from

the Guardian

‘Jobs-now’ policy answer to Nixon

Cont'd from pg. 1

ment programs, the main bene- ficiaries of Government grants are the monopoly interests.

Instead of give-aways to these corporations what is required are policies directed to expand the home market by raising the purchasing power of the people. This should go together with a declaration by the Government that no plants will be permitted to close down and no job or income lost as a cdnsequence of the 10 percent surcharge. Crown Corporations should be estab- lished or public ownership under- taken to keep plants in opera- tion wherever there are threats of closure.

If the Government refuses to act in this way, the workers and their unions should organize “work-ins”’ and continue produc- tion.

Similarly, if the Government following the Nixon ‘“‘model’’, imposes a wage freeze or incomes policy on the working class, all sections of the trade union movement should unitedly undertake whatever actions are necessary to defend the interests

of the working people and the defeat of such unjust laws.

The measures undertaken by the Nixon Government emphasises anew that the basic question for the Canadian people is the overriding necessity of extricating Canada and its economy from the U.S. stranglehold and embark on the road to genuine Canadian inde- pendence.

The crisis cannot be met by the Employment Support Bill. What is required is a restructuring and expansion of the economy based on Canada wide indus- trialization and public owner- ship through the processing of our natural resources, as well as a restructuring of Canada’s trade policies to lessen dependence on the U.S. market by expanding it with the socialist countries and the newly independent countries.

In no way must the Canadian working people allow U.S. imperialism and monopoly in Canada to force them to pay for their bankrupt economic policies through unemployment, wage freezes, wage cuts or higher prices.

Cont'd from pg. 1

Last Monday a large protest demonstration was held outside the White House in Washington demanding the test be can- celled. In the U.S. Senate too, pressure is mounting against the test.

Speaking in Vancouver this week to representa- tives of about 30 environ- mental groups, ecologist Dr. Fred Knelman of Sir George Williams Uni- versity in Montreal. said the explosion would release more power *‘than the total of all the bombs dropped by all the sides in the Second World War.”

The delegates at the meeting decided to send telegrams expressing unanimous opposition to the test to Prime Minister Trudeau and President

Amchitka test protested

Nixon.

Dismissing the claims of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission that there is a low probability of disaster, Knelman said the AEC have been proven wrong on at least seven occasions and forced ‘‘to eat its words.”’

Meanwhile, in Van- couver the Canadian Coalition to Stop the Amchitka Nuclear Blast decided to organize a mass telegram to President Nixon. ;

The wire, addressed to the president, carries the simple message: ‘Stop the explosion of the Amchitka nuclear bomb.”

The public is asked to sign it and pay 10 cents towards the cost. It will be available at, stores, churches, factories and other public places.

(London)

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 1971—PAGE 12

U.S. SURTAX LAST STRAW

B.C. fruit growers face | ‘worst crisis’ in history

Okanagan fruit growers are meeting in Penticton this week to discuss the serious crisis facing them and to decide whether they want to organize a union to fight more militantly for their demands.

Spokesmen for the 3,200- member B.C. Fruit Growers’ Association said last week that growers are faced with ‘“‘the worst crisis that the industry has known since the advent of central selling in 1939.”

The northern district council

of the BCFGA, representing

half the grower-members, has already endorsed the idea of a union. The Penticton meeting is an emergency joint meeting of BCFGA district councils. The top item on the agenda will be whether to go ahead with the formation of a union.

A BCFGA executive member, Val Pearson of Penticton, said the move to a union would be to strengthen the growers’ hand through demonstrations. He said that constant appeals to the federal government have gone unanswered and that forming a union is the only road open to the growers. “Ottawa has turned a deaf ear’’ to the industry which is going downhill, Pearson said.

According to a story in the Pen- ticton Herald of Sept. 2, growers

are reported concerned with non- reciprocal trade arrangements which allow Australia and New Zealand to ship fruit into Canada: while Canadian growers are denied shipment to_ those countries.

Another area of concern to growers is the U.S. market influence. In a statement to the press in Penticton, Pearson said

‘the U.S. has the jump on the

growing season and dumps the surplus of its crop into Canada at

the critical time B.C. fruit is-

hitting the market.

Other areas in which the growers feel the federal govern- ment has let them down include: loss of historic markets to sub- sidized foreign competition; failure to protect the home market by embargo on competi- tive produce; failure to demand substantial Canadian content in processed apple products sold in Canada; failure to compensate when changes in the world mone- tary system have made B.C. growers non-competitive.

However, what are described as ‘‘disastrously low’’ prices is said to be the main concern to growers.

Pearson said the industry has suffered big losses this year be- cause it was unable to compete with low prices on a large

Vietnam aid nears $150,000 target

The Canadian Aid for Vietnam Civilians announced this week that shipment number 33 left Vancouver Tuesday, Sept. 14 aboard the Soviet’ ship ‘‘Boykonar’’ bound for the people of Indochina.

It reported that the appeal of the Children’s Committee of CAVC for greater aid to the small victims of the war has received a generous response.

The latest shipment contains 3,539 items of bedding and clothing, knitted eye-shields and bandages, and 700 first aid com- presses contributed by sympa- thetic volunteers during the summer months. It also includes surgical dressings, a sterescope valued at $500, eye glasses, toys, clothing materials and knitting wool. The 20 crates, valued at $7,470, will be divided among the Lao Women’s Organization, and the Red Cross Societies of the National Front for Liberation of South Vietnam and North Vietnam.

Many children in Laos and NFL territory are orphans and refugees. The majority live in caves or underground shelters and are suffering from lack of sunshine and proper food. The Children’s Committee hopes to increase its assistance to these

Get a new reader

Do you want to help this paper? The best way you can do it is to help us by getting a new sub.

Surely among all your friends, neighbors and workmates there is one person you can sell a sub to for B.C.’s only labor weekly.

little ones, and continues its request for funds to the Emergency Relief Program to provide medicines vitamins anti- malarials and other essential goods.

Since February, 1966, Cana- dian Aid for Vietnam Civilians, (including the Children’s Com-

mittee receipts) has collected in_

cash and donations the sum of $147,021 towards its target of $150,000.

For further information phone Mrs. S. Young, 733-9018.

EDITORIAL

Cont'd from pg. 1

According to Woodfibre union president Reg Ginn, the company ‘‘seems to be using the economic situation and the recent actions of President Nixon in the U.S. for the shutdown.”’ He said the workers have already suffered from four shutdowns for various periods this year and now face a fifth one before the end of the year.

The pulpworkers at Woodfibre are demanding that there be no shutdown. This demand, that there be no layoffs, will echo and re-echo across B.C. in coming months as U.S. and Canadian monopolies try to shift the burden of economic difficulties onto the workers. These monopolies must learn that they can’t get away with it.

A good place to start to drive this point home is at Woodfibre — or at any other industrial operation where workers are faced with layoffs or plant closure.

Washington cherry crop and al same now is happening Bartlett pears from Calll® Oregon and Washington. croe | Last week the BO presented a brief to t vincial government which growers are desperate, faced with a light apple" year, they feel they havé " to lose and are williNé anything.

Indications are that growing dissatisfact central selling through : Tree Fruits Ltd., which h@ marketing all of the 6! produce since 1939. The” takes note of this dissal! in these words:

“If in desperation son i seek another way of malt and if central sellitt shattered, there may me way to restore a © deal.”’

Fruit growers in the We were going under final before the announcemem | recent Nixon surtax. ee affect of the surtax, © prospect of a cheapel ©", could be the last straW si

a jon 86

would make possible bs pts | U.S. fruit at even cheape ras | than at present. The UF

could spell ruin for B: industry.

sumer Affairs Rot runs around the ee talking about how the =, government is goilg © new legislation 1 down on monopo™ ini) remains amazingly 4 prime example of practises right under here in B.C. i Recently Impet announced an incre@ and gasoline price jell) | public. Within day io | other oil company i p) suit with clock-We slig | cision, and all, wit gist} | variations, . by 4 F ' amount. af Ol Now, not only imp i] ted pri® ||

4

but Home Oil, Texaco have boos the public. plc” Nobody among the Pt pee under any illusion si, roll increases came doW cide the same time Dy i The public have ev® nel? to believe that the gi

js

collusion between wit oil monopolies — | public the victim. do

Why is Basfor nothing about it? ts 100! foreign owned gianh aid ie

federal governme? and some backbone 19 og up to these monop® of defending the interes is consuming public ¢roft too much to expe” ai p party which gets its from” tical contributions ~~ giant corporations: