GOV’T INTERVENTION NEEDED SAYS KASHTAN

‘Automation must serve people first’

Automation can bring greater cbundance to the Canadian people provided public conttdl
is established over automation so that its benefits will go to the people and not the monop”
olies, said William Kashtan, National Leader of the Communist Party, to more than 400
people in Hastings Auditorium in Vancouver last Sunday. 7

Delegates attending the
twenty-first annual convention
of the United Fishermen and
Allied Workers Union this
month will face aheavy agenda
headed by the recent federal
provincial report which rec-
ommends compulsory arbi-
tration of salmon and net her-
ring prices and other condi-
tions,

Among issues expected to
come in for special discussion
at the week long meeting which
opens March 20 in Vancouver
are proposals for expanding
the industry, the matter of
limiting licences in order to
cut down present overcrowd-
ing, pollution problems caused
by the heavy increase in log-
ging, pulp and paper, and other
industries,

Also to be aired is the re-
cent Liberal action in forcing
the full cost of Pension Plan
coverage onto the fishermen

Many big issues face
UFAWU convention

themselves, and the pressing
need to protect salmon, hali-
but and herring resources by
expanding the International
North Pacific Fisheries
Treaty to include the USSR and
leave it open to other nations,

Among speakers invited to
address the convention are
federal fisheries minister H,
J, Robichaud, provincial labor
minister L, R, Peterson, min-
ister of recreation and con-
servation W, K, Kiernan, and
ILWU president Harry
Bridges,

Vancouver Mayor William
Rathie has been invited to open
the annual cgnvention, which
some 175 delegates from as
far away as the Nass River
are expected to attend,

Salmon _ net fishermen’s
representatives will meet two
days earlier, March 18 and 19,
to map demands and policies
for this year’s negotiations,

China.
Seek a Cease-Fire
No issues will be decided
cidal conflict
to a halt #0
* ir major disaster, means
he war excalates: jnto & pes he as
ae fag ‘od found urgently to take
tad or battle to the conference PS

*
re . n tod
= President Johnson rite to hits
w ds to
‘Wire of a yout ts see <n Union ‘Public
ais

DAME
ADDRESS.

“Human rights must prevail
over management rights,” Kash-
tan said, as he pointed out that
the right of workers to their jobs
must come ahead of the profits
of employers, He urged govern-
ment action to control automa-
tion, to ensure thatno worker will
lose his job or security as a re-
sult of the technical revolution,
and also to ensure retraining in
new skills,

Drawing attention to the recent
report of the Canada Economic
Council, headed by Professor

Deutch, which said that Canada —

will need 1} million new jobs
by 1970 and double its rate of
growth in that period, Kashtan
said that automation will further
affect the employment picture
by eliminating many jobs and
skills, He added that the likely
prospect is that two million new
jobs will be needed by 1970.

Pointing to a statement made
by Professor Deutch in Vancou-
ver last week, that he advocated
no further government interven-
tion in the economy of Canada,
Kashtan pointed out that the public
cannot leave its future to the
whims of private industry.“That’s
not good enough,” said Kashtan,
adding that “it must be the gov-
ernment’s responsibility to see
to it that everyone willing and
able to work has a job and to en-
sure the expansion of the Cana-
dian economy.”

Turning to the proposals now
being widely discussed for acon-.
tinental free trade market be-
tween Canada and theU,S,, Kash-
tan said that under such an
arrangement the U,S,, with its
more powerful economy, would
take over Canada more quickly
and destroy the Canadian
economy,

He said that some people are
being misled by the belief that
removal of all tariff walls be-
tween Canada and the U,S, would
open up the vast U.S, market for
Candian goods, Kashtan said this
was a delusion, and that actually
the U,S, interests who are pro-
moting the scheme see it as a
quicker way to take over the
Canadian economy and establish
strong political control over
Canada,

Kashtan pointed out that the
U,S, branch plants established in
Canada by U,S, monopolies were
done so because of the tariffs
which were established by Canada
as part of a national policy to
protect Canadian industry, He
pointed out that the abolition of
tariffs and creation of a “free
trade area” would eliminate this
protection and also make it un-
necessary for the U,S, to estab-
lish branch plants in Canada and
would speed the U,S, takeover

war attitudes if this market is
to be fully utilized.

In reply to a question, Kashtan
charged that the Parson’s Plan
for continental development of
Canada’s water and power was
part of the scheme to speed the
takeover of Canada by the U,S,
He said Canada should develop
these resources to build the Ca-
nadian economy and must not
allow the U,S, to take control of
these resources,

Turning to the constitutional
crisis and the recent report of
the Bi-Bi Commission, Kashtan
said the French Canadian people
want to achieve equality with the

rest of Canada, He urged that
Canada face up to the reality of
the situation and warned that
failure to do so would strength-
en separatist sentiments and en-
danger the future of Canada,

Kashtan said Canada’s prob-
lems cannot be resolved by re-
patriating the BNA Act which
spells out the inequality of French
Canada, He said Canada must
have anew made-in-Canadacon-
stitution which will guarantee the
full equality of our two nations,
and underwrite the democratic
rights of all Canadians, “Such a
constitution,” he said, “was need-
ed to cement relations between
our two nations,” and to be fully
democratic must ensure the right
of either nation to separation if
they so wish,

Kashtan pointed out there was
a world of difference between the
right to secede being guaranteed
each nation in the constitution
and the right actually being ex-
ercised, The best guarantee, he
said, that Canada will remain
united is if we adopt a new con-
stitution which establishes the
fundamental rights of each na-

tion, He pointed out, as an |
ample, that married people ha\¥|
the right to divorce but do
necessarily exercise that rig

Pointing to the sharp war d
ger in South East Asia, Kash
said that President Johnson
turned away from his electi@ly
pledge andis embracing the Gold
water-Nixon line to expand
war, He said the people of SO
Vietnam are fighting for lalé
dignity and democracy and that
“the U,S, has no right to impo
its will on the people of south
Vietnam,” a

Kashtan said the Pearson
ernment appears to speak f
negotiated peace and for an
ternational conference, but
very general and does not SI
out when or how. At the §
time the Canadian govern
seeks to whitewash the U,S, po*
in S,E, Asia, The Commu
leader called for increased pr
sure on Ottawa to compel
government to play a more P?
tive role in helping to end the
in S,E, Asia,

Referring to the Rivard ©
and widespread charges of ©
ruption in government, Kashi!
said that this was illustratiV
a growing sickness in Canadi
life which affects both the Libe
and Conservative parties, He
the public is becoming disel
chanted with the old line partlé
and neither a Liberal or ©?
servative majority would ben®
the Canadian people,

Urging the adoption of a “8%
pension plan with higher pene }
and more all-embracing,” K =
tan said the present session mu

not adjourn until it has adopt!
a full pension plan,

Kashtan said the Commutlfl|
Party will nominate a numbe!
candidates to put forward ©
party’s program and help it ©
election of a large group of pro
gressive -MP’s pledged to
economic policies, a new Ca
dian constitution and to a poll!
of peace and elimination of ®
clear weapons, : \

Chairman of the meeting wi |
Charles Caron, who was last W&
nominated as Communist candi
date in the Federal riding —
Coast-Capilano, Coffee and re"
freshments were served afte!
question period and hundreds ‘i
people had an opportunity tom
the new National Leader of ©
Communist Party personally.

Communists in Kerala
ask release of 29 MPs

The Communist group led by E, M, S, Namboodiripad hae
emerged from Kerala’s State elections as the biggest single
group in this Southern Indian State’s Legislature, They won 4

of the 133 seats in the House, and Namboodiripad, who was chief 4 ;
Minister from 1957 to 1959 told the governor that his Party
was entitled to be called to form anew government,

of Canada,

Kashtan pointed out that it

would be disastrous for Canada 4
The
to continue to place “all its eggs He has also demanded the release of 29 Communist MPs, +

ena Fa ate ie ee group Namboodiripad leads left the Indian Communist Party last
he said, is for Cafadh-t6 fade summer and formed a separate party.

with the world, including the U,S,
He pointed out that there was a
vast market for Canadian goods,
but that the Canadian government
would have to abandon its cold

Americans protest war

One hundred and twenty prominent Americans warned in the above advertise-
ment in the N.Y. Times, Friday, Feb. 19, that the choice in Vietnam is between
“«q full scale war and a negotiated truce.’’ The message appealed for a cease-
fire and said:: ‘ Stop the widening of the war. Negotiate an International Settle-
ment.” Included among the signers are Rabbi Maurice Eisendrath, pres., Union
of American Hebrew Congregations; James Farmer, national director of CORE;
Actor Tony Randall, and many union leaders.

Asked for his views on China Namboodiripad said: “105
general I can say the Chinese are a people who are puildiné
socialism, In the course of that it seems they have committ
serious mistakes, Their attitude towards India has been wroné. —

March 12, 1965—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page 2