qy B ill at th il : ” iD u 23 Sr Vol. 7. No. 10 Vancouver, B.C., Friday, March 5, 1948 SS Five Cents

onopolies should foot bill —

L D

@ With two victories to his i credit last week—the elec- AS tion ta Congress of American Laborite Leo Isacson from the Bronx and the collection in California. of 464,000 signatures to form the Independent Pro- ve Party—the third party movement in the U.S. set its sights 6n translating into real- ity Henry Wallace’s prediction that it “can become the first party in 1948.”

The double-barrelled blow from both coasts, coming with- in 24 hours, left politicians in both old-line parties reeling

with the impact of the grass roots strength of the third par-

Headquarters of the Demo- cratic National Committee were reportedly fearful over the possibility of defections 01 wavering liberal elements to

milk price hoist

The fight to prevent another two cents being added to milk prices was strengthened this week by the declared op- position of the Fraser Valley Milk Producers’ Association, representing 75 percent of Lower Mainland dairy farmers. Noting the sharp drop in milk consumption since removal of the subsidy and subsequent price boosts, the FVMPA said it feared another increase would bring a further decline in sales.

“Tt has always been the policy of this association to support a moderate consumer milk price, in the hope that consumption of milk by the urban population would increase to the maximum degree,” stated a resolution passed by the FVMPA annual meeting at Mission last weekend.

Independent milk producers are seeking an increase in the price of standard milk from 15 to 17 cents and of special milk from 17 to 19 cents. The grocers’ division of the Retail Merchants’ Association is also seeking an increase in the one-cent maximum profit margin now allowed retailers on a quart of milk. .

Among organizations opposing the increase in milk board hearings set for Thursday this week were the B.C. Housewives’ Corsumer Association and the Associated Council of Vancouver South. :

Meanwhile, thousands of signatures, as yet untabulated, on the Housewives’ Consumer Association’s petition de- manding restoration of price controls at 1946 levels indicate the popular support for the prices conference to be held in Pender Auditorium here, Monday, March 8, at 8 p.m.

Wallace scores in key states

OR CAMPAIGNS FOR FEAT OF SA

LES TAX

If the Coalition government wants.to ensure its defeat, all it needs to do is to impose a sales tax. That is what government members frankly admitted in interviews last fall when a B.C. Union of Munici- palities delegation went to the capital to press its unpopular demand. They denied that the government had any intention of giving it serious consideration.

The Pacific Tribune warned at the time that the govern- ment was using Coalition supporters on Non-Partisan-domin- ated city councils to push through the sales tax as it had previously used them to defeat the campaign for public own- ership of street car and bus transportation systems. This week the government itself proved the soundness of that warning and the need for a concerted campaign on the part of the CCF, the LPP, the trade unions and all progressive organizations to defeat the sales tax proposal.

The throne speech read at the opening of the legislature this week linked the problem of municipal financing with the mounting cost of social services and stated that the govern- ment “proposes to place before you measures designed to alleviate the situation.”

No one doubted that these measures would take the form of the freely discussed 3 percent sales tax, with 2 per- cent going to the province and only one percent to the muni- cipalities. Not only were the municipalities being used for a political squeeze play, but they were also being squeezed out of the money to be wrung from the working people least able to pay the tax.

Continued on page 4 — See SALES TAX

ClO to fight Taft-Hartley ban

@ The CIO test of the Taft

Hartley Act moved for ward as President Philip Mur- ray pleaded “not guilty” to violation of the Iaw’s ban on political expenditures by unions.

Murray, shown here accom- panied by his attorneys, ap- peared at U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., for ar- raigimment, With his were Charles Margiotti, former Pennsylvania attorney-general, nnd Lee Pressman, CIO coun- sel, who have been retained to handle the case,

U.S. District Court Judge Alexander Holtzoff set the trial date for Monday, March 22.

The parties agreed on March 5 as a date for hearing CIO’s arguments on the motion te kill the indictment.

CIO counsel filed a motion to set aside the indictment on ground that the Taft-Hartley Act’s ban on political expendi- tures by unions and corpora- tions is unconstitutional.

It argued that section 304 of the T-H Act, which amends the Federal Corrupt Practices Act, abridges rights of freedom of speech, press, peaceful assemb- ly and petitioning of the gov- prnment, as set for the the Ist and 65th amendments to the U.S. Constitution.