Canadian workers have been cheated of jobs because these new Canadian Pacific dome trains are being built at U.S. shops instead of Canadian shops at Montreal. “By FRANK ARNOLD | U.S. employees of CNR, CPR get benefits denied Canadians RE is more behind the gov- ernment’s shocking behavior against 156,000 railroaders than meets the eye. While the government-backed rail managements refused to grant the.slightest concession to Canadian railroaders, in the United States they gave U.S. em- ployees of the CNR and CPR seven paid statutory holidays each vear and three weeks paid vacation for 15 year’ service — exactly the demands which they -turned down flat for Canadian workers. In Canada, management pleads “inability to pay.” It moans fit- fully about low profits. Yet the CNR’s total operations (U.S. and Canada) netted them a profit of over $37.5 million in 1952. CPR likewise made nearly $29 millions in each of these vears out of their workers. But still they “can’t afford to pay” their Can- adian employees’ demands. In the U.S., on the other hand, they have been running in the red. CNR’s operations in New Eng- land last year resulted in a de- ficit of $1.5 millions. For every dollar CNR took in for its New England services, $1.21 had to be paid for operating expenses. Similarly, CPR’s operations in Vermont are unprofitable. In 1953 CPR lost $1.25 millions there. Each dollar in revenue cost $1.13 to get. In 1952 CPR’s operations cost more than their revenues by $868,077. ' Roe The mystery deepens. No Can- acian worker begrudges his Am- erican brother a living wage — but Canadian railroaders wil. want to know why they are being treated like “colonials” and who ~ is behind this two-faced, anti- Canadian railroad policy. Se ea es The_answer is not difficult to come by. The real controllers of Canadian railroads are USS. capitalists. By direct holdings of CPR capital stock (U.S. holds nearly 47 percent of ordinary shares as compared with just over 17 percent in Canada) Wall Street really calls the tune for .CPR management. CNR tamely follows the U.S. big business policy of its “private enterprise” brother. This explains why Canadian railroaders are met by a solid, stoney front from CNR-CNR bosses and the U.S. fellow-travel- ling cabinet. By SAM MICHNICK “GREEN GOLD’— in B.C. it’s the forest wealth, in On- tario, and in the Delhi dis- trict in particular, it’s the - tobacco leaf that yields a $50 million annual crop to the growers. working farmer glued to his kilns day and night for weeks. It brings the transient farm- . laborers into the tobacco belt. The magic “$11 a day and keep” attract thousands from all over Ontario and Quebec. worker from Oshawa, an ex- bartender from Montreal, a farm hand from Central On- tario, a construction worker from Toronto. A young couple drove in from Quebec, bring- ing their baby; a destitute vet from the First World War hitchhiked into the area; a girl ran away from home: in Windsor—all with hopes, all trying to land a job to earn a few dollars to build a dream, to pay a debt, to keep alive. While thousands came into thé tobacco belt, available jobs were relatively few, leaving many destitute. A thousand were stranded in Simcoe. Hun- dreds walked the streets in Delhi. Men slept in barns, in the bush, in jail. : In Delhi I saw one unem- ployed worker resting on some steps. “A policeman came up to him and growled: “D’you want 10 days in jail?” The beautiful park in Sim- coe has signs that read: “Transient Laborers No Loitering in Park.” It keeps the hard-~ I met an unemployed auto-- Jobless flock to tobacco fields SORES There are no adequate facil- ities to take care of the over- flow. The Simcoe Salvation Army hostel provides 200 transient workers with meals and a place to sleep, but thous- ‘ands who are broke, jobless and hungry are forced to walk ‘the streets. ss et Those who get jobs cer- tainly earn their money. Work is hard and fast on the tobacco farm. Working in a crouched position picking the tobacco told me how it got him once: _ age of the laborers. ‘was given only $1. Another ' Leslie Frost which ignores the leaf all day in the hot sun is gruelling. Some faint from heat and fatigue. One worker “My head started io ache, then my temples seemed to throb —hbut it really gets you in the chest. Oh, how you get dizzy.” There is no legal code pro- tecting transient farm labor- ers, setting uniform standards of wages and working condi- tions. This leaves the way open for some unscrupulous farm owners to take advant- One worker told me that after 44% hours work he earn- ed only $3. After arguing with the owner, he quit and told me of an owner who, after half a day’s work was done, would provoke some ©: his help into quitting—with- out pay. : ieee Rates of pay vary from farm to farm, causing many griev- ances and dissatisfaction. Not all the farm owners, of course, take such an advant- age. The blame for the chavs lies with the Conservative pro- vineial government of Premicr problem. What’s needed are a few large hostels to feed and house the transient workers, provide cash relief to those who are broke, set up a uni- form wage scale, assure de- ‘cent working conditions, and allow the farm laborers to be covered by unemployment in- surance. - proach to the cold war? By WILLIAM KASHTAN TLC leaders clinging — to cold war Big Lie — EVERAL readers. have asked me whether I noted any distinct changes at this year’s Trades and Labor Congress convention in Re- gina. The answer is, Yes. Changes there were, to be seen particularly in the debate from the floor and in the many reso- lutions adopted. Undoubtedly these changes reflect the new problems the trade union move- nent is being forced’ to face up to. But if the rank-and-file (and many officers) are now taking a new look at questions, this can- not be said of the top leadership. By and large the TLC leaders are still committed to the cold war and continue te push it actively inside the trade union movement. What other reasons can they advance for proposing the con- {inued suspension of the, United Fishermen and Allied Workers’ Union? Why did they press for fur- ther amendments to the constitu- tion so they could determine who could and who could not appeal suspensions and expulsions? And why did they persist in pre- venting the representative of this rewspaper from being seated at the press table while similar privileges were granted to the or- gans of big, business? og m m Their position certainly is out of step with what is taking place in Canada and throughout the world. Everywhere there is.a ris- ing demand for peaceful co-exist- elce and an end to the cold war. There is an evident easing of in- ternational tensions, despite Dulles and Eisenhower. The wars in Korea and Indo- china have ended. British Labor party and parliamentary dclega- tions are visiting China, the So- viet Union and Poland. The de- mand for recognition of and trade with China grows stronger every aay. The door is now open to a re- examination of the entire Ger- man question with the possibili- ty, if the people will it, to re-unite Germany on a basis which would prevent it from ever again he- coming an aggressor. From every point of the com- pass comes the irresistible de- mand that the A and H-bombs be banned—and this includes the TLC which adopted a sound reso- lution on the subject. Despite the opposition of the AFL and CIO in .the U.S., the Soviet trade unions were re-ad- mitted into the International Labor Organization. In Britain the issue of joint action between the World Federation of Trade Unions and the International Con- federation of Free Trade Unions is being hotly debated. The pro- posal is to unite both of these internationals into one world trade union movement which, if it were achieved, would transform ‘the world picture. These facts show that on a world scale the trend is towards an easing of the cold war. But like King Canute, the TLC administration is trying to hold back the waves of popular de- mand. % % nw Isn’t it time the trade union movement examined its entire ap- Isn’t it time also for all affiliates of the TLC to have another look at the ccnstitution which was amended. in 1950 in an orgy of red-baiting and war hysteria? It is on the basis of this emend- ed constitution that the adminis- tration suspended the Fisher- men’s Union and it is on this basis that it recommended con- tinued suspension. As long as this amendment stands it undermines the auton omy and democracy of TLC aff liates and acts as a weapon with which to curb opposition to the policies of the administration including the continued subordin- ation of our national interests the aims of U.S. impcrialism. When this constitution WS amended the argument used was that we were in danger of “Soviet. aggression.” Many workers wet either misled by this Big Lie 7 did not have’ the, courage *? speak up against it. 2 Today, is it not obvious that there. are now new possibilitze® *for achieving peaceful East-West co-existence and an end to the cold war? If the St. Laurent government could drop its Emergency POW ers Act, isn’t it time the TLC and others dropped their own “emer — geney acts” and reconstructed their ‘constitutions so that full autonomy. and democracy is © established in the trade unio? movement? It is also time that locals spoke up against a shameful situate? vhereby the press organs of Dé business are given full privi™ eges at TLC conventions while the only national labor paper }® the country, the Canadian rib une, is prevented from beilé seated’ at the press table. : The trade union movement Wil _ not be able to advance if it 3 committed to the Big Lie and the cold war. Recent history 0vé row to prove that. anti-commu? ism inevitably leads in the dire™ tion of fascism at home while anti-Sovietism inevitably leads war abroad. The Big Lie is stamped megs in-USA. We need to stamp 4 out, once and for all — 3% ouickly. LETTERS DIGEST Scuffles in Stockholm LENA ENDICOTT, Sechelt, B-©: A recent item on the CBC 3@ told of crowds numbering 1 bs : thousands which on more thet _ one occasion massed in the stre€ of Stockholm, Sweden for cther apparent reason that ps trawl — and this only becausé they sought adventure. TBE « Swedish authorities were at a 105° to account for this behavior. On hearing this my thoughts — returned to two days I chanet el to spend in Sweden’s capital. thi spring. , At that time I glanced OV® Stockholm’s selection of readin& material in a number of 00: stores and on its magazine stane* as well as the theatre displays- Z would therefore suggest to ve authorities that they look for th cause in what the Swedish you t are being fed day in and day oy ! through the medium of USP cuced movies, U.S. magazines 4% the usual run of U.S. pocket ! complete with the customary $ sationally illustrated covers- f The Swedish government itse”” seemed not overconcerne' regards to the literature its 9 he. ‘publishing houses put on ©” market. — eae eee It is truly lamentable that there should ‘be such ja predominé of U.S. “culture” in Sweden. ° f day and its effect becomes obvi0¥” in view of the recent incidents. en : ‘ i : 4 PACIFIC TRIBUNE — SEPTEMBER 17, 1954 — PAGE