— Western

Bread ee tes

HE ghost of Beauharnois walks again . « .

this time right into Canada’s kitchen. But

the hoary old chieftain, Mackenzie King, has no

worries about having to tread the “‘valley of

humiliation” a second time. June 27, and even

October 24, are happily past, leaving his Liberal
cohorts well fortified to lay any ghost.

No thanks to the St, Laurent government,
the powerful milling and baking combines which
have been profiteering on the people’s bread, have
been smoked out into the open.

The Liberal government of Mackenzie King
and St. Laurent, although well aware of this
profiteering, remained silent until the federal elec-
tions, and even the byelections, were safely over.
To such Liberals, votes rather than bread. rep-

resent the “staff of life’.

Under a growing public pressure against ris-
ing prices, the government was forced to conduct
an investigation into the price-fixing policies of o
Canadian National Millers’ Association and i
Division. This powerful ae
through its maze of interlocking directorates, con-
stitutes eleven of the most, powerful wheat, milling
and baking monopolies i in. Canada.

Under its own anti-combines laws, the gov-
ernments was obligated‘to make public the report

of its commission within 15 days of its ‘submission,
as of December 29, 1948.

The King-Si, Laurent government suppressed
this report uniil last ‘week—and would undoubted-
ly have continued to suppress i, had not Chief
Commissioner F. A. MacGregor and his deputy,

-{..M. MacKiegan, resigned their posts in disap-
_proval “of the government's policy of covering up
the piracy of the milling and baking combine.

The 60,000-word MacGregor report is a
damning indictment of “free enterprise”. Small
independent millers were “threatened with repris-

als . . . if they did not comply with efforts . . .

to keep close ©. . to the firms’ agreed price
levels.”’ Little fellows were pressured into selling
out. to the big fellows ... or else. Double

‘

- raiders.

entrenched, before the prices scandal broke to

bookkeeping on ‘meetings of the milling, aaa baking _
trust became a trade procedure. All direct ref-
erences to price fixing and hoisting were care-
fully omitted. The decisons of the “Big
Eleven” io clip the Canadian housewife an extra
iwo or three, cents on her loaf was preserved for

the bread racketeers in “‘confidential memoranda.”

Trade Minister D. ‘C. Howe: boasts that he
“urged” Justice Minister Stuart Garson “‘not to
make the MacGregor report public until further
investigation was made.’ What “‘investigation” ?
This is sheer Liberal humbug. The government
had sufficient evidence in its hands to prosecute
these grain, milling and baking racketeers. It had
all the power it needed ‘under its own anti-trust
laws and machinery.

Why did the St. Laurent government hedge .
in this, its vital responsibility to the people of
Canada, and only bestir itself with asinine “‘ex-
planations” when forced to do so by the resign-—
ation of its commission chairman? ~

The reason is not hard to find. The King-
St. Laurent government couldn’t prosecute the
milling and baking trust without itself being
exposed as derelict in its “defense” of the living
standards of the people against the nation’s pantry
So the King-St. Laurent government
suppressed the MacGregor report—for precisely
the same reason as it sprung a snap federal elec-"
tion on June 27: to male sure the votes were
all counted and the Liberal party more firmly

add to the gathering storm of economic crisis,

The’ MacGregor commission has rendered a ©
valuable service to the Canadian people. Tt has
told them how, and by whom they are robbed.
The St. Laurent government must be compelled’ ~
to act in the people’s interest, or stand exposed
as part and parcel of the bread combine’s double

bookkeeping conspiracy. A ;

The ghost of Beauharnois must not be per-
mitted permanent residence in Canada’s kitchen.

“Oh, good morning,

you think?”

' Heavenly personages,’

‘toots, and replaced it.

stances themselves, like to pontificate ‘about
_ poor we have always with us”. ~

ie 20 See ee ab
ptimism |

‘HE vapid i increase of unemployment holds’ no
‘terrors for those who, in ‘ ‘comfortable circum-—

“the

This week i in Victoria, Labor Minister Humph-

unlimited.

various'reasons.”’ Mitchell went on. to say oe one
hundred percent employment would only be possible

“Sf the weather and the elements could be controlled

by legislation.” He didn’t specify which ‘‘elem-
ents”, but it is certain he didn’t mean thé big boys
of the milling, baking, rental, lumber or other. trusts.

TOM McEWEN

As We See lt

HE venerable Saint Peter was coming down the long corridor
which leads to the outer portal. His halo was slightly askew and
he was muttering to himself as he dangled his heavy golden keys
on a ruby-encrusted ring. “A plague on these all-night celebrations,”
he grumbled. -“At my age they leave me exhausted.” ‘
Voltaire wandered across the corridor, his halo perched jauntily
on the back of his head, engrossed in the large golden-bound volume —
of Who’s Who he was carrying, and almost bumped into Saint Peter. —
Brother Peter.” he _ said. :

“Pieaven seems to be a little quiet lately, don’t

“You are so absorbed in your studies, my
friend, that you have no time for the social ameni-
ties,” replied Saint Peter severely. ‘Your absence

‘last night from the. anniversary affair for our

celebrated new brother from the Canadian Senate
was most regrettable. We have to wait a long
time for Canadian Senators, you know.:. They
are always so reluctant to leave.
“Most of the literati were there,” Saint Peter
continued, “and, of course, all the monetary re- |
formers. Old Aberhart was in rare form—I don’t
know how you slept through it. I mentioned to God afterwards
what a relief it was to be free of social credit in Heaven,’

The knocker on thé great portal gate was setting up a terrific |
din as Saint Peter hurried forward, fumbling with the-keys. Despite _
Voltaire’s cheery salutations, Saint Peter was still muttering im- —
precations against “those all-night celebrations’ as he swung the |
heavy gate open .. .'to meet ap impish gaze of a sooty-looking
emissary from Hell. i

“Ha, good morning, Old ‘Cock. You look a shade fagged, if i
may say so. The Devil sends his greetings and seeks an interview
with one of your recent arrivals. We're so far behind in posting our
record that we only found out about ‘him the other day. We under-
stand he’s from the Canadian Senate.”

“Look to your manners, Imp, when you @re in the presence of
* admonished Saint Peter, although he felt,
that his dignity at that hour, like much of the learned discources
of the previous evening, was more than a trifle flat. “Whom did —
you say Lucifer desired to speak with?” 2 }

ASN >representative of the “Canadian. Senate—what they call a.

& successful politician down there.’ .

“Now look here, Imp, I do not feel nigsoeen es jest this morning.

We have» many senators, politicians, bishops, mayors, bankers, steel

kings, archbishops, auto kings, lumber barons, and what. not. All
sorts of titles. Souls of some considerable standing before they
arrived here. Heaven seems less exclusive than it used to be, Be--
tween you and me, and this is just an old Saint’s intuition, but
Wwe may have Hitler up here any day now if our Washington embassy |
reports are to, be credited. Anyhow, I'm a busy m ase. Ope Saint. *
Now just whom does Mephistopholes seek to. interview?” Fees,

“Senator McSmear.” —

i oa apes Senator McSmear—a worthy soul. (strong on "monetary
reform, an efficent police force, the trappings of office, and an-
authority on the Riot Act. A worthy debater for your sulphurious’
bedlam. DRE imagine: a Heaven full of McSmears. The thought
appals me.’

Saint Peter reached into a small alcove beside the gate for a
quaintly designed sapphire-studded trumpet, gave three silvery
Almost immediately a cherub appeared riding
a streamlined fleecy cloud. : :

“Page Senator McSmear,”’ ordered Saint Peter.
jet plane. -

The. impish emissary from. Hell was on the point of kine a

quip about some of the “formalities attendant upon a Heavenly

existence, when a strange looking Soul appeared draped in mayoral
robes and chain of office, with a bound volume of the Financial Post
(Celestial edition) under his arm. Behind him a cherub dragged a
cumbersome mace. Saint Peter, at a loss to know how such a con-
traption had got into Heaven in the first place, felt too exhausted _
to argue the matter just then. In any event, it would be better not
to let this Imp of Hell know that all ‘was not as orderly as it

should be in ‘Heayen.

“Here is your Senator,” said ‘Saint Peter.
him and return him unsinged.”

As an afterthought, pointing to the make: Saint ‘Peter’ Badeas
“Perhaps you can dispose of these earthly trapping while you have

; “Take hig care, of

The cherub —
‘turned its vaporous conveyance and took ee with the ee pe a

him down there. They’re Teally quite superfluous up here. i
e : é
On ‘rare ‘occasions when really important souls were pigieiees the >
Devil himself attended to the welcoming formalities. Thjs was one
- such occasjon. With a flourish the Devil swung the door open just
as Senator McSmear stepped from the express elevator. For a
moment both host and visitor paused to take each other’s measure.
Then the Devil laughed—deep belly-shaking mirth that echoed
around the rafters of Hell. “Come this way, my dear Senator, come
this way. *I have a packed hall of notable Reds awaiting you. Good —
fellows all. Marxists, near-Marxists and super social-democratjc
Marxist—the kind that used to make Marx declare he was glad he
wasn’t a Marxist. What a hell of a meeting this is going to be.”
All Hell rocked with renewed gales of laughter. Even Antony
Comstock jn his self-chosen secluded corner in- Heaven, quivering
like a seismograph recording an atomic explosion in Siberia, relaxed
in his virginal piety to indulgence in a wan arionaner which was really
something for Antony.

Mitchell rounded out his economic’ feaeae:
for Canada by proudly pointing to our 1949 pro-
duction record—but soft-pedalled his dulcet notes
on who got the bulk of the boodle. _ \

Verily, the poor aways ye’ shall hive with you.

~ Hold the i

ILLED fet delivery Peccmber ‘Lies nice. fat
Christmas present of a 20-25 percent rent
increase has been ordered by Finance Minister Ab-

_bott, to Beery, ithe hea gad Brat ot pve
“Tanclords.” :

Att Teast one of every three ‘Conklin will pay
“through the nose for this “Liberal”? Christmas gift
in drastically lowered living standards. For thous-
ands it opens the perspective of 3 a slum existence in
Sea to live at all. ©

Ry (Bumbling) Mitchell felt called upon to scat-
‘ter a few pearls of ministerial optimism anent the _
"growing economic cfisis. ‘There are spots of un-

employment ‘here and there,” he said, “but we al-
ss oe have had certain numbers out of work for

While the monopoly. press makes crude efforts
to soften the blow of a minimum 40 percent rent
hike since 1941, the cold fact remains that thous-
ands of Canadians, through evasion, trickery and past —

government relaxation of rent controls, are already “Gentlemen, allow me to present to your eroriby company, Senator
paying 100 to 200 percent over 1941. McSmear, on the occasion of his first anniversary among us. sae
To thousands of workers, pensioners and ethers ae i PEE Nt : bee
Abbott’s Christmas gift constitutes a cynical denial Nii Be et ee mR AT 7 TTT
of the most elementary need of tens of thousands ‘of | 6 i ae, NY NR mg il pu a l i mM ie
Canadians—a home. ll one {i 1D iB iw) | Ul; INEM be
ce ‘Side by — side with siiatiototede ritoveet to ee sell i i. | |) ik AE ih i my ils
_, Despite mass representations: — ade unions, pees coupled with the firm demand for — et thet Re ety catauta eet
Editar organizations: and other bodies to the gov- the reimposition of tight federal rental control, must
-ermment to “hold the line’ in ‘rental control—and go the building of effective tenant ofganization on
~ despite Liberal pre-election promises on housing im- a community and block basis to cope with the ane
plying the need of such controls, nee eee al and per- affects of the government’s action. _
sistent lobbies of organized landlords have scored a_ This is the only course left to avoid the rent
victory—and demonstrated once again ich class _ rooking, slums and evictions authorized. by the St.
—, of ya St earch government. — Taurent eet baker .

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PACIFIC -TRIBUNE—NOVEMBER 1 Ak 1949 PAGE 8

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