SS HAASE eae Pha Ee ie ee — owe a ae Wovember 24, 1939 THE ADVOCATE Page Five Big Business Reveals Plans Blaylock Desires To Place Wear Burden On Workers : By FERGUS McKEAN “Maintenance of the nation’s cash reserves is the most important economic duty facing Canada in war time,’ declared S. G. Blaylock, president of Consolidated Mining and Smelting Company, addressing the annual ban Friday. ; This pronouncement is of the utmost significance to BC labor.© It is more than the mere expression of an individual opinion. Ti is a statement of the policy which Canadian monopoly Capital is to adopt in its relations with labor in the coming months of war time indusirial production. S. G. Blaylock is well qualified to outline the policy of big business. President of Western Canada’s largest monopoly, the Consolidated Mining and Smelting company of Trail and Kim- berley, which alone pockets 70 percent of the profits made from BC mines, Blaylock is also directly connected with the upper- most circles of Canadian finance capital. CM&S is probably the best example of trustification of in- dustry in the west. It owns its own ore mines at Kimberley, its own coal mines at Coleman, Alta, and controls practically all the hydro-electric power in BC’s interior through its subsidiary, the West Kootenay Light and Power company. But this is not all. CMES itself, is, in turn, a subsid- jiary of the CPR, all of whose di- reetors are also directors of the Bank of Montreal which again is closely linked through the system of interlocking directorates with another financial giant, the Royal Trust company. But Blaylock has other qualifica- ons for the honor of acting as the chief spokesman and author- ity in the West of monopoly capi- tal and its relations with labor. He is the father of company unionism in Canada, founded on the notor- ious cooperative workmen’s com- mittee system at Trail, brought into being after the miners’ union had been smashed and its leader, Ginger Goodwin, shot on Vancou- ver island. WHAT BLAYLOCK MEANT. To understand what Blaylock meant by his statement, ‘Main- tenance of the nation’s cash re- Serves is the most important ecc- momic duty facing Canada in war time,” it is necessary to analyze his speech further. Consider this brutally frank ex- planation: “While I may be ac- @used of ulterior motives, wages Should not be increased, if other costs can be controlled, because the last war proved above all other things that general wase advances were followed by higher living costs, resulting in higher costs of production, less turnover and con- sequent unemployment with little, if any, improvement in the condi- tions of those still employed.” But this distorted explanation of the economic relation of wages to living costs, this pseudo-solici-— tude for “improvement in the con- ditions of those still employed” is >vocated that “wages should not be increased.” Says Blaylock: “While it might appear that business carried on 2S usual only on a higher basis, we must not lose sight of the fact that the cash reserves of the na- tien are impaired in proportion. TI believe that this is the most im- portant fact we have to face in this conflict, keeping in mind that our enemies can and do demand uch greater value for their na- tional expenditure.” Here then is the answer to the question, why wages should not be increased; “the cash reserves of the nation are impaired.” From the viewpoint of Canada’s mono poly capitalists the profits made by the owners of industry consti- tute “‘cash reserves of the nation,” but if a portion of these profits were to be paid out to the workers employed in these industries to compensate for soaring living costs and thus avoid poverty and mainu- trition for workers’ children then this money no longer constitutes “cash reserves of the nation,” but on the contrary, “the cash reserves of the nation are impaired.” The fact the money is still in the mands of Canadian citizens does mot interfere with Blaylock’s il logical deductions. DISTORTING ECONOMICS. Here is an example of how the capitalist class, in order to justi- iy its greed for profits through the greater exploitation of labor, dis- torts the laws of economics in 2 ludicrous attempt to prove such an action is really a patriotic act to prevent the “cash reserves of the nation” being impaired. What Blaylock is actually de- manding is that cost of con ducting the war be borne by the working class even though the workers be forced into ever mot the real reason why he ad- deeper poverty. ADVOCATE CLASSIFIED These merchants and professional men offer you their services at competitive prices. columns they support your paper. By patronizing them you ensure continuance of their support. Make it a point to deal with Advocate advertisers wherever possible. By advertising in these ADVERTISING RATES Glassified, 3 lines 45c. Monthly con tract rates on application. CAFES THE ONLY FISH — ALL KINDS of Fresh Sea Food. 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WATCH REPATRING WATCH, CLOCK AND JEWEL ry repairs. Blackburn’s Market SEymour 5592. BICYCLES AND REPATES BICYCLES, NEW AND USED — Baby Garriages, Sulkies, Doll Car riages, Joycycles. Repairing of all kinds. Saws filed, keys cut, ete. W. M Ritchie, 1569 Commercial Hastings St. SHymour 6612. Drive. Highland 4123. quet of the BC division, Canadian Institute of Mining, last He further points out that fascist Germany has already achieved the objective of forcing the German working class to bear the cost of imperialist expansion by means of terrorism when he says: “Our enemies can and do demand much sreater value for their national ex— penditure.” In order to throw dust in the eyes of the gullible, Blaylock calm- ly reverses the entire relationship of wages to living costs in his statement that ‘the last war proved above all other things that general wage advances were followed by higher living costs.” The exact opposite is the case. All history has proven that when a general increase in the price of commodities occurs the last, as a general rule, to be affected is the commodity, labor power. This was also true of the last war when wages were only in- ereased as the result of agitation and collective action after con- sumption commodities had al- ready been raised in price. Only in isolated instances in localities suffering © from an acute labor shortage did wage advances pre- cede increased living costs and then usually because the -“cost plus” system for government con- tracts guaranteed juicy profits re- gardiess of wages paid. Brom the viewpoint of those Blaylock represents it is patri- otic and ‘loyal’ fof labor to accept lower living standards in order that profits may be left unimpair- ed. After pointing out how YWin- ston Churchill had expressed his appreciation “of the part labor Was playing in England,” Blaylock proceeded to express the same pious hope by stating: “I am sure that labor will be just as loyal in Canada and that they will follow the lead of their companions and carry on.” WOULD SUPPRESS UNIONS. But then the disconcerting thought that labor, particularly the Trail smeltermen, might be- come ‘disloyal, organize into 2 trade union and ask for a wage increase to compensate for increas- ed living costs, crossed Blaylock’s mind. The possibility so agitated him that just for a2 moment he permitted the iron fist of repres- sion to show itself without the Silken glove, in his remark: “Undoubtedly we will have more and more attention from agitation from outside sources (to the warp- ed minds of capitalists trade union erganizers are always considered agitators from outside sources’) unless the government makes it quite plain that they will not stand any outside interference and close our borders to those who, masquer- ading as friends of the masses, are in reality only too often enemies of democracy.” Here is expressed a demand ¥rom Canadian monopoly that the government take action to curb the further development of international trade unions in Canada, no doubt referring par- ticularly to the basic industries. Brom this point Blaylock pro- ceeded to dwell on the patriotism and loyalty of his company. He explained that “Empire producers were contacted and were asked to produce and supply these metals at prices which, though somewhat above the actual cost of produc- tion, are in most cases, much be- low the average price for iten, twenty, thirty, or forty years.” This action he then referred to as “vyir- tual conscription of their proper- ties.” Here indeed is ‘loyalty’ personi- fied. The big metal producers have agreed to sell their entire output for the duration of the war to the Sovernment at a price less than the average of ten or even forty years ago was. PROETTEERS’ LOYALTY. But No mention is made of tech- nological advances in the process- ing of metals and exiraction of by-products, formerly wasted, which has enormously cheapened production costs over those preyail-— ing ten years ago, let alone forty years back. Any Trail smelterman will tell you of the tens of thous- ands of dollars saved through the eperation of the ‘smoke treaters’ and the entire new plant for pro- cessing by-products at Warfield, All developed within the past ten years. Furthermore, the fact the entire output is contracted for in ad- vance considerably lessens the overhead necessary to maintain a sales staff abroad. These “minor details’ are conven-— iently overlooked and the purchase of the entire output is termed “vir- tual conscription of their proper- ties.” Lhe fact that, according to the government, not a single Cana- dian manufacturer would agree -to accept war contracts at a profit rate of 5 percent shows the type of patriotism monopoly capital be- lieyves in. To it patriotism and war profits are synonymous terms. < Loggers To Discuss Liberties Threat To Rights Will Be Issue At Nanaimo Meeting NANAIMO, BC.—The threat to civil liberties which, despite Prime Minister King’s assur- ance at beginning of the war that they would not be inter- fered with, and now being re- stricted, will be one of the main topics of discussion when delesates from International Woodworkers of Amrecia locals hold their district council meeting in the union hall here this Sunday at 10:30 a.m. Delegates, according to WNigel Morgan, BC board member, will also lay plans to carry out the program of the recent convention zor increased wages throughout the industry under the slogan: “Boost our pay a dollar a day.” Te facilitate this campaign BC dis- trict forces will be reorganized. Recently a start was made at Dake Logging where 325 employ- ees, how covered by an agreement recognizing the loggers committee, are receiving the highest wage Standard in BC. Signing of ths pact has been followed by a sim1:- lar agreement covering loggers employed by Crofton Export. Employees of Wood and Englisa, Englewood, also benefitted fron Wage increases after a visit of union organizers. Chokermen’s wages, which are generally taken as a basis, were boosted from $4.25 tc $4.60 a day, while Similar in- creases were gained in other brackets. To summarize, the policy of Can- @adian big business toward labor -during the war has now been out- lined by its western Canadian spokesman, S. G. Blaylock. It is: | eS must be no wage in- creases because this would impair the nation’s cash re- Serves.” (read profits of big bus- imess). —The threat of still greater ex-— ploitation of labor because “our enemies can and do demand much greater value for their national expenditure.” This can be construed te mean it may be necessary te adopt methods of fascist suppression of labor simi- lar to that imposed on German labor. —The method of paralyzing the labor movement through col- jaboration with the top leader- ship, so successful in Britain, should be followed here. —Exert pressure on the gov- ernment to curb international unions on the grounds their or- f@anizers are ‘outside agitators.’ WHAT LABOR MUST DO. How is BC labor to combat this program of Canadian big business? By adopting a program of its own designed to advance its interests as against the interests of big bus- ines. This program should in- clude: —Organize the unorganized. Labor cannot effectively safe— Guard its interests while the ma- jority of industrial workers re—- main unorganized. Labor unity of already established unions must be maintained and an or- Ganizational drive launched in all industries, but in particular the basic industries of the proyv- ince, lumbering, minng, fishing and maritime. —Launch an immediate planned campaign in all unions to raise wage levels sufficiently to offset the inerease in living costs already in effect since the outbreak of war which some au- thorities set as 17 percent. —Take organized action to curb profiteering in staple com- modities used for public coan- sumption. This will require co- operation with all other inter- ested organizations, widespread research efforts and the greatest publicity. —Act to preserve civil liberties. Unless organized labor takes immediate action to preserve the freedom of speech, freedom of the press, right of organization and strike action labor will find itself so suppressed it will be im- possible to institute collective bargaining.