t nomic announced. _ now that the rice controls By TIM BUCK this session of the members of the House of Commons will be called upon to make the P ARLIAMENT is assembled in special session: It will sit until December 19, During decisions on new and vit immediate and powerful influence upon have a high level of emplo -es, whether our manufacturing in decline, whether the purchasing power of our dollar is main- tained or the rising spiral con- tinues to reduce it. These and other similar ques- tions © confront the mem- bers of parliament during the special session. The way they answer them “will determine the varying effects of “the dollar crisis” upon the different eco- -groupings in ~ Canada. How immediate the effect will be, is illustrated by the fact that lay-offs’ are already going’ into “effect in industries ‘affect- éd by the Abbott Plan — less than two: weeks after it was ‘will ‘Parliament was called into session. early- to -act..upon im- portant issues of tarrifs and trade. Prime Minister’ “Macken- zie. King announced ‘that the session was being ‘called to deal with .the tariff agreements ne- fotiated at Geneva. Since then. it has been announced that op- eration of the tariff agréements is tobe postponed because of the Abbott , Plan. It is clear ‘most important issues before the session in the government’s view will be those connected with operation of me. Abbott Plan. - ‘The government ‘has given no indication ‘that the matter of prices, prices controls and * sub- sidies will be on the official tm al questions of national policy. Their answers will exert, an yment or agenda of the session. But, for of Canadians, prices immediate and today. millions are the most urgent of all problems That question must come be- fore this special session of par- Tiament. Public demand can compel the» government to deal with it. The members of the House of Commons » must feel the pressure of the rising pub- lie résentment and the public demand that parliament re- establish price controls, fe need for price controls ‘can’ no longer be denied. The government has been pier oe to. re-establish price con rol on some commodities only a few ; weeks after its minister of finance informed a ‘delegation that it had no authority to take such action. But re-establishing price ceil- ings upon fresh vegetables and a restricted list of ned fruits and vegetables will not, cannot, stan the upswing of prices. Price increases are gobbling up the purchasing power of our dollar. Every — month our wages and salaries buy less. Every phase of life in Canada is now affected by the rising price- spiral which is threatening to7) get out of control. The people know from war- time experience that the | gov- nS a i Te ose EDRbeantl AA a A ca an im < 1B ey APRIUBEL NE a Dianscsvenn im waft dbase acne a December 12, 1947 : i Becnini “gcandol by* Mark Frank “Britain fears. unemployment “by William Tatts : The atom could \ work by Dyson | G,: for peace al efforts price number the economic prospect for all of us. Whether we a return to the conditions of the hungry thir- dustries continue to grow or are condemned to a long ernment can control prices if it wills to do so. The Labor- Progressive Party has pointed out repeatedly that government- to evade the issue of price control are part of its effort to restore. the conditions - which brought the crisis and the great depression between the two world wars. In August the Labor-Progres- sive Party addressed a letter to Prime Minister King urging that a special session of parliament be called to deal with the new problems ada’s shortage of United States dollars. In. that letter the LPP urged’ the adoption of measures based upon a five-point pro- gram of action. Our first proposal was. that “parliament should adopt vig- crous measures to stop nuien in- creases by: “@ Prohibiting any further increases. “eo. Re-establishing price con- trols. : : “@ Restoring governmental Subsidies on essential consumer goods where necessary. “@ Prosecution of those found guilty of profiteering.” 6 “ ! ‘E13 special session) has been called at last. What is need- ed now is public action to give effect to the widespread popu- — lar demand that. parliament re- store price controls.