~ ™; a _etebiaielieiiaas ities Se! ae ee en a » a ee OS Le eae a » lst- Issue, November, 1961 From Page 1 WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER "Political Wing’ 600 completely. He struck a note of lofty idealism tempered with well- timed advice on grim political re- alities on the Canadian scene. The acceptance speech of Bob Strachan was a fiery challenge to Social Credit rule. These were exciting highlights in a convention which for the most part gave close and serious attention to the agenda. The rules of order, adopted at the outset, and modelled on trade union procedures allowed full play for ample discussion from all points of view. Co-chairmen Robert Smeal and Alex Macdonald guided the deliberations with tactful firmness. ears of conflict between trade union and doctrinaire CCF factions were quickly allayed as the dele- gates enthusiastically undertook the constructive planning necessary to build a new political movement and elect a New Democratic Govern- ment. Main Achievements Three main achievements stand to the credit of the convention. The details of a constitution which provides for a broadly-based peoples’ political movement were successfully woven together. The political principles which en- list the support of industrial work- ers, farmers and progressive groups were incorporated in a manifesto to which a New Democratic Govern- ment stands pledged. The eleven- point programme outlined the Party’s approach to all the pressing problems before the people of the province. A plan of organization was de- veloped and approved to ensure that all constituencies are well prepared for election campaigns which will face the Party in the near future. The proceedings emphasized the essential differences between the New Democratic. Party and other political parties. The Party’s financing of its ad- ministration and election campaigns will at all times be made fully known to the public. Its revenue will be derived solely from the in- dividual contributions of those who believe in the Party’s objectives, and who make no demand for special privileges. Secret political “deals” and patronage were declared taboo, because of their corrupting influence as seen in other parties. The members who foot the bills and do the Party’s work will write the Party’s policies. Control of policy will be exercised from the bottom up and not from the top down. Policy will be determined at annual provincial conventions. There is no leadership cult. Pro- vincial Leader Bob Strachan was at pains during his acceptance speech to state that it was his duty to ac- cept and follow the mandate of the Party’s membership in conven- tion. He pledged loyalty to such decisions without equivocation. The rights of minority groups were respected although it was made quite clear that loyalty to majority decisions must be maintained. This was made evident in the draft- ing of the Party’s Constitution and in the election of an Executive Com- mittee. The New Democratic Party in the province thus presents a genuine cross-section of the work- ing-class electorate. Participation of all groups at the constituency level is the mainspring of the Party’s ac- tivity and policy-making. The convention proceedings fully justified its name. The Provincial Party which emerged is both new and democratic. MacDonald States Labour Must Renew Efforts To Organize Organized labour in Canada must renew its efforts to organize the unorganized, warned National Secretary-Treasurer Donald MacDonald of the Canadian Labour Congress when he addressed the Annual Convention of the B.C. Federation of Labour, October 24. He startled his audience with the fact that the net number of organized workers in Canada had shown a slight decline in 1961. The organized strength of labour had steadily gained until in 1960 it had reached the total of 1,459,000 or 33.1% of the non-agricultural force. The latest 1961 figures re- vealed a decline to 1,407,000. The statistics in themselves were not significant, he stated, but that there had been a decline at all should be regarded as a warning. “We would be living in a fool’s Paradise”, he said, “unless we rea- lized that the continued defence of our achievements is directly related to our economic strength. This has a positive influence on our economy. The unorganized are a_ distinct threat to our established standards”. Legislative Attacks The speaker declared that the rest of Canada had been shocked by the infamous manner in which the B.C. Government had _ stolen away the rights of labour. Such legislation signalled open warfare on labour, and might be imitated by other provincial governments. The right to strike and the right to free collective bargaining must be de- fended at all costs, he stated. He assured the assembled delegates that the Canadian Labour Congress would stand solidly behind efforts to render the obnoxious legislation void in the courts. Unemployment Rising The Congress official strongly condemned official bumbling on the question of unemployment. Pre- dictions made in 1960 had unfor- tunately come true, when mass un- employment had assumed the high- est peak since the “dirty thirties”. The spectacle of 11.3% of the working force in idleness was a national disgrace, he said, Canada, which had one of the highest living standards in the world, had the highest ratio of unemployed. The present situation is not any brighter, he declared. While Canada passes out of the current recession, we still have a growing degree of unemployment due to gross stupidity and reaction in official circles. “We are whistling in the dark, if we think that the necessary things are going to be done. We must exert all our organizational strength to make certain that the Government grapples with the problem. We want full use of our natural resources and manpower to meet this serious crisis.” The speaker referred to the New Democratic Party as “a political vehicle to get these things done. We have built something that will stand us in good stead”, ‘affecting labour during the New Democratic Party Convention in Van- , Bob Smeal, discuss some of the NEW DEMOCRATIC PARTY EXECUTIVE left to right: Alex Macdonald; Jessie Mendels; Jack Moore; Robert Strachan, Pro- vincial Leader; Paddy Neale; Marney Stevenson; Tom Berger, Provincial President. YOU CAN'T BLAME A MAN FOR BEING NUTS ABOUT DAYTONS THE BEST BOOTS MONEY CAN BUY SHOE MANUFACTURING CO. 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