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Needs of Education

HILE Minister of Education H. G. T.

Perry has announced some _ beneficial
measures for our schools at the present session
of the legislature, the government still has not
met the fundamental problem from which stem
all the weaknesses in our school system, and
that is the problem of educational finance.

The $379,000 increase in teachers’ salary
grants will provide a measure of relief both to
teachers and to local taxpayers. But the legal
minimums the government proposes for teach-
ers’ salaries are still hopelessly inadequate—
$840 for teachers in their first year, with $60
inereases for the next five years, up to $1,140.
Even the latter figure only offers teachers
$21.96 a week, less taxes and superannuation,
and the schedule will actually result in few
appreciable increases over prevailing levels.

And as for relief of local taxation, this
burden has reached such proportions in many
districts that to expect $379,000 to provide both
teachers’ salary benefits and relief of local taxa-
tion is equivalent to expecting the miracle of
the loaves and fishes to be repeated.

True, Perry has promised a commission to
survey “the whole field of educational finance.”
But the Weir-Putnam and King reports have
been on file for years and no new commission
is needed to establish what all groups agree is
the starting-point for a modern educational Sys-
tem throughout B.C., the financing of education
out of the provincial consolidated revenue fund.

Seldom has any demand met such widespread
and unanimous support throughout the prov-
ince and the Unien of B.C. Municipalities and
the Fraser Valley Reeves’ Association in carry-

'ing the question to the floor of the legislature,
have the great majority of the people with
them. é

The minister’s sole defense is that conditions
in other provinces are even worse. He ignores
the facts brought out in the House by Bernard
Webber (CCF, Similkameen) that B.C. has only
397 children per thousand to educate, less than
any other prvoince, while B.C. has a greater
assessable wealth per child than any other prov-
ince. Considered from this viewpoint, only Sas-
katchewan and Quebec provide a smaller per-
centage of total provincial and municipal rev-
enue per child for education.

Statements that there is no grave teacher
shortage in this province are rendered meaning-
less by the fact that the department of educa-
tion has allowed teacher qualifications to slide
to substandard levels.

History shows that the labor movement has
always Jed in the struggle for the education
of the people. The criterion for judging our
school system today is whether every child, ir-

a ie phe A NE Eon be

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A. GC. CAMPBELL

respective of birthplace, or economic circum-
stance, shall have the chance to be fully edu-
cated in elementary, secondary, or advanced
fields. If this standard is to be reached, the
labor movement must give leadership in de-
manding from the government a provincial
system of education finance and a teachers’
salary schedule starting at $1,300 which will
hold qualified persons in the profession. Noth-
ing less will satisfy the need.

Labor Relations

3) Pee is no good reason why the manage-

ment, employees’ committees and National
Selective Service cannot have closer coopera-
tion on pertinent questions affecting the welfare
of workers in industry.

We are approaching a crucial stage in the
conduct of the war when the whole might of
the Allied forces will be hurled against the en-
emy on a second front. At such a time, men,
munitions annd material will be required on a
greater scale perhaps than now. It will require
the highest morale and united efforts of our
people to make that invasion a speedy success.
Unexplained layoffs and rumors of mass un-
employment will not strengthen such unity, but
weaken it.

Already many trade unions through their
executives and shop committees have protested
to the government on the situation created by
poor organizations and lack of cooperation, but
it must be followed up by further steps. The
layoffs in various industries followed by wild
rumors to the effect that “hundreds more are
to follow” based on news reports in the daily
press are not conducive to maintaining good
morale or increased war production among our
workers in war industries.

Following fast on the heels of the rumors
come repeated denials from Ottawa that no re-
duction in contracts to the industries affected
are intended and that reasons for the slow
down in work and layoffs are due to plant ad-
ministration. But no sooner is one rumor and
denial laid. to rest than another springs up
Somewhere else.

It has become very evident that many com-
panies, while williag to cooperate with their
employees on matters of production and other
routine questions affecting the organization of
the plant production, are not willing to utilize
their labor-management production committees
for a discussion of impending changes in
schedule or the formulation of policies which
would.render a minimum of disorganization in
plant layoffs when necessary.

At this time particularly,- closer labor-
management relations mean a stronger war ef-
fort. z

* fice

) Brown,

BRITAIN

ILO Delegates

HE general council of the Brit-
J ish Trades Union Congress has
named J. Halisworth, executive
board member of the National
Union of Distributive and Allied
Workers. as the British labor dele-
gate to the International Labor Of
eonference in Philadelphia
next April.

The councit also elected as
Hallsworth’s secretary, advisors at”
the conference: Sir Walter Citrine.
TUC general secretary; John
secretary, Iron and Steel
Trades Confederation; George
Thomson, executive board member
of the Association of Engineering
and Shipbuilding Draughtsmen;
Miss F. Hanceck, chief woman of-
ficer of the Transport and General
Workers Union; and Dame Anne
Loughlin, national organizer of the
Tailors’ and Garment» Workers’
Union.

J. Halilsworth was the British la-
bor delegate to the 1941 ILO con-
ference, held in New York. Anne
Loughlin was chairman last year
of the TUC—the first woman to
hold that office.

The TUC general council en-
dorsed the decision of the ILO
last week not to invite representa-
tives of Axis-dominated nations to
the Philadelphia conference, but
added that this decision “should
not prejudice the position which
might arise as a result of Finland

ceasing to be an enemy  bel-
ligerent.”
Under consideration by the

council is a letter from R. Mor
Tow, secretary of the Belfast
Trades Council, requesting separ-
ate representation for the six coun-
ties of Northern Ireland at the
world labor conference in London

in June. Reason for the request,
Morrow said, is that the Wire
Trades Union Congress, with

which the Belfast council is af
filiated, has decided not to send
delegates to the London confer-
ence on the grounds that ‘the
twenty-six counties of Eire are
neutral and the present position
of trade union affairs is uncertain.”

GERMANY

Peace Offensive

B* means of diplomatic man

_ €uvering, Nazi Germany is
Striving to avert the necessity of
Simultaneous war against numer-
ous enemies and make it possible
to continue to fight its enemies
piecemeal, B. Shatroy writes in
the current issue of War and the
Working Class.

The Nazis further aim to achieve
a compromise peace by disuniting
the allies and thus -give Germany
a breathing space to Prepare for a
hew attack on the democratic
nations of the world.

Naming Franz von Papen, Nazi
minister to Turkey, and Hjalmar
Schacht, president of the Reichs-
bank, as the two Principal Nazi
“peacemakers,” Shatrov observes
that the history of war and di-
plomacy ‘shows that when the
leading circles of one of the
belligerants becomes convinced
that the war is lost, they turn
to diplomacy in an attempt to
lighten the burden of inevitable
defeat. Through diplomacy they
hope to save what armed di-
Plomacy has lost. :

Reviewing similar attempts by
the Kaiser’s Eoevernment to extri-
cate themselves by non-military
methods in World War One, Sha-
trov states that the present situa-
tion of MHitler’s Germany is far
graver than that of the Kaiser in
1916-17.

_ The fall of the fascist regime
in Italy, which meant the loss of
Hitler’s chief ally in Europe,
Strengthened the feeling of hope-
lessness in Germany. The next
blow “was dealt by the results of

the Moscow and Tehra

ences, whose decision:
the German hopes for”
the anti-Hitlerite bloc,

- the approaching offensn

combined forces of f
against Hitler Germany
east, west and south.”
Shatroy then reviews
tempts to isolate the So;
from the other democraj

‘by “frightening the ruli
of these countries with

of revolution.”

Far from renouncing
to disunite the anti-H
-lition, the Germans are
make use of all the gre
“peace” overtures, as at
ing to act in the same
they did in 1916-1917, he

‘Citing Nazi peace ai
through a number of ney
tries, particularly S$}
Turkey and Spain, Sr
serves that von Papen ar
are “undoubtedly the —
fitted for such ‘delicate”

“Von Papen was Hit
decessor and German Rj
ler and joined Hitler on
eve of the latter's advent

“According to the fore
acting as ‘peacemaker’ y
has been making proj
cluding plans for a chan
German government wU
moval of Hitler.

“In as much as such
come from yon Papen
has the hope of rega
Reichskanzership, such |
may doubtlessly prove &
ing of some _ individ]
groups. :

“A no less if not ev
convenient mediator {
aims is Schacht, the rr
closely connected with
industry and finances,
the principal figures in~
of International Se
which is functioning in
land to this day. Sch
business and personal
in every part of the
world.

“Officially he is not a
of the fascist party. He }
‘business circles’ and a:
known in Europe and
All sorts of proposals,
through sueh a ‘business
meet with far greate

“standing than if coming |

Hitlerite official.

“There may, of cours
doubt that there is a
number of such ‘peace
but apparently other p
such intrigues still are ~
in the shadow for variou

“Tf thus it gradually
light who is making ‘p
posals on behalf of prec |
lerite imperialism, then
less interesting to know :
the proposals are addre—
experience of World
shows that direct offers
ate peace are ordinarily —
to governments. j

“Of interest in this cor -
the report of David
New York Sun corm
who considers it possibl |
ample, that von Papen ¢t |
representatives of Britis |
in Turkey and Portugal —
lishing certain contacts ie
some of his proposals.

“That there are such ~
circles in the countrie:
anti-Hitlerite bl6c can h:
doubted. They not only. i
ness’ but also represent
definite political cor
which do not want the |
defeat of Hitler and we 4
to compromise with hin |

“During World War (7
Many suffered defeat no |
the battlefields, but als]
attempts by means of
peace to evade complei§
lation. These attempts -
against the will of leadi §
men in the Entente cour §
Succeeded in bringing |
to Compiegne. £

“There can be no doul §
the present war the Gei —
Machine will be compl }
feated on the battlefiel j.
to be presumed that AS
fate will overtake the in pi
the Hitler gangster dipl fe