larger quantities of cheaper wheat ible to get back toward the war- time figure. : _ U.S. wheat policy blow to Canada, adds to UK crisis Wheat is beginning to play in international trade a part almost It is being used to rivet American ehains on British economy more firmly than ever. The international wheat as smister as that of oil. agreement drawn up recently means ground for surplus American grain sold at exhorbitant prices. ‘The agreement is between five. wheat exporting countries — U.S., Canada, Australia, with France and Uruguay on a small scale — and 34 importing cojintrjes in- cluding the Marshall countries (except France), India, and China. Britain is by far the largest importer of wheat in the world; under the wheat pact she has greed to takp 4,819,000 metric tons a year up to the end of 1953. The purpose of the agreement is to stabilize wheat production and avoid wide fluctuations in price, But profits for the producers, especially the merchants, remain the overriding consideration. This is shown also by the ob- vious failure of the agreement to provide any large supplies for the countries that until now have been areas of chronic undernour- ishment and periodic famine — India and China. Indig is to re- ceive 1.042,000 tons a year (one qudrter of British imports) “and China only 200,000 toms. The agreement is a serious blow at Britalin’s economy for these reasons, Britain has agreed to a mini- mum. price of $1.20 a bushel higher than the one she refused to pay in 1947. This at a time when the recovery of eastern Europe and the revolutionary develop- ment of Russian agriculture un- der the 15-year plan will put ever on world markets. e Britain has bound hevSelf to take from the five exporting countries a quantity each consid- erably larger than the average amount she had from them before the war. : British wheat production was only about 1,645,000 tons in 1939. As a result, however, of the war effort, it reached 3,464,000 in 1943. Althdugh the future target is about 2,500,000 tons, qualified ob- servers believe it would be poss- * * x It is clear the new agreement gives little opportunity for buy- ing from the Argentine, or from Russia and eastern Europe, where increased supplies at ever-falling prices can confidently be expect- ed. The agreement, in fact, restricts and was calculated to restrict, both British home production of wheat, and therefore the balanced OPEN DAY and NIGHT Expert Masseurs in Attendance Vancouver, B.C. HAst. 0340 766 E. Hastings LONDON. that this country will be a dumping tish agriculture—and also British trade with eastern Europe. It is another piece of the Ame- rican machine for boosting U. S. exports and fighting socialism. In the early stages of the dis- cussions Russia offered to put in- to the pool an export quota of about 2,670,000 tons. The Americans wanted this reduced to 1,335,000 and al- though Russia was willing to compromise at 2,000,000, Ameri- ca would not budge and Russia was driven out. The agreement actually guar- antees American ®xports of 4% million tons per annum, whereas in the years before the war, they averaged less than one million tons. To crown the agreement has come the American edict that Marshall Aid do¥lars may not be used for purchasing wheat in Canada as there is a surplus in the U.S. Under the Anglo - Canadian trade agreement, $280 million is to be spent on Canadian wheat. This will now have to be found from the precious fund of dollars which Britain is able to give from dwindling reserves. It will also concentrate wheat purchases in U.S. at the expense of Canada, and, as the Times pointed cut, (March 25, 1949), this may prove a shattering blow to Canadian economy. The British people -should de- mand the repudiation of this agreement, The way to cheap and plentiful food is not to allow this country to become the dumping ground for American surplusses_ at high prices, but to develop British ag- viculture, and increase British trade with the socialist countries. Civic workers’ picnic July 9 More than 1,200 adults and chil- dren are expected to attend the annual picnic of Vancouver Civic Employees’ Union (Outside Work- ers) at Bowen Island this Satur- day, July 9. Competitors in races and team sports will vie for, $600 worth of prizes donated by local merchants. COLUMBA SMITH She will be “Miss Burrard” in the popular girl contest being sponsored by the Annual Labor Picnic. With contestants enter- ed by other city communities She will vie far the title of “Miss Vancouver.” Fine foods attraction at labor picnic A gourmet (according to Web- ster) is an epicure, a judge of choice foods. A gourmand is a greedy or ravenous eater; a glut- ton. Whether you class yourself as gourmet or- gourmand, you'll be right at home on August 7 at la- bor’s big annual picnic. Exotic na- tional dishes will be featured; cul- inary wonders from Many lands; succulent melt-in-mouth _ special- ties designed to tickle every pal- ate and fill every stomach. Someone, once said society is divided into two classes: those who have more dinner than ap- petite, and those who have more appetite than dinner. Workers who have the appetite but not the money to indulge in fine foods at expensive restaurants will find quantities of good food at the picnic, selling at low prices. Having partaken of fragrant Finnish stew, mouth-watering Ital- ian spaghetti and meatballs, or palate-pleasing Ukrainian special- ties, picnic visitors will be ready to enjoy the sports program. There will be professional boxing and wrestling, foot races for young and old, and other sports events. One of the highlights of the afternoon will be the election of Miss Vancouver. This Popular Girl contest, also an annual event, already has several en-- trants, including Miss Burrard (Columba Smith) and Miss North Vancouver (Annabelle Murphy. Campaigners are out soliciting votes, and are confi- dent they'll put their candidate in first place. The picnic committee is con- sidering holding a dance in the a) and new possibilities are opening which General Marshall had | sought so unceremoniously to close down for ever in December 1947 and whose resumption has aroused some somber reflections and gloomy prognostications from the Churchills and the Bevins as they see the question “of the unity. of Germany looming up anew. “They are signalized in the re- port of the European Economic Commission of the ‘United WNa- tions testifying to the success of recovery in eastern Europe with- out Marshall ‘aid’, and the relative lagging behind of western Europe with Marshall ‘aid’, and pointing the plain way forward to Europ- ean recovery and ending of dollar dependence through increased in- ter-European trade, if the Amer- ican bans on inter-European trade could be removed. “They are signalized in the vic- tory of Chinese democracy : which is opening’ the. way to the liberation of all Asia, and eventu- ally of the Middle East and Af- rica, and against which the rig- ging up of an imperialist bloc of counter-revolution in London last month under the leadership of Nehru, Malan and Malcolm Mac- Donald, represents a highly un- stable and rickety last fence of reaction. “They are signalized in the re- sponse to the World Peace Con- gress at Paris, on a scale never before touched in any interna- tional gathering, which is mar- shalling and organizing the fight for peace in all countries.” Willie Gallacher, - Communist MP, ‘commenting on the new Brit- ish Labor party program, writes: “The Labor leaders are up against a blind end. They can- ‘New possibilitie popular a “On a world scale we are entering big new positive developments strength of the democratic and progressive forces throughout the world,” R. Palme Dutt wrote in the June Labor Monthly. sig ized by the Berlin agreement and resumption of four power negotiations» not go forward, they must go up for — dvance’ —R. PALME DUTT LONDON. out, which reflect the advancing — “They are signal- back, back to the old evil days of slump with all its dire con- sequences for the working class. “But there is a way out, If the” trade unions and the cooperative movement ‘will only accept thé policy of the Communist party: they can break down the wail that blocks the way and advance once again on the road to socialism. — “The capitalists in this count'Y and America know that this 3 true. That is why there is such # concentrated attack of lies: ane slander directed against the Com- munists ... There is at present #4 wide gap between the masses ©” the workers and the Communist party and while it is there, thé workers must bear the heavy bur den of maintaining the present d& crepit system Se Right to sell issue ties up seine fleet Rejection by cannery operators of a union demand to allow S47 mon seine fishermen to sell t@ “the highest bidder” kept the Sa: mon fishing fleet tied up in ports this week, although the season has begun. As the Pacific Tribune went a press, Fishermen's Union offici@ were meeting with operators jie an attempt to, iron out the pute. : “If higher prices are being paid — on the grounds, fishermen W@? the right to take advantage of that price, unless the company if prepared to meet it,” said Home? Stevens, secretary of the uniO? tid PROBLEMS PILE UP, BUT— With Britain-in the throes of ing in Canada, living costs reachi clared his Election's over now! | trade figures dropping alarmingly, thousands of families facing eviction, Prime Minister Louis St. Laurent leaves this week ot 2 vacation. At a press conference last week, St. Lauremt de- government had no ; Plans for subsidized housing, de- OTTAWA economic crisis, layoffs mount ng a new record high, Canada’s — spite election promises to the contrary. He told the conference that the currency problem would not be discussed by Canadian rep- resentatives to the Commonwealth Ewen, Pacific Robert Skinner. president of Van- couver Civic Federation; and El- gin Ruddell, vice-chairman, Civic Reform Association. * Members development of the whole of Bri-| IMvited guests include Mayor gress for Peace in Mexico City, : oe ee September 5-10, it was announced : . Gee, Electrical Workers; Hugh et eenerien. Reade. Copyreda, Head Hastings Steam Baths Bird, Firemen’s Union; Tom Mo: | Maer ee) Meee hie: wre Tribune — editor; 16 E, HASTINGS ST. STANTON & MUNRO Barristers and Solicitors 501 HOLDEN BUILDING VANCOUVER, B.C. MArine 5746 The band of the Vancouver fire department will play on the deck of the nine o’clock boat going to Bowen Island and will give a con- cert on the bandstand at the is: land at noon hour. of Howard Isman’s band, currently playing at Happy- land, will give a concert on the island dock and on the six o’clock boat returning to the city. evening to round off the day’s festivities. Canadian delegates to attend congress TORONTO Peace councils across Canada are preparing to send delegates to the American Continental Con- Toronto council plans to send two delegates, Hamilton will send one, Windsor one, Montreal two, and Ottawa hopes to send at least one representative. Delegates are also expected from western cities. The congress call was signed by world-renowned figures, including trade union leader Vicente Lom- bardo Toledano of Mexico; Cath- olic theologian Dr. Domingo Vil- lamil of Cuba; professor of nu- clear physics Graciliano Ramos of Brazil, and poet Pablo Neruda United States.” out. on the dollar crisis, brushed the question aside to handle their affairs. trade and dollar crisis. of Chile. Conference in Lemdon on the bas- is of helping Britain. It would be discussed on the basis of “helping us all,” he declared. He said this in emphasizing the fact that Can- ada has “specially close economic and financial relations with the} ..Canada is not considering an- other loan to aid Britain, he dis- closed. The 1946 loan of $1,250,- 000,000 has now just about run Asked if Canada had any plans St. Laurent by | saying the government is not dis- posed to tell other people how On the question of layoffs and growing unemployment, the Lib- eral leader refused to admit there » the was any such thing or that any would develop as a result of th — Last week, in a post-election statement, Tim Buck, LPP national leader, demanded an immediate session of the House | — of Commons to deal with the question of layoffs and declining te trade. St. Laurent in his press conference indicated Parliame™™ | — will not be called until late September. ; ae ae i 6 PACIFIC TRIBUNE — JULY 8, 1949 — PAG?