€ LABOR FRONT §

By WILLIAM KASHTAN

Murray Cotterill, public relations director of the Unitea
Steel Workers of America, has a predilection for sounding off.

And sound off he did when he hailed a speech made by
Ontario Liberal Leader Wintermeyer at the Ontario Federa-
tion of Labor convention calling for an outright ban against the
employment of workers to replace strikers.

Cotterill went further than com-
mending that statement which Winter-
meyer later modified. He felt that the
statement warranted a re-assessment by
labor of the Liberal Party.

While he tried to modify his remarks,
what Cotterill was in effect saying was
that the trade union movement should
have another look at whether it should
build the NDP or throw its weight instead
behird the Liberal Party and return to
the “good old days” of Gomperism — “support your friends
and defeat your enemies.” : :

it is just as well that the Steelworkers political action
committee for the Toronto area dissociated itself from Cot-
terill’s position and called upon the whole labor movement
to have no illusions about the old-line parties and work for

their defeat in the coming provincial and federal elections.
” * *

It is too much to believe, however, that Cctterill’s state-
ment merely expressed his own views They appear more in
the nature of a feeler, to test the reaction of the trade union
movement.

It is no secret that despite the official position taken by
the Canadian Labor Congress to support and build the NDP,
a substantial body of conservative-minded trade union lead-
ers has been sabotaging this effort. It is also no secret that
within the CLC leadership some sharp differences have
been expressed as to whether to work for the affiliation of
union locals to the NDP. :

Nor is it a secret that a number of international union
headquarters in Washington have placed roadblocks in the
way of their Canadian memberships’ participation in the NDP.

Some re-thinking about independent labor political ac-
tion and the building of the NDP appear to be developing in
various trade union quarters—a re-thinking which unfortun-
ately found its expression in the ‘‘non-partisan” approach tak-
en by the Toronto Labor Council toward the Toronto munici-
pal elections which ended up in the council endorsing a Con-
servative for mayor and two Liberals for Board of control.
and taking a somewhat similar. position with respect to can-
didates in some of the suburban areas.

No wonder the capitalist press greeted this development
as “a forward step.” This is certainly a return to Gomperism
with a vengeance! =

* * *

The argument advanced by Cotterill for re-thinking about
the parties of monopoly certainly shows evidence of thin and
shallow thinking.

Even assuming that Wintermeyer had maintained his
original position on illegalizing strike-breaking, that would
be no cause for the labor movement to throw its electoral
support behind him. «

As a matter of fact, the major parties today cannot
afford to ignore labor or develop an open anti-labor bias.
Each in its own way strivs to gain -working-class electoral
support. Each in its own way strives to weaken the forward
movement of the working class toward genuine independent

labor political action.

* * *

In this case Wintermeyer has shown himself to be a more
astute politician than Cotterill. He and the Liberal Party
are presently engaged in a “flirtation” calculated to take
votes away from the NDP. A similar performance was Car-
ried through in the 20’s and the Liberals hope to repeat on it.

* * *

Unfortunately the NDP lends itself to this game by not
clearly establishing a line of demarcation between itself and
the old-line parties, thereby undermining its potential as a
democratic alternative to both of them.

A big point is made of the fact that it is prepared to
show where its election funds come from while the old-line
parties are not.

There may be some value in making such a point but
the potential for the NDP does not lie there.

It does lie in making the central issue of Canadian poli-
tical life the fight for peace, peaceful coexistence and a truly
independent Canadian foreign policy.

It does lie in advancing the struggle against U.S. domina-
tion over the economic life of our country and boldly advanc-
ing public ownership and nationalization as an essential part
of the nation-wide movment for Canadian independence.

Unfortunately, by failing to do so, the groundwork is
created for Gomperism and for the kind of speeches made
by Cotterill, which does great harm to the labor movement.

That speech, like some others Cotterill has made recently,
needs to be roundly condemned by all who see the over-riding
need to advance labor’s political aims and economic intere3ts.

Nov. 30, 1926—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 2

a 7
‘ .

Canadian and Soviet trade delegations are
shown in session at the USSR Foreign Trade
Ministry in Moscow. Trade with the Soviet
Union fell off sharply this year, declining

MOST EGGS IN ONE BASKET

from $22 million to only $2 million in !
first nine months of this year. It is hope
these talks will lead to more two-way trade

~

SIXTY PERCENT OF CANADA’S

EXPORTS 10 UNITED STATES

Exports to the United
States accounted for 60° per-
cent of Canada’s total foreign
sales in the first nine months
of 1962, according to a sur-
vey by the Dominion Buréau
of Statistics made public last
week.

At the same time, sales to

the socialist eoustiries. which
had shown increases in 1961,
registered sharp drops this
year. Exports to other coun-
tries also plummeted.

Thus the DBS figures indi-
cate the Tory government’s
continued policy of making
trade mainly dependent on

more effectively .

of the job crisis.

Wesley Black.

Jobless urged:demonstrate

Russ St. Eloi, president of the B.C. Federation of
Labor, has told the Vancouver and District Unemployed
Council that the best way to draw attention to a prob-
‘lem is to demonstrate publicly.

“In recent weeks you have seen, and many of you
have participated in demonstrations by organized labor
on a united scale. There is no way of focusing the crit-
ical problem of unemployment to the eyes of the public
“' St. Eloi is reported to have said.

The delegates at the unemployed council’s annual
meeting decided to ask Vancouver Labor Council to or-
ganize a meeting of civic election candidates, inviting
them to express their opinions and possible solutions

It was also agreed to send a dpleguiion. to visit NDP
provincial leader Robert Strachan and Welfare Minister

NEED THE SPIRIT OF ‘37.

rospect 6

rosrttil may ly ours.

wl. Mackenzie —1837

Last week marked the 125th an- |

niversary of the Rebellion of 1837. Canadian Tribune cartoonist
Avrom pays tribute in the above cartcon to William Lyon
MacKenzie’s call for independence, and brings it up to date.
MacKenzie’s words are just as true today, in 1962.

one other country — the US:
— despite the proven exist
ence of markets for Canadia®
goods.

This policy is at the ro!
of Canada’s present economit
stagnation. Initiated by 1
Liberal government in 194
under the label of ‘intest®
tion”, it has resulted in ye
ada becoming a raw mater ™
jals reservoir for the Uses :
while Canada at the sam
time imports these raw mater
ials back from the U-S. in
form of manufactured goods:

In the first three- quarteh rs
of this year total exvorts rosé
$335° million to $4.5 billy !
while exports to the US is
creased by $431 million
$2.7 billion. Fi

During the» same peri0®
exports to all socialist coun
tries ‘fell by $36.300,000. Salé
to the countries of East’
Europe dropped by 46 mil

ot

e-
lion, with a major factor ‘
ing a fall in sales to the Sov %

Union, from $22 mili
$2 million. Exports to ie,
dropped from $13,500, 000
¢@ million.

Grain sales to China
vided the only export incre eh
to the socialist countries- 580
ports to China rose by $29
400.000 to $127 million. by

Exports to Britain fell 1!
almost $3 million and bY
percent to the Common Mar i
ket countries. Sales to Jap?”
which had been on the ys
grade for the past sever?
years, were $13 million A
between January and “ene
tember this vear than for
same period last year.

Border war
India’s fault —

Elmore Philpott told a re"
cent service club meeting 1?
Regina that People’s Chin®
sent her troops across the

? \
McMahon Line in_ self-de-
fence. He said that in sum

India made a “most cal
tous mistake” by moving he?
troops north of the Me:
Mahon Line.

Before Oct. 10, battles P&
tween Indian and Chines®
troops were well north of the
line, inside territory reco®”
nized by India as chines®
he added.

ya