Fight For

¥n recent months great strike movements have been weeping South American countries as the workers fight for higher wages and better conditions. Above is a mass meeting of Brazilian dock and railway workers held in Ee Rio de Janeiro at which they voted to strike. :

South American Workers

Better Life -

Compensation inquiry

urged by Mine, Mill

Demand for a royal commis- Sion. to inquire into workmen’s compensation was placed be- fore the provincial cabinet by the Mine, Mill and Smelter ‘workers union last Friday.

Headed by Harvey ‘Murphy, President of the Western Dis- trict, and Al King; secretary- treasurer, the delegation told the cabinet the commission Should probe silicosis pensions @nd other procedures under

the Act.

The union’s brief also pro- tested. development of the Co-

lumbia largely for: U.S. bene-

fit; hit out .at unemployment and called for a moratorium on evictions, seizure . of goods, cars and other property of the unemployed.

Also urged was reduction of the 44 hour. work week to 40 hours and increases in the minimum wage:

JOBLESS LOBBY

: (Cont'd from pg. 1) Yous action is in-line with the attitude of the B.C. -govern- ment which last week an- miounced that it will’ cancel payment for® medical bills for employable people who~ are forced to go on social assist- ance. :

A storm of protest greeted this announcement by Welfare Minister Wesley Black. Resolu- tions and wires from many or- @anizations have condemned the government’s action and demanded that the order be withdrawn.

Among the many protests was a wire from Vancouver city secretary of the Commun- at Party, Harold Pritchett, who said that -the govern- ment’s refusal to pay the med-

ital bills of the employable un- employed on social assistance

is “deplorable.” He demanded that the provincial government immediately re-institute pay- ment. of medical bills.

The Vancouver Labor Coun- cil said in a wire to Premier Bennett that “Once again money is béing considered be- fore human needs.” Douglas W. Fowler president of the B.C. Association of Social Workers said “the move is a regressive step in our. public welfare services.”

The jobless lobby to Victoria is expected to take a strong stand on this issue and to place before the government the de- mands of the unemployed for jobs, opening of new markets, legislation to stop evictions

and foreclosures and~ other measures to -protect -B.C.’s working people from the

/

B.C. Social Wo

rkers Charge

| | | |

British Columbia’s social

people it is supposed to help.

The B.C. Association of So- cial Workers, which repre- sents 80 per cent of social workers in B.C., said after a Special meeting of its 575 members that a royal commis- sion should be set up to invest- igate public welfare services.

A policy statement issued from the meeting also called, among other things, for in- creased social assistance rates, increases. in staff and more

Mothers and children are the ones who suffer under the Social Credit government’s penny-pinching policy on social services.

Mona Morgan Hits City Manager Plan

“The Queen Elizabeth Thea- tre with its Panrucker scandal, the works yard fiasco, the PNE — civic auditorium man-

cited to show how necessary is the broadening of council lead- ership,” stated a letter to city council from Mrs. Mona Mor- gan, secretary of Civic Reform Association.

In her letter Mrs. Morgan called upon city council to set up a committee to undertake a complete review of the admin- istration system and hold pub- lic hearings so that organiza- tions and citizens can present their opinions on the structure of civic government.

The letter adds that council is abrogating democracy — at city hall by in effect already instituting a city manager

ravages of unemployment,

the B.C. government. is falling behind in its duties to children and their families and that its “penny pinching” policy could destroy the physical and mental health of the

| partment will show just how

‘When you look at these figures

ipulations and many other ex- -amplés,- unfortunately, can be

“Government falling behind i duties to children, families’

By MAURICE RUSH

workers said last week that:

money and better. training op- portunities for social workers,.

The action of B.C.’s social workers follows many and varied protests from all parts of B.C. against the govern- ment’s neglect of social ser- vices which were touched off by the recent resignation of Ruby McKay, who for 16 years Was superintendent of child welfare. ‘

In her statement of resigna- tion she said that it was impos- sible for her staff to cope with the rapidly increasing number of families and children who needed help.

A hasty glance at the annual reports of the social welfare de-

“i 1) 5 ML Go Home U.S." Day In Britain | “LONDON — A national delegation is: to present a petition on January 30 t0) the Prime Minister demand-) ing that Notice to Quit be served on the U.S. forces in Britain. irae Sea Ww

Organized by the British Peace Committee the peti tion has been circulating all over the country.

Plans are also now well! underway to make the .com- ing Aldermaston march the, biggest in history. 3

serious the situation has be-} come. Here is the picture: ~

® In 1954 the average wel- fare cases handled by each so- cial worker was 235 at the start of that year. At Déc. 31, 1959 it had climbed to 337.

bear in mind that welfare ex- perts say 50 to 60 cases is what each social worker should have to handle.

® The number of children being cared for has jumped from 1,894 in 1956 to 3,337 in 1959—or double the number of cases. Yet during this same period the provincial govern- ment had actually cut the num- ber of social service workers from 556 to 551,

@ Among the most critical) — situations is that relating t0—--= mentally disturbed childremy A Children in the care of they™ child welfare department weré placed on the waiting list for entry to Woodlands - School; and had to wait for very long periods because of inadequate ( facilities. The state of child Pha welfare agencies are a crying thi disgrace. 1

So far the provincial gove &'n ernment has refused to acced¢ to the growing demands for @

royal commission to air the state of affairs in B.C. Instead of halting its drive 1% make economies at the ex) pense of the unfortunate, it followed up its actions last week by suspending payment: for medical care for employs able unemployed on social assistance. a

Without doubt much will be heard during the coming: session of the provincial legis lature on this vital issue. :

Photo shows a machine-gunner of the Algerian Liberation — Army. Despite last week’s offer by the Algerian Pro- © visional Government headed- by Premier Ferhat Abbas to open talks the French government has been hedging. The French Communist Party last week demanded “real” negotiations and charged that behind the smokescreen of

plan.

rumours the government was still continuing the war,

January 27, 1961—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 8