_ Gov’t can be made to bring down | _ prices, living costs, states B

“The government spent $25 million last week, buying 100 second hand bombing planes from the United States. Prime Minister St. Laurent agreed that a cool quarter-of-a-million dollars be paid for every one of these old, obsolete planes that avid On things like this: Ottawa is spending taxpayers’ money as though money grew on trees — Tim Buck, national leader of the Labor-Progressive party, declared in an interview with the Canadian Tribune last week. | “Kt the same time the government absolutely refuses to allot money for urgently needed subsidies — This, right at the time that

Buck replied:

better. ial foods and comforts.

In 1948 he declared

XN

index point. hoped prices would fall.

gether to raise cain against high prices. How? By organizing the biggest possible all-in conferences. If such conferences were held across our. country in August and Sepember the people could make parliament act to bring down prices when it meets on October 9.”

The Tribune asked Buck.: “What is your opinion on what such con- ferences could agree upon to fight high prices? He replied:

“There are two fundamental points on which, I think, almost all Canadians agree, or could agree upon. Firstly.;: that the St. Lau- rent government put into effect

tion experts characterize as ‘scrap.’

He immediately added: SC wt to bring down, and to hold down prices of food and other daily necessities of the families of Canada. Ottawa announced a 3.5 point rise in the DBS cost of living index which brings it up to 187.6, the highest in Canada’s history.”

Asked by the Tribune: “We have many queries from our readers as to. what can be done about nising prices.

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What do you suggest?”’

“There’s a lot than can and should be done, and the quicker the At least 90 percent of the working people are against the government’s inflationary price policy. They are doing without essent- The housewife just cannot make ends meet. In 1947 finance minister Abbott said prices would level off at the 145

prices would decline; in 1949 he

“Canadians are fed up with such doubletalk, and want action. I think that in every city, town and village the people should get to-

a broadly conceived program of federal subsidies to reduce prices of essential foods. Secondly: par- liament should enact a law to lim- it profits to four percent. A just tax like this would bring in a bil- lion dollars, enough to pay subsi- dies to the farmers and cut food costs by at least 30 percent, to give the old folks pensions of $60 a month at 65 years with no means test, and to increase family al- lowances,

“Every section of the labor and farm movement, LPP and COF,

KOREA. AS A CANADIAN MOTHER SAWIT

MES. NORA RODD

Who © has “just returned from a: personal tour of the devastated areas of Korea

PUBLIC MEETING FRIDAY, AUGUST 24 at 8 p.m. : THE AUDITORIUM . Denman at Georgia Admission 50 cents

B.C. Peace Council Congress of Canadian Women

\

unions, the church folk, French and English-speaking Canadians, I think, could, and will support these two points,’ emphasized Buck. ,

“What can the trade unions do right now to cope with the rising cost of. living?” was the Tribune’s next question to Buck. He replied.: “Every trade union in the land should put up their demands for higher wages. All wage contracts should be re-opened. Everyone should back up Canada’s 150,000 railroaders to unfreeze their wage scale, and to win a 30-cent an hour wage increase.

“The research department of the Canadian Congress of Labor says ‘there is no question that workers are worse off now than they were eight months ago.’ Less than one out of four of the million Cana- dian workers in manufacturing mining, construction and services are getting more than the Toronto Welfare Council’s minimum bud- get of $55 a week which is re- quired to keep a family of five in health and decency. Only two out 25 Canadian workers are getting wages good enough to enable them to provide for medical care for their families.

“What is the conclusion? The trade unions of the Trades Con- gress, the CCL, “Catholic Syndi- cates and the railway brother- hoods, one and all should get to- gether in the fight for higher wages, against speedup and’ lay- offs. Now is the time to win higher wages and to organize the unor- ganized workers.”

“What is the. cause of this spiral of high prices?” the Tribune ask- ed Buck. He replied: “The run- away, spirit of high prices in Can- ada is primarily due to the line of big business policy that fomented the Korea war, and which right now is saddling the peoples with an arms budget of one hundred million dollars for this year alone! The U.S. ‘war budget is $56 bil- ljon this year. aaa

“The Canadian people must

grasp the truth that it is peace

in Korea and the world over that will hammer down prices and bring prosperity, jobs. and trade to Canada and all countries. There is no other path. That is why. I again -earnestly- ap peal to all workers and farmers to sign, and to energetically support the Can- adian Peace Congress petition call- ing for a meeting of the five great powers to discuss a pact of peace to outlaw war. I am. convinced that if the majority of Canadians support this petition then our gov- ernment will be compelled to bow to the sovereign will of our people and take a stand for a five power peace pact. :

“Wars are not inevitable, Peace can and will be secured if the people unite and act,” emphasized Buck.

sell

TORONTO |

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Code amendments ‘open — way to dictatorship’ = —_ states co-op journal

The recent amendments to the Criminal Code initiated by the St. Laurent Government and adopte@ by the House of Commons in the dying moments of the last session, “opens the way to dictatorship,” CO” ments the Cooperative Consumer, journal of the Saskatchewan cooperative: movement, in its July 20 issue In an editorial headed ‘‘Dangerous’,, the editorial said, in full:

British vets Wemoriiate

meeting in London against the drive.

These British veterans recently demonstrated at a Labor party

; Their slogans express the increasing public resentment against the government's ready compliance with American demands.

Attlee government's rearmament

expl PORT ARTHUR

Bruce Magnuson; secretary” of Thunder Bay Local 1 of the Can- adian Union of. Woodworkers, has demanded an explanation from the Quebec provincial government re- garding the savage attack on Ger- ard Fortin, CUW vice-president, .

(The CUW is currently engaged in organizing thousands of Ontario and Quebec ,bushworkers into a new and independent union. Op- posing the organizational drive is the right-wing leadership of the AFL defunct Lumber and Saw- mill Workers’ Union the employ- ers and the Duplessis government in Quebec.)

t

Fortin ‘was assaulted by com- pany thugs while visiting camps ‘of the St. Anne Power and Paper Company, an Abitibi subsidiary. The attack took place on July 26, a few days after Premier Duples- sis made a speech at Maniwaki, Quebec urging that violence “be

Duplessis called for anation of attack

used against CUW organizers, In a letter to Quebec Labor Min-’ ster Antonio Barrette. Magnuson linked up the attack on Fortin with Premier Duplessis’ speech, and said: “To use the pretext of ‘anti-communism’ to advise the use of ‘force against the labor move- ment... is a very dangerous and intolerable attitude to take in a democratic’ country.” _ ;

Magnuson also referred to the threat of an official of the Quebec labor department that the Labor Relations Act might be amended and said any amendments made would be for the purpose of serv- ing “anti-union purposes.”

“We demand,” Magnuson ‘wrote, “an explanation from you concern- ing the rights of Canadian labor to organize into unions of their own choice. What is your position on that? The very basis of trade unionism is challenged by an in-

4 oD almost at the close of the Seem

SASKATOON

“Real danger to civil liberties in Canada lie in recent ane ments to the Criminal Code. ae : new definition of treason whit makes one guilty for “assistiDs while in or out of Canada, aD. enemy at war with Canada, or 2?% armed force against whom adian forces are engaged in tilities, whether or not a state war exists between Canada 4% the country, whose forces é are,” is particularly dangeror : This provision might be so proad fe interpreted that almost any 7” zen could be held within its Wt its. While the aim of the any ments was to preserve democrat ; it’ may well be that their 17 opens the way to dictatorship: “It is conceivable that ul ee the above definition of ; anyone who opposed the forelee policies of the government 0 ie. ‘be punished for violating |, 16 Criminal Code. It is also possi? that a strike could be tree even if Canada were not direct? — involved in war. A. slow-dow! = production might constitute oe sisting an énemy and Ié¢ave thor —

responsible for the slow-donr

nos of

whether management or emP! ees, in a vulnerable positio? de. respect to the Criminal OC, — ‘Professors, teachers, editors; "ae : others who may dare to criti aba the governmental policies ge be liable for prosecution. es =p : nition capable of such wide the terpretation has no place it © peacetime legislation of 2 demoe racy. ents “The fact that the amend™ aide to the Criminal Code were ™ added to the fact that few ™ nt bers of parliament were Prog at the time of the second rea® 4

of the bill may be reasons pe the amendments did not” ese more critical comment. nec” same facts may point up the i essity for members of parlian’ ies to take more seriously their dea

as legislators.” Bea ey

French losses in : Viet Nam 175,000

iG : ; Pepe Losses suffered by the

Sean é “pel

total 175,000 troops. Hoang Quotc-viet, of the. Lien Viet Front an ole of the Viet Nam people's 4° tion to China, told an audieD®™ 800 representatives of Chinest jon! mocratic parties and organiza here. y ito Hoang stated that as a Te" Ng victories won by the viet N People’s Army in North Viet >) a the republic was now prepat»

zn

fringement upon that right.” «

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — AUGUST 17, 1951 — PA'

gait general counter -offensive 9°” the French. ,

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