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Friday, eS 18, 1950

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Manze demands

Johnson

explain

police switch

The British Columbia Police this week was officially

absorbed into the Royal Canadian Mounted Police,

whose

long record of brutality against workers, employed and un-

employed,

labor spying and other secret police activities,

evoked strong protest from labor when the Coalition govern-

ment first proposed the change-
over on grounds of “economy”.

Popular opposition to the
changeover was reflected this
week in the number of members
Of the B.C. police who resigned
rather than be transferred into
the RCMP, and announcements
that, some municipalities were
eensidering cancelling their po-
lice contracts and setting up their
own local police forces.

In Burnaby, the CCF-led coun-
cil, under pressure from all pro-
gressive groups to carry out in
practice opposition to the RCMP
voiced by the CCF in the legis-
lature, stated hat it would not
accept the RCMP but would set
up its own police force.

In Coquitlam, where resignation
of all three members of the local
B.C. Police force precipitated the
issue, establishment of a local po-
lice force was also under discus-
sion.

Refiecting similar dissatisfac-
tion in Fraser Valley municipali-
ties, Senator Tom Reid opposed
the transfer, stated he found “the
public here is greatly perturbed
over the move” and warned that
the RCMP might lead to B.C. be-

coming a “police — controlled
state”,

Nigel Morgan, LPP provincial
leader, stated this week:

“The labor movement of this
province is rightly most concern-
ed about the changeover, which
represents another step towards
what Senator Tom Reid calls the
“police state”, Centralization of
the police organization is part and
parcel of the cold war plot. Here,
as in Nazi Germany, it is one of
the first steps towards the dicta-
torship state”.

“The shameful betrayal of the
provincial force and the obvious
worsening of conditions is a most
flagrant violation of pledges given
by the Coalition government at
the time the changeover was first
mooted.” .;

“The Labor-Progressive par-
ty calls upon Premier Johnson
to give immediately what the
public demands — a full state-
ment of the real reasons behind
the change and the as-yet sec-
ret terms of the agreement,”
Morgan declared. “The public
dissatisfaction as well as that
of a number of municipal gov-
ernments and former members
of the provincial force cannot
be dismissed.”

He demanded the whole mat-

ter be reconsidered and “the
switchover halted now.”

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Women oppose milk hike,
urge cut in distribution,
better price for farmers

Strong opposition to any increase in milk prices (currently being sought by distrib-
utors) was voiced at the provincial Milk Board hearings in Vancouver this week by B.C.
council of the Congress of Canadian Women.

“When the price is increased,
consumption goes down,” said the
Congress brief, citing figures to
prove the point. “We are convin-
ced that if milk prices increase
again consumption ‘will go down
and stay down, to the detriment
not only of our children, who will
be the main sufferers, but also
to the distributors and farmers.

“We have listened with great
interest and concern to the evi-
dence given at this hearing by
farmers, and believe that they
Should be granted a better price
for their milk.

“Brunt of higher costs can and
must be borne by the distributors.
We maintain the distribution is

run very inefficiently and unecon-

= omically and in fact, should be a

public utility. As a small example
of the inefficiency of present dis-
tribution methods, witness the
number of dairies that deliver
milk in a single block in the city.
They run all over town with a
customer here and-.a customer
there.”

A brief presented by Canada
Safeway Limited favored “a fair
price to producers of milk” and
argued that distribution costs of
milk to consumers could be sub-
stantially reduced “If the Milk
Board alters its milk pricing pol-
icies to permit storés to play a
greater part in the distribution of
milk to consumers and to permit
store customers to benefit from
the economics which are inher-
ent. in the distribution of milk
through stores.”

Claiming that there is “a dif-
ference of at least two cents be-
tween the cost of store and home
delivery” the Safeway brief con-

‘tended that stores should be al-

lowed “to sell.at prices which re-
flect the difference in the cost of
the two types of service.”
“This receiving
more and more recognition by
competent authorities as one of

principle is

the more practical means of coun-
teracting the effect of increasing
milk prices,” the brief said.

“During the past few years
When milk prices have been stead-
ily increasing, there has been a

definite decline in per capita con-
sumption. By effecting economies
in distribution with a resultant
lowering ‘in prices, all persons
interested in the production, dis-
tribution and consumption of milk
will benefit. The distributor will
maintain lower unit costs of hand-
ling through maintenance of high
volume. The farmer will be as-
sured of a steady and larger mar-
ket for his milk.”

The brief pointed out that 33.6
percent of the milk consumed
in the homes of Greater Win-
nipeg was sold through stores.
In New York City store sales
represent 72 percent of retail
sales. In Manitoba stores sell
milk one cent cheaper than the
home delivered price. In New
York store buyers save about

two and three-quarter cents a
quart,

Dr. R. Nicholson, president of
the Fraser Valley Milk Produc-
ers’ Association, presented a com-
prehensive brief which also ar-
gued the need to keep milk prices
down,

“What happened when the

price was raised to the consu-
mer the last time? The per ca-
pita volume of sales went down
to the point where the increase
in spread did not do the distri-
butor the slightest good and ‘he
was right back again looking
for more spread,” said the brief.

“It appears quite plain that an
increase in consumer price would
not be in the interest of the dairy
industry and that such a contem-
plaed increase h&s grave possi-
bilities of seriously affecting the
the average unit return (which
is the dairy farmers take-home
pay) for the huge majority of the
producers in the Fraser Valley.

“Considering the critical situ-
ation the dairy industry is facing
in Canada, too much stress can-
not be laid on the importance of
educating our children to be
drinkers of milk instead of con-
Sumers of pop. But high milk
prices will certainly discourage
the sale of milk in our most favor-
able market and in the home and
in the schools.” ,

Urge railroaders

stand bydemands

A group of progressive railroaders distributed a mimeo-
gtaphed leaflet in B.C. railway centers this week, calling on

workers to “stand by their demands” in the present railroad
dispute.

. ;
The argument that the railways can’t pay an increase
is false,” said the leaflet. “In the
last five years CPR shareholders
raked in $312 millions profit.
The railways have been granted
a 45 percent increase in freight
rates in less than two years.

reement which will amount to #
sellout. They did it before. Wé
must not let them do it this
time. We can prevent a sellout
if we maintain a powerful, irre5-
istable pressure on the leader-
ship.”

“We can win. The overwhelm-
ing strike vote proved that the
125,000 railroad workers are un-
ited. Even Frank Hall has been
compelled to recognize the pres-
sure from the men,

The leaflet called on railroad
ers to flood union officials
demands that they stand firm, 2”
for organization of strike com t
mittees in every local and er
strike committees in every rail-
way center in the province.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — AUGUST 18, 1950 — PAGE @

“The important thing is to pre-
vent the Hall~Mosher leadership
from reaching a back-door age