a profound iPr is
upon the public generally: se
is evident by developmen” ant .
the trade union moveme™ | ie
by changes in the attitude
general public towar’ Ly
workers struggles.

Signs of this are to bé al
the fact that the general CO",
the Catholic syndicates wa in
to threaten a general strik “Ke ie
province. Although the st

yea
n’t take place, the very von

a weapon in the arsené
working class agains
and the government a? ment
highly significant develOP” of
addition, the statement ¢
United Automobile W° ‘ 0!
the Canadian Congress piplé,
in denunciation of .the that
antilabor policy shows

tf.
strikes have had an effet sh

v

tl
oi
pomenisenie

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PACIFIC TRIBUNE — SEPTEMBER 11, 19

53't