el

a oe

pete,

WESTERN CANADIAN LUMBER WORKER

From Page 1

"JODOIN™

To quote their literature, they
say—and these are their own words:
“In this gray area of the welfare
state we find the greatest erosion of
freedom.”

What kind of freedom do these
people want?

Do they want injured workmen to
be free to suffer without the bene-
fits of Workmen’s Compensation?

Do they want widows and orphans
to be free to try to get along with-
out the social welfare legislation that
has been provided to help them?

Do they want the aged to be free
to struggle for a mere existence with-
out the welfare that pensions pro-
vide?

Do they want the ailing and the
sick to be free to die without access
by right to the benefits of modern
science provided by a medical plan
based on the welfare of all the
people?

Is this what the Chamber of Com-
merce wants in its “Operation Free-
dom”?

Program Read

Read the program of “Operation
Freedom” and read it carefully. It
lumps together socialism and com-
munism. There are many in this
hall today who are proud to call
themselves socialists and I’m sure
they don’t appreciate the efforts of
the Chamber of Commerce to tar
them with the brush of communism.

Does the Chamber of Commerce
suggest that the socialist govern-
ments of the Scandinavian countries
and other countries in Europe are
automatically communist? Would the
Chamber of Commerce suggest that
the distinguished members of the
British Labour Party who are
socialists are therefore automatically
communists? We all know that some
of the strongest advocates of demo-
cratic socialism have, at the same
time, been the strongest and most
effective opponents of communism.

“We Oppose Communism”

No one in this country has fought
communism harder than has our
labour movement. We will continue
that fight—and, at the same time, we
will fight this kind of John Birchism.

What the Canadian Chamber of
Commerce is. proposing is a copy of
what the Chamber of Commerce in
the United States previously pro-
posed. This attempt to import
McCarthyism into Canada — duty
free—is all too clear.

They have a big program planned.
They want to blanket the country
with this kind of thing. Chambers of
Commerce in some areas are al-
ready going to municipal councils
seeking increased grants to finance
the campaign — to finance it with
your tax money and mine.

“Your Job at Home”

Just who is behind this cam-
paign? The Chamber of Commerce
always claims to represent the mer-
chants and the small businessmen.
Do you think the merchants and the
people you do business with are in
favour of this kind of an operation?

Here, I suggest, is a job for you
when you go home. Have your
unions and your labour councils let
the merchants in the place where
you live know how you—their cus-
tomers—feel. Ask them where they
stand. Ask your local Chamber of
Commerce if it is part of the drive
for freedom to force Canada back
into the 19th century.

If the Chamber of Commerce has
all this energy and all these re-
sources then let it be directed to
overcoming the unemployment we
are still suffering from, let it be used
to face the problems of automation,
to meet the challenge of our educa-
tional needs; let it be used to fight
discrimination and to provide for
the health needs of our people and
the expansion of our natural re-
sources.”

From Page ie

“NEW DEAL”

The political tone of the conven-
tion could be attributed to its atten-
tion to the economic situation. This
was well described in a statement on
economic policy which met with the
hearty approval of the delegates. It
declared, in part:

“Unemployment continues to be
this country’s number one problem.
For five years, unemployment and
low economic growth rates have
been the dominant characteristics of
our economy, For five years the
increase in real Gross National Pro-
duct has lagged behind the increase
in population, with the result that
real per capita GNP is smaller today
than im 1956,

“Although our growth rate is al-
most certain to be higher this year
than at any time since 1956, it will
not be high enough to sustain any-
thing like full employment, Further-
more, without proper public policies,
and barring any unforeseen external
events, the current improved eco-
nomic activity will probably be of
only short duration. The recovery
phase of our business cycles is get-
ting shorter.

Idle Workers & Plants

“We have not only idle workers,
but also idle plants. Ever since the
capital investment boom of 1955-
1957, productive capacity in indus-
try has been greater than demand for
industrial products. This has not
only resulted in industry operating
at less than capacity, but it has also
caused a marked slowdown in the
rate of private investment.

“The volume of business invest-
ment has never regained its 1957
peak, nor is it likely that the present
stepped up rate of activity will result
in any significant increase in business
investment.

“As long as there is unused in-
dustrial capacity, capital spending

“Furthermore, the labour force
may increase at an even faster rate
by the middle 1960's as a result of
the high birth rate in the early post-
war period. It is probable, also, that
technological changes will continue
to take place at a relatively fast rate
in the goods-producing industries,
thus further reducing manpower re-
quirements per unit of output...

Trade Vital

“One of the most :mportant eco-
nomic questions confronting Canada
is what our commercial policy should
be-in the light of changing trade
relationships in the world, and in
particular, the imminence of Bri-
tain’s entry into the European Eco-
nomic Community.

“There are some who believe that
we should respond to the challenges
of trade blocs by joining the Euro-
pean Economic Community on the
basis of ‘associate membership’ (un-
defined). Others think we should
join with the United States to form
a ‘North American Common Mar-
ket.’ But the European Common
Market is far too frightened of low-
cost Canadian agriculture to grant us
any kind of associate membership
which would be worth anything.

“For European Common Market
farmers, Canada is a country whose
cheap farm products, granted free
entry, would spell ruin. Besides, Can-
ada could not afford to accept a
European Common Market tariff
which discriminated against Ameri-
can imports,

Cost of Living

“It would raise our cost of living
and our cost of production, and the
Americans would certainly retaliate
by raising their tariffs against our
exports to the United States, our
chief external market. On the other
hand, Canada could not afford to
accept a' North American Common
Market tariff against European im-
ports. Europe would retaliate by
raising its tariffs against our exports
to Europe, our second most import-
ant (and very important) external

J ore - gee MB, 21d
IWA REGIONAL COUNCIL NO 1, delegates in attendance at the 4th Constitutional Convention of the Canadian Labour Con-
gress in Vancouver. :

@

ONLY THE TOUGHEST, ‘ORNERIEST
STEERS ARE SELECTED TO BE MADE
INTO THE FINE OIL-TANNED LEATH-

ERS USED EXCLUSIVELY BY DAYTON
FOR ALL THEIR LOGGING BOOTS.

REMEMBER — IN LEATHER THERE ARE NO
MIRACLES — ONLY THE TIME-HONOURED
PROCESS OF OIL-TANNING PRODUCES THE
MOST SUITABLE LEATHER FOR LOGGING
BOOTS. YOU CAN BET YOUR LIFE ON THAT
—(AND MOST LOGGERS DO JUST THAT!)

DAYTONS

THE BEST BOOTS MONEY CAN BUY

SHOE MANUFACTURING
CO. (B.C.) LTD.
2248-50 East Hastings St.

Vancouver, B.C.

Logger Boots + Safety Boots