pi PG. TR'6 as
: Domin'

onl vend
aie > Costs

oxo R a
i: Onih sing

ie

_ Food prices skyrocketing
_ monopolies are protected

WINNIPEG — Following is the. text of a leaflet issued by the
Communist Party on behalf of candidates Wm. C. Ross (Winnipeg
North) and Don Currie (Winnipeg North-Centre):

Food prices are soaring to record heights. Studies show that the
‘lower the family income, the greater is the share paid out for food.
’ The living standards of old age pensioners, the 25% of Canadians
who live at or below the poverty level and the average working
class family are being seriously undermined.

Yet, Agricultural Minister Mr. Olson declares that increased food
prices are justified and that the consumer will just have to pay more.
That is typical of the callous attitude of the Trudeau government to-
wards the plight of the working people.

Mr. Olson’s remarks were designed to protect the big food chains
and the giant monopolies. High food prices are due to price rigging
and excessive profiteering by the big food chains. Back in 1967 the
Prairie Provinces Prices Review Commission stated that such. prac-
tices on the prairies were the worst in the country.

One half of the food business in Manitoba is controlled by Safe-
ways, Westons and Dominion Stores. For the year ending March 18,
1972 the NET earnings of Dominion Stores was over $914 million
compared to $3-1/3 million the year before.

The earnings of Burns Food Ltd. increased by 25% during the
first six months of this year.

The CPR which contributes to higher food prices through its high
freight rates reported on March 13 that rail freight revenues were
up $5014 million. This from a company that gets half of all its
taxes returned in the form of government subsidies.

The attempt to blame increasing food prices on higher wages for
workers is completely false. Firstly, wage rates are usually fixed for
two year periods. But food prices have been rising steadily every
few months.

Secondly, profits of the big corporations are increasing at the rate
of 24% higher than a year ago while negotiated wage agreements
this year were much lower—7\4'%.

Instead of price increases on food we need new national policies
to put people’s interests before monopoly profits—increase the pur,
chasing power of the working people and the pensioners—expand
industry on the Prairies to provide full employment—and a guaran-
teed income for all Canadians as a right.

The Communist Party proposes the establishment of a Prices Re-
view Board to roll back and control food prices.

_ Unions are expected to negotiate and justify wage increases.
Monopolies should be compelled to justify price increases.

URGE MANITOBA GOVERNMENT ACT
TO HALT RISING FOOD PRICES

WINNIPEG — A massive consumer boycott plus provincial
government probe of price gouging by chain stores “could go
a long way in ‘halting the current orgy of profiteering food
chains,” says a letter sent to Hon. A. H. Mackling, Minister of
Consumer, Corporate and Internal Services, by Communist
Party organizer Don Currie, who is also one of the two Com-
munist federal candidates in this city.

“While the food industry pushes prices to record fevels, big
business spokesmen and the old-line parties carry on a steady
campaign for wage freeze and anti-labor legislation aimed at
weakening the labor movement,” he wrote. “It is time to com-
bine the exposure of the ‘corporate bums’ with government

<<

_ “We call for your department to undertake an investigation
into the current high price of food in Manitoba. The investiga-
tion should include revealing the links between food chains in
Manitoba and big financial interests in the United States.
Much of Manitoba's milk and bread industry is now under
control.”

Mr. Currie told the NDP cabinet minister that “consumer
protest is reaching the boiling point” as each week the grocery
bag gets smaller while food profits get higher.

PACIFIC TRIBUNELZERIDAY ; SEPTEMBER 15, 1972>=PAGE 4

Canadian people's control
of our natural resources
needed to provide jobs

he appeared together with John Clout, |

ST. CATHARINES — “Canada must \ (
Communist candidate in St. Catharines

become master of its own resources,
starting with its natural resources and
energy; this is vital for the independent
development of our country,” William
Kashtan, leader of the Communist
Party of Canada and its candidate in
Toronto Davenport, stated at a news
conference at the UAW hall here, where

to launch a program of econ-
omic develodpment to assure
full employment and _ rising
standards for the working peo-
ple of Canada. .

He spoke of the need to de-
velop a publicly operated’ pipe-
line in the MacKenzie Valley.
“However, he said, “there is no
point in having a publicly oper-
ated pipeline while U.S. inter-
ests control the resources of the
MacKenzie Valley. The oil and
gas must be publicly owned,
as should the pipeline.”

“The rise in the price of food
shows how false is the argu-
ment that wages are responsible
for inflation. The fact is that

there is very little labor content |

in food products. The farmers
certainly are not responsible for
these high prices. It is clear that
those who profit are the mon-
opoly interests—the huge mon-
opolies and the advertising
agencies, Yet, despite this, Mr.
Stanfield comes forward with a

Romania recalls

1944 liberation

on National Day

The liberation of Romania
from fascism in 1944 is cele-
brated each August 23 as the
country’s National Day. We had
the opportunity of celebrating it
in such an unexpected place as
the Romanian exhibit of foods,
wines, clothing, housewares, etc.,
at the Canadian National Exhi-
bition in Toronto. That is where
the Tribune’ joined the hosts in
recalling the hard struggle, and
the years of building since.

The Romanian nation every
year “pays homage to its sons
who contributed, many of them
at the cost of their lives, to the
country’s-liberation from the
fascist yoke,” the official state-
ment asserts.

“Likewise, the Romanian peo-
ple express profound feelings of
valuation and gratitude to the
Soviet Union, whose soldiers
Sacrificed their lives for Roman-
ia’s liberation, for mankind’s
Salvation from the fascist dan-
ger.

“We attach high valuation to
the memory of the military of
other countries in the grand vic-
tory. We nurture profound ad-
miration for the fierce resistance
fight carried on in other coun-
tries by the patriotic forces with
the Communists at the head for.
liberty and independence.”

Since that victory 28 years
ago, Romania, in cooperation
with other socialist countries of
CMEA, has made great strides
in the economy, tourism, and the
arts. - oe 43,L.)

‘its

riding.

proposal for wage and prices
controls, which in fact would be
wage controls. One can see how
useless such measures are in
the USA where, despite or per-:
haps because of wage and price
controls instituted by the Nixon
administration, food and meat
prices have risen as they have
in Canada.

“All the evidence points to
the fact that even if workers
were to forego wage increases,
inflation would still continue. In
fact, it is now a permanent
feature of state monopoly capi-
talism. It is embedded in that
system and is part of it.

“To curb inflation demands
the curbing of monopoly power.
It demands too, effective meas-
ures to drastically reduce mili-
tary expenditures which is the
immediate cause of inflation. The
U.S. administration has exported
its problems and its crises to
Canada and other countries.

“For the Canadian people, the
conclusion is obvious: Canada
needs to modify its relationship
with the U.S. in such a way as
to regain its freedom of action,
sovereignty, its
dence.”

Mr. Kashtan condemned Otto
Lang’s statement that “strikes
are barbaric.”

“It is obvious that Liberal
strategy on the Prairies is dir-
ected to appease those who want
to make labor the scapegoat for
strikes in the ports and in indus-
try generally,” he said. “This is
sheer irresponsibility.

“The working class is com-
pelled to strike to catch up with
the rising costs, with the erosion
of living standards. Instead of
attacking the right to strike, Mr.
Lang and the government would
be better advised to implement
legislation that would give job
security to the working people,
based on full employment poli-
cies and on the right of the trade
unions to have a say over tech-
nological change.”

Mr. Kashtan referred to the
debate around the “corporate
welfare bums.” It is useful to
draw attention to the extent to
which big business is favored in
the taxation system, which is
highly undemocratic, and is not
based on the democratic prin-
ciple of ability to pay. However,
when this is-not tied in with the
battle for an expanding economy
free of U.S. control and for full
employment policies, it limits
the issue.

“Furthermore, what needs to
be emphasized in this whole de-
bate is the fact that the state is
geared to serve the interests of

‘monopoly, and most of the laws

are directed to protect the pro-
fits and preserves of monopoly.

“Mr. Turner, the minister of
finance, in trying to answer the
criticism, declares; that, without

indepen- |

Outlining the Party’s election plat
form for representatives of press ane —
radio, Mr, Kashtan said that the cen
tral issue in the election is the necessity —
of achieving Canadian control over the —
natural resources of our country, and

the assistance given the corpor
tions, the regional developme?
plans would collapse and 5%?
would the economies of thesé
specific areas. Mr. Turner Pre
tends that there is no other way
to keep the economy going &
cept by subsidizing monopoly:
This is a completely false are
ment. The fact is that economi¢
development can proce®
through Crown Corporations:
through the Canada DeveloP
ment Corporation or throug’
public ownership. This is W' ‘
the Communist Party states tha
a central issue of the camp@
is the need to establish a new
order of priorities, a new dif
tion to Canada, based on 4
principle of what is good for th
people is good for Canada.
Mr. Kashtan concluded the ae
terview by stating that t t
Communist Party is going all
wherever it has candidates |
present its policies to the WO!”
ers, women, young people, fat™
ers, with the aim of achievine
the election of a progressive
in parliament, including ND ‘
and Communists. ae

‘s

, sos

A plaque was unvesed ris
Sunday in Gravenhurst, |

to commemorate the DIM ig

of Dr. Norman Bethun™ fw’
great Canadian Commun’s of |
manist who followa ae wore. |
behalf of the Canaaia in
by serving the Spanish peoPl? ;
their fight against fascis™ ion
assisting the Chinese Li + i
Army. Born in Gravenhu mit
1890, Norman Bethune di hind
istering to the wounded '7 ~~
in 1939.

Use new measure

At the beginning of vnbet js
marketing season, Dece”; qu’
1972, Australia’s wheat pels
try will drop the use °° 4, i j
and long tons and OPE |
tirely in metric ai, rf
1,500 country recel™* , a
and 18 ‘shipping termina
now being convert
measurements... es *