8 WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER George Burt, director of the Canadian region of the United Automobile Workers of America for 23 years, was re-elected by acclamation for another two-year term at the UAW’s international convention. Walter Reuther was returned unopposed as president for his 10th term and Emily Mazey, secretary-treasurer, was also re-elected. Only Reuther has served longer than Burt on the union’s international executive board. Burt is also a vice-president of the Canadian Labour Congress, * * * April coal production declined nearly 20 percent to 595,883 tons from a year earlier and Janded imports rose 13.2 percent to 772,835 tons, indicating why Nova Scotia fields are depressed. 4 * * Sales by Canadian retailers in March rose by 8.1 percent to $1,431,557,000 compared with a year earlier. Sales for the January-March period totalled $3,813,282,000 or a rise of 5.7 percent, reflecting some recovery from the prolonged recession. * * * Total net income for Canadian farms last year was the lowest since 1957 at $1,033,700,000. This was nearly 22 percent below 1960 and most of the decrease was attributed to prairie drought. The Maritimes, Manitoba and Saskatchewan showed declines. * * * The number of Canadian farms dropped by an alarming 16 percent between 1956 and 1961 on the basis of 1961 census figures. Part of the drop was attributed to a revised system of statistics but the overall results showed a continuing decline in the ability of the smaller farmer to hang on. Farms in 1961 totalled 480,903 compared with 575,015 in 1956. dipped to 172,551,000 acres compared with 173,923,500. All Provinces Support Rehabilitation Plan Farm area — All 10 provinces will soon be in the new federal-provincial program of vocational rehabilitation for the disabled, it was learned. This indicates an all-out effort may soon be made to help handi- capped workers help themselves into gainful, satisfying work. “As far as the disabled are con- cerned, we now are in an excellent position to apply our knowledge con- structively,” said Jan Campbell, national co-ordinator of civilian re- habilitation in the federal labour department. Advisory Council He was reporting at the first ses- sion of the new 25-member Nation- al Advisory Council on the Rehabi- litation of Disabled Persons. The two labour members of the council are Andy Andras, legislative director of the Canadian Labour Congress, and Julien Major, director of wel- fare with the Quebec Federation of abour. e Mr. Campbell said Canada is be- coming increasingly aware of the “heavy financial burden of depen- dency.” “We know that in the philosophy and principles of rehabilitation, we have means of assuring that in many cases the need for public assistance can be avoided.” The new Vocational Rehabilitation of Disabled Persons act went into effect last December. It is designed to assist provinces in helping dis- abled persons gain independence by rehabilitation, thus easing or avert- ing their dependence on the public or relatives. 50% of Cost Under the act, the federal treas- ury can contribute up to 50 per cent of the cost of any service or treat- ment which might not be available from other sources but which is necessary to restore a disabled per- son to gainful employment. The federal-provincial agreements cover the sharing of costs of com- prehensive rehabilitation services to disabled persons in each province. This includes such services as medi- cal, social and vocational counsel- ling, remedial and restorative treat- ment, technical and vocation train- ing, employment placement and other necessary services. The national advisory council is made up of representatives of pro- vincial and federal governments, voluntary agencies, the medical pro- fession, the universities, organized employers and organized labour. Liberal Defector Joins New Democratic Party PETERBOROUGH—A defection in Liberal party ranks was welcomed by New Democratic supporters in this area. Fred Johnston, veteran Liberal and President of the Marmora and Dis- trict Liberal Association, working at the Bethlehem Steel Corporation mine 40 miles east of here said that “the new party is out to do more for the people who need help than either the Liberals or the Conservatives.” Marmora is in the 900-square mile riding of Hastings-Frontenac where all three major parties have candidates. Cliff Michael Wins Labour Scholarship An $800.00 scholarship has been awarded to Cliff Michael, Financial Secretary of Local 1-417, Inter- national Woodworkers of America. The scholarship was awarded by the National Institute of Labour Educa- tion and Cliff will be sponsored directly by the IWA Regional Coun- cil No. 1. f He will leave on Thursday, June 14 for the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The course, which will last for ten weeks, will cover such subjects as Economics, Labour History, Political Science and Psychology. Cliff was born in Lashburn, Sas- katchewan and moved to B.C. in 1940. He is married with two chil- dren. He joined the IWA in 1950 and became active in 1952. In 1955 he attended the IWA International Convention in Mil- waukee and has since attended con- ventions of the B.C. Federation of Labour, IWA Regional Council, and the Canadian Labour Congress. Believing that the Labour move- ment has a definite part to play in the field of politics, Cliff has become very active in politics in recent years. He is presently 1st Vice-President of the Salmon Arm New Democratic Party and attended the New Demo- cratic Party Founding Convention in Ottawa last July. Cliff will be the only Canadian — attending the Institute at Ann Arbor. No FM Here For CBC CBC president J. Alphonse Qui- met told the Board of Broadcast Governors here that FM radio would not take over from AM for at least 20 years. Development of FM was still un- certain, he said, and might even be scotched by color TV. Move Slowly The CBC will move slowly and cautiously in the FM field. First step is applying to the BBG for an okay to make permanent the Mont- real-Ottawa-Toronto FM _ network which has been operating experi- mentally since April 1960. Private - station affiliations, the CBC said, may come later. High- fidelity FM tapes might be distri- buted across Canada. Ouimet’s position flies in the face of BBG support for private broad- casters, who are moving vigorously into the FM field. 40 Stations There are now 40 FM stations in Canada, as compared with about 245 AM< stations. The BBG insists that FM sound quality and programming be kept high — and different from AM. FM stands for frequency modu- lation, a broadcasting method which eliminates all or most of the static which accompanies AM—amplitude modulation—radio. NEW [eagle eins De is 4 R NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY LEADER, T. C. (Tommy) Douglas is greeted at the Airport by this band of Scotch pipers who piped him around the Airport. Labour Party Distrusts Tories ECM Terms by KENNETH C. RATHBONE A widespread belief that the Conservative Government is on the eve of taking Britain into the European Common Market on terms which would limit the powers of a future Labour Government in economic and foreign affairs is making the Market an issue at this year’s conventions. Many Labourites firmly believe that a desire to hamstring the econo- mic policies of a future Labour Gov- ernment is one of the main reasons why the Conservatives want a link up with European Big Business, which is certainly in control of the Market at present. Lack of Faith Others believe that the Conserva- tive move is due to a complete lack of faith in Britain’s ability to main- tain an independent position in the world and a complete bankruptcy of policies. The few Labourites for the Mar- ket had it all their own way when the question~ was first raised a year or so ago. But as the rank and file of the labour movement have become more alive to this issue the oppo- nents of the Market, who made a late start, now appear to be gaining. One big union leader, Frank Cousins, General Secretary of the 1,250,000-strong Transport and Gen- eral Workers’ Union, now views the matter so seriously as to utter what has been regarded as a demand that Labour should make it clear that it will repudiate any treaty the govern- ment signs which may limit the pow- ers of a Labour Government. ITS LUCKY ches sch live in B.C. This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government of British Columbia. Wait and See Official Labour policy is still to wait and see the terms offered be- fore making a decision, but many believe that this is leaving things rather late. The last annual convention of the party declared that it did “not approve Britain's entry into the Common Market unless guarantees protecting the position of British agriculture and horticulture, the E.F.T.A. countries, and the Com- monwealth are obtained, and Britain retains the power of public owner- ship and planning as measures to en- sure social progress within the United Kingdom.” Family Farms Financed By Union The Ladies’ Garment Workers will help finance family farms by making $100 million available for investment in government - insured loans over the next four years, ILGWU President David Dubinsky and Secretary of Agriculture Orville L. Freeman announced following a conference in the latter’s office. The money will come from the union’s pension, vacation, severance pay and health and welfare funds at the rate of $25 million a year beginning with 1962. The union already has invested $7.5 million in Farmers Loan Administration mort- gages this year. “We are well aware of the tre- mendous amounts of industrial pro- ducts consumed by farm families,” Dubinsky said. “We are also de- lighted to play a part in strength- ening and maintaining the indepen- dent family farm system upon which our nation was founded.” Expectant Mothers Aided The National Union of Public Employees’ Local 101 is among the first of civic employee unions to gain recognition for expectant mothers in its ranks. The local’s new two-year agreement with London authorities provides six-month maternity leave. Other improvements include a 6 per cent wage boost for all staff in two stages in the two-year contract period. The new agreement also pro- vides an improved union shop for- mula,