THE WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER |

MEMO FROM MATHER

SOUTH OF THE BORDER: The U.S. presidential election and the almost equal division of the popular vote between the two main candidates, offering little or no choice of program or policy, points to the healthier situation this side of the border. Here, in the NDP, there is a tangible alternative to the two old parties, an alternative of a progressive nature. In the U.S. the

only alternative was even more reactionary than what was offered by either old party.

ANTIDOTE TO DRUG PRICES: There is no doubt about the reason for the high prices Canadians must pay for prescrip- tion drugs. A. very well-organized moneyed group, the Phar- maceutical Manufacturers Association of Canada enjoys monopoly control over the drug industry ... PMAC members simply charge all that the traffic will bear . . . NDP Solution — Establishment of a crown corporation which would manufac- ture and distribute certain important and basic prescription drugs. It could achieve high economies of scale in production by initially supplying all hospitals and public agencies in Canada.

BARRY MATHER IS NDP-MP | FOR THE RIDING OF SURREY _

BUCK PASSING ... Insurance companies will have to pay more, (as for years the NDP has argued they should), under the Benson budget. Or will they? The Finance Minister prac- tically invited, if such an invitation was needed, the msurance industry to pass on the increased taxes to the consumers, i.e. their policy holders, in the form of higher premiums. Oil, mining companies and land and stock speculators retain their tax privileges .. . maybe because they are not so able to pass the tax cost on? If the “private enterprise” system was really competitive the taxpayers might benefit from, and the insur- ance buyers might escape from the higher insurance taxes. What will insurance cost this time next year?

DID YOU HEAR THIS ONE? A couple from California, visiting Winnipeg, parked in front of the Manitoba Legislative Buildings and used the electric outlets placed there for winter car plugging, to run their electric shaver and electric toaster. They were so pleased that they wrote the Manitoba Govern- ment... “Nowhere have we encountered such thoughtfullness for tourists such as you have provided in front of your Capitol Building in the form of the electric convenience outlets for plugging-in electric shavers.

| HANEY BUSINESS GUIDE

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HANEY BRITISH COLUMBIA

Critics of The Labour Statesman, the Federation’s bright and attractive news- paper lost out in their bid to have the paper fold.

The paper, formerly pub- lished by the Vancouver La- bour Council, was taken over by the Federation a little over a year ago. Since that time, the circulation of the paper has been boosted from 4,800 to 65,000 each issue and the pages from eight to sixteen.

The main criticism directed at the paper centred around the political advertising ac- cepted during the last federal election. Numerous speakers charged that the Federation had no right to accept political

‘ads from the Liberals, Con-

servatives and Socreds, when labour was committed to sup- porting the New Democratic Party.

Other speakers condemned the publication’s financial losses and its contents which they stated were not topical. They also scored the lack of news coverage for other parts of the province.

The majority of the dele- gates, however, appeared un- moved by the criticism and endorsed an executive pro-

STATESMAN SURVIVES ATTACK

DEBATE ON THE LABOUR STATESMAN at the Fed- eration Convention is closely watched by Fed’s top officers and Statesman editor Jurgen Hesse. Group left, Hesse, Ray Haynes, Jack Moore, Al Staley.

posal to keep the paper oper- ating.

This proposal suggested that affiliated unions buy the paper at five cents per copy “on a voluntary basis.” The paper

is now distributed free. The executive stated by doing this, and continuing the policy of accepting all advertising at the present time, the paper could pay its own way.

LOCAL 1-357 SICK LIST

Sisters A. Archibald and K. Man- sour of the LA of Local 1-357 IWA New Westminster, visited the follow- ing patients in hospital from October 19 to November 13, and distributed candy, cigarettes and copies of the Western Canadian Lumber Worker.

A. Jones, Fraser Mills; A. Elliott, Crown Zellerbach; D. Ross, Pacific Veneer; G. Moore, retired; K. Ander- son, Shake & Plywood; V. Price, re- tired; T. Gordan, Pitt Lake; P. L. Gingus, Crown Zellerbach; G. Burden, Vancouver Plywood; V. Yates, Paci- fic Veneer, retired; E. Blundquist, Rayonier, Marpole; Gelowitz, B.C, Wedge; H. Hawreliuk, Crown Zeller- bach; A. Sauve, Crown Zellerbach; J. Bengtsson, Scott Paper; J. Mat- thies, Pacific Veneer; N. Bananow, Ocean Falls; J. Dirkson, Timberland;

A. Sundvick, Crown Zellerbach, re-

tired; H. Vato, Pacific Veneer; R. Verrall, Kamloops Paper; L. Bou- thot, Crown Zellerbach; E. Fraht,

Crown Zellerbach, retired; H. Henry, Timberland; G. Thomas, B.C. Forest; M. Sopel, Crown Zellerbach; E. Salo, Industrial Services; D. Marshall, Crown Zellerbach; W. Swartz, Rayon- ier; C. Watts, Supreme Shingles; G. Tibergbien, Nalos Lumber; C. Stam- berg, Rayonier;’ R. McMyn, Flavelle Cedar; T. Bryant, F. R. Flanagan; A. Dicaire, Crown Zellerbach.

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MORE MEMBERS NEEDED TO BOLSTER UNION RANKS

British Columbia unions were told that they should step-up their organizational activities and enlist more new members into union ranks.

The organizing committee of the British Columbia Fed- eration of Labour, in a report to the annual convention, said that, while the 44 per cent of British Columbia workers now in unions is well above the national average it was still far from satisfactory.

“Tf Canadians are really serious about a ‘just society,’ much more attention must be

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paid to those thousands and thousands of workers still un- able to enjoy the benefits of collective bargaining,” the

committee said.

While trade union member- ship had grown, it barely kept pace with increases in the la- bour force. Present provincial labour legislation was a seri- ous roadblock in organizing efforts.

The committee recommend- ed the creation of a pro- gramme which would enable unions to move more quickly and efficiently when organiz- ing opportunities arose.

THE KLM GUIDE

wish-you-were-here country

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