Jones, Winch seek
arrothers ouster

lled Public Utilities Commission shows that it has mainly
ate increases for the B.C. Electric rather

“The record of the so-ca
devoted itself to helping to put over fare and r
than defending the interests of the public,’

didate, charged this week.

“Consequently I am forwardi

Dr. W. A. Carrothers, chairman of
the commission.”

The Civic Reform Association is
further charging that the hearings
on B.C. Electric fares and rates
have been deliberately called by
the. PUC for mid-August as part
of a “calculated attempt to make
it most difficult, if not impossible,
for civic and ratepayers’ organiza-

tions to make representations.”

’ Mrs. Effie Jones,

ng to Premier “Boss” Johnson a request that. he fire

Civic Reform Mayoralty can-

CRA is preparirlk a brief to expose
claims for ratification of interim
increases already granted, and
“will fight for the right to be
heard as an interested party sihce
we represent the majority of the
people of Vancouver on this isSue.”

Both E, E, Winch, CCF MLA

for Burnaby, and Harold Winch,
CCF MLA for Vancouver East

IWA bares super profits as
bosses stall in conciliation

With its strike vote held in abeyance, the IWA this
ors as government conciliator William
Fraser carried through the first stages of the conciliation
The meetings proved fruitless—

week met with operat

applied for by the: union.
operators refused to abandon
offer of 11 cents or 8 percent in
place of the union's reduced de-
mands for 25 cents, union shop,
strict 40-hour week, and welfare
fund.

Meanwhile the death toll from
the 1948 speedup that is bring rec-
ord production and record profits
in the woods climbed to 42, 9 more
than at this time in the record
year of 1947.

The B.C. Lumber Worker in a
front page story, has exposed the
reasons why the boss lumbermén
are not attempting to claim inabil-
ity to pay in their refusal of union
‘demands.

The story shows that “lumber
production has jumped 39.4 percent
«since 1945 despite a work week re-
duction from 48 to 40 on the coast,
-and from 54 to 44 in the interior.

“Export lumber prices have risen

their prolonged stall on their

by 149 percent to 439 percent since
1939. They are double the 1945
price and 50 percent higher than in
1946, Domestic lumber prices are.
176 percent higher than in 1939 and
52.6 percent higher than in 1946.

“1947 profits were from two to
four times the 1946 level. The big
investor in B.C. lumber is making
as high as 157 percent on his invest-
ed capital—or 52 times the normal
return on government bonds.

“The operators are making an
average of $25 clear profit on every
thousand board feet of lumber.

“The average net profit earned
by each woodworker for his em-
ployer runs from $1,683 to $3,112.”

Yet loggers’ real wages have
dropped by 15.2 percent since 1947
and those of sawmill workers al-

and leader of the opposition in

the legislature, have already de-’
manded the firing of Carrothers

as a result of Carrothers’ refusal

to hear briefs from Burnaby

Gouncil and Boundary Roard
property owners against the

BCE’s application to build Ppy-

lons on Boundary Road.

Harold Winch backed his demand
by stating, “This is not the first
cecasion upon which Dr. Carroth-
ers has denied the public the right
to appear before the Public Utili-
ties Commission as interested par-
ties. I have on record letters from
Dr. Carrothers in which he main-
tains that a political party is not
an interested party in any matter
pertaining to the B.C. Electric.

“This attitude of the chairman
of the commission’ is definitely
a prejudiced one and gives rise
to very strong suspicions as to
whether the chairman is biased
in his position. I am strongly of
the opinion that this attitude in
refusing the public the right to
make representations on matters
of vital concern is sufficient to
warrant his immediate dismissal
from the position he holds.”

“Tf the Boundary Road residents
and Burnaby Council are not in-
terested in construction of these

dangerous monstrosities, who is?”

the people of Vancouver are not
interested in what the BCE charg-
es, who is? Evidently Carrothers
thinks only BCE stockholders and
their watchdogs in municipal office
are ‘interested parties’. We'll see

| most as much.

about that.”

You'd never know it—Prime Min-
ister King has appointed a Royal
Commission to enquire into prices.
Any working class family can tell
him the truth: that a dollar ain’t
a dollar any more, it’s really worth
35 cents no matter what King’s
cost of living index says.

Is it to be a secret inquiry?
There's been no announcement of
public hearings.

Make King’s hush-hush

price probe com

This inquiry must be held in the
public glare—it must come to B.C.
to hear what we the people out
here have to say about prices. Clip
the coupon at left and send it to
the Commisison to help get action
on prices. Better still, pin it toa
sheet of paper and get all your
friends to sign too.

The following is the text of a
wire despatched to Prof, C. A. Cur-

—=i —— — eel nna el | <a ae ee

! Dear Prof. Curtis:

Prof. C. A. Curtis,

Chairman, Royal Commission on Prices,

OTTAWA, Ont.
Dear Prof. Curtis:

worried stiff about it and want

about it.

Skyrocketing prices are slashing

commission to come out here to British Columbia to hear what our
unions, consumer groups and farm organizations have to say

Yours sincerely,
7

my living standards. I’m

action. Specifically, I want your

e to B.C.

; members to stage a province-wide

tis, commission chairman, by Nigel
Morgan, provincial leader of re
Labor-Progressive Party.

“Today’s extortionate living
costs are a matter of grave con-
cern to the entire nation. Continu-
ing price increases make virtually
impossible provision of even basic
essentials for the majority of fam-

and bakery products and clothes.

“On behalf of the provincial ex-
ecutive of the Labor-Progressive
Party I urgently request that ade-
quate opportunity be given all pub-
lic bodies (including consumer, la-
bor and farm organizations) to
present their views; and that for
this purpose public’ commission
hearings be held in British Colum-
bia and all other provinces.”

Morgan announced that the prov-
incial executive of the LPP has set
aside Saturday, August 14 as a day
on which it will call on all LEP

demonstration against buying beef
in order to stimulate ,the already
widespread resistance of the con-
sumers to the profiteers. “There
will be suitable demonstrations,

Mrs. Jones asks. “If the majority of |.

ilies, especially meat, dairy, fruit }

Protest sweeps Italy

The attempted assassination

~

of Palmiro Togliatti aroused mil-
lions who look to the Communist Party he leads to rescue Italy
from constant crises and effect the economic changes they demand.
Demonstrations like this took place in all Italian

cities.

2

pondent gives his inside answer to
the question, ‘‘What does the Berlin
crisis mean to Canada?”

“The government,’ he says, is
“bringing the ‘war-book’—complete
documentary blueprint for use in

up to date; it’s planning on the in-
dustrial front. At the same time
great stress is being laid on sharp-
ening the positive weapons of poli-
tical and economic security which
could flow from a working North
Atlantic pact such as has been dis-
cussed in Washington these past
few weeks.” :

The big trusts themselves are
coordinating for war through the
Industrial Defense Board, which
has 16 special committees cover-—

ing all aspects of the economy.

For example, trustard Geo. C.
Bateman of Montreal convenes a
committee on non-ferrous metals
and light alloys which works with

the Defense Board and Canadian

Ordnance Association, top group
of the munitions merchants.

All work of the committee is be-
ing prepared to meet demands of
American geopoliticians, and all
government departments are work-

mentary work towards the same ob-
jective. ; :

What the Pacific Tribune warned
against a month ago is hailed by
the Financial Post from its big
business viewpoint: “Association of
Canada in an eventual North At-
lantic Pact is seen here as having
the widest political and, possibly,
economic implications for this
country.”

Actual goal sought by St. Laur-
ent’s Hume Wrong and Lester
Pearson in the Washington con-
claves is to use Canada’s Common-

ish countries more firmly to Ame-

emergency involving Russia—right |.

~ Peace

rican domination, as part of what
the New York Times has called

‘Canada’s “important and perhaps

decssive role’ in cementing @
trans-Atlantic “defense” organiza-
tion. P
Key role to which Canada has
been assigned is to undermine re
sistance to American designs inside
the sphere of Wall Street satellites,
resistance stemming from inter-
imperialist rivalries which weaken
the “grand anti-Soviet alliance.”

Canada’s trusts hope a force will —
emerge from the Washington
talks strong enough to effectively
threaten the countries building
socialism and peace. They seek
this through complete surrender.
of political and economical sov- »
ereignty of participating cout
tries, including our own, to the
United States, and through the
quest for a medium for establish-
ing direct American command of
all the armed forces involved,
with northern Canada to become
an outright American military
. zone.

In the Berlin crisis itself weeks
of western threats have not dinte

ing in the background in comple-_

wealth membership to tie the Brit- |

the firm stand of the Soviet Un-
ion and eight other European coun
tries for the unification of Get
many on a democratic basis as
one of the prerequisites for peace —

Western diplomats are now seek fF
ing a face-saving formula for enter- |

ing the discussion on the future °

Soviet Union.

peace and independence of Canada.
Only the most powerful and unit

movement can wrest Ottawa from
Wall Street control, and resto

Canadian support of the Roosevelt
peace policies. There is still time to
stamp out the warmongers.

se

Lakes

shooting of five unarmed seamen
by an officer of Canada Steamship
Lines. Mitchell dropped all profes-
sion of impartiality and stepped to
the forefront of the companies’ at-

that seamen should “look into the
question of Communism in the
leadership of the union.”

Transport Minister Lionel Chev-
rier went further, with public
charges the CSU is trying to “dest-
roy’ Canada’s shipping industry
and that “some of the leaders are
actuated by a desire to disrupt our
economy and are not acting in’ the
best interests of the seamen mem-
bers.” :

The government's own Brocking-
ton-McNish Commission has twice

leaflets, and speakers in all the
| main centers,” he stated.

_ shown that: the CSU is wholly
|right and the companies wholly

PACIFIC TRIBUNE—JULY 30, 1948—Pase

tack on the union with a suggestion |

strike
ik
wrong, and has stated that the
companies’ '
the substitution of a new union {0% 7
the existing bargaining unit, and
the assertion to alleged politica, t
opinions are contrary to accepte’ |
practices and the law as it
beén heretofore followed.” ve
The government has oper!
thrown down the gauntlet to 1”
“por with statements in effect 2
nouncing its intention to use th?
full power of the state to smash
cdllective bargaining to atom
This challenge poses the problen
for labor of lifting to a new lev
a struggle that at all costs mus)
be won. The strongest type 0
public pressure ever display
the history of Canadian labor ze

to cancel the companies’ chart’
and enforce collective bargainin®

Germany long ago proposed by the’ |

This summer sees the people |
leaced with big tasks to save the §

“Failure to negotiat® |