Cuban economy faces ruin as big
monopolies rake in huge profits

HAVANA—While

By PEDRO LUIS PADRON

American consumers have to start shelling out two cents more a

pound for sugar, U.S. sugar monopolists, who own 60 percent of the Cuban sugar industry,
are reaping bigger and bigger profits. To make sure those millions keep piling up, the
sugar interests are now trying to discredit the Cuban government and aggravate inflation

here.

The killing of price control in

the US. has been a sharp blow
to the Cuban people,
to import their basic - necessities,
such as flour, rice, fats and grain,
from the U.S. In anticipation of
this, Guban labor Had insisted on
an agreement between its govern
ment and that of the U.S. de-
Signed to prevent U.S. inflation
from turning the entire Cuban
economy upside down.

Under the agreement, if the
prices of U.S. exports to Cuba
rise, the price of sugar is sSup-
pesed to go up correspondingly.
According to the U.S. Bureau of
labor Statistics, the price index
on U.S. products has shot up
182 percent As a result, the

- price of sugar is going up from

3.67 te 420 cents per pound.

The Cuban government is plan-
ning to use the difference be-
tween the old and new sugar
prices to subsidize the food im-
ported from the U.S., so that
the Cuban people will be able
to. afford to eat.

The U-S. owners,. however, have
started a violent campaign in the

newspapers they control, trying
to tell the people that the gov-
ernment is mishandling their

money. In an attempt to split
the labor movement, the monopo-
lists proposed that, instead of
using the price-— differential for
subsidies, the government should
divide it between the sugar work-
ers and employers.

This attempt has already been
Squelched, however, by the united
action of the National Mederation
of Sugar Workers. The union,
realizing the effects of inflation,
voted overwhelmingly in favor of
the Cuban government plan to

who have’

take the differential, give the
Sugar workers a wage increase
and use the rest to subsidize con-
sumers’ products for the benefit
of the entire people.

The steady rise in profits on
sugar is reflected in these fig-
ures: im 1942 the Central Vic-

lete Sugar Co. 2 subsidiary of
the Atlantic Gulf Sugar Co., had
a net profit of $1.66 on a 100-
Ib sack, with the price at $2.65
per sack: a profit of 167 per
cent. In 1945, its earnings will
be even more, with prices and
output way up.

|< ban sugar fields |

by

Redbaiting designed fo
sow discord in unions

By GLADYS CARTER

SARATOGA SPRINGS — WEFETU general
in the U.S. fer the recently concluded meet- ~

Louis Saillant,

secretary

ing of the WETU executive bureau, told CIO shipbuilding
workers recently that “we must declare that the third world

War can and must be prevented

Sailiant’s statement was in
sharp contrast to a speech here
by Under-Secretary of War Ken-
neth GC. Royal. In one of the
most outright admissions of U-S.
war policy, Royal called on the
shipbuilding workers’ annual con-
vention here to avoid strikes and
slowdowns so that the nation's
military potential will be at a
maximum.

Royal urged U-S. unions to
oust the Communists from_ their
ranks, stating: “I can think of
nothing more likely to plunge us
into war than a - widespread
growth of either Hascism or
Communism.”* He laid the blame

for the fall of France in 1940 on
strikes called by “Communist”
unions.

Saillant told the convention
that a campaign of hostility
against the U.S. im Europe
would hurt the cause of peace

by people of goodwill.”

just as “a campaign of hosti-

the
the

ity in the US. against
Soviet Union poudaneers
cause of peace.”

In an attempt to Drove that
the red-baiting drive in the Cio
has taken hold, the press made
much of the fact that the ship-
building ‘workers’ union “adopt
ed” a resolution barring Com-
munists from holding office.

The fact is that the Industrial
Union of Marine and Shipbuild-
ing Workers has for years been
led by known anti-Communist of
ficials and that, under their in-
Huence, its constitution has long
barred- Communists or their
“sympathizers” from .union posts.

At this convention, the ban has
extended to members of the Kiu
kdux Klan. Many delegates rose
to seek elimination of the Com-
munists from the ban, but the
convention chairman, John Gro-
gan, ruled them out of order.

CIO, Soviet leaders join in fight for peace —

WASHINGTON—The working people of the U.S. and the Soviet Union “are determined to have peace and will com-

bat and expose the efforts of all reactionary forces to sow seeds of disunity amcng the peoples,”

CIO president Philip

Murray and Soviet labor leader M. P. Tarasov announced jointly this week. The announcement came at the end of the
first meeting of the American-Soviet Trade Union Committee, formed to aid the fight for workers’ rights and te advance

world labor’s campaign to main-
tain peace.

American and Soviet trade
unionists had a full discussion
which covered the structure and
activities of the labor movements
of both countries and which “add-
ei to our common efforts to im-
Erove the standard of living of
the working people,’ Murray and

Tarasov said.

Britain releases nazis,
clamps down on ‘left’

By WILLIAM PETERS

HAMBURG—Some amazing contradictions have cropped
up in the official figures given out for results of municipal

elections in the British zone

of Germany. The results, on

the whole, have been very gratifying to these authorities who
have been bending all their efforts for a revival of German

reaction.

Black market

The Wartime FPrices and
Trade Board recently charged
Edgett’s Limited, a local lum-
ber mill, with issuing false in-
voices im respect of sales of
lumber to the United States,
and making misrepresentations
to the lumber controller.. The
firm pleaded ~- guilty and got
away with a nominal fine of
$2,080.

The Board produced evi-
dence that 23 carloads of lum-
ber had been shipped to Cali-
fornia, invoiced as -cottonwood,
whereas the actual Cars con-
tained maple and alder. Cot-
tonwood is not subject to ex-
port quota regulations and may
be shipped in any quantity.
Export of maple and alder
was restricted to 40 percent of
production.

The Board, therefore, claim-
ed that the Canadian public
had thus been deprived of
lumber which should have
been available to them and
which was exported as cotton-
wood to the USA.

Counsel for the company
claimed that the penalty should
'mnot be severe as its export h-
eense had been cancelled for
six weeks, and it had already
been fimed by the Department
ef Customs for false export
declarations.

PACIFIC TRIBUNE — PAGE 2

Among the disparities is the
following: the Lower Saxony Peo-
ple’s party, which advocates a
monarchy with close ties to the
British Empire, got 5044 seats for
1,101,518 votes. The Communists,
with 1,105,556 votes, got only 7138
Seats. There has been no official
explanation for this total lack
of relationship between votes
cast and seats allctted.

Wet results of the election
that the workers’ parties. who
Fave been hampered in all efforts

towards unity and fought each
cther in the elections. sot 17,849
seats, while the right-wing par-
lies won 51,393 seats.

7S

Pre-election policy in the zone
casts considerable lizht on the
results. Shortly before the elec-
tion, the MG announced the re-
lezse of 25,000 Nazi internees,
aroong them Hugo Stinnes, one
of the industrialists named as a
War crimitial in Senator Kil-
gere’s report to the 0.S. Scnate.

Meanwhile, circulation figures
for party organs were changed.
Right-wing parties were granted
more copies daily, at the expense
of the Communist press, whcse

circulation was slashed by 220,-
000. One right-wing paper, the
Flensburger Tageblatt, was en-

couraged sufficientiy by this to
run a story by a former Fiitler
Youth leader defending Germany’s
role in *hce war.

The two labor I:adere called
on “the workers of ou~ two na-
ticns to unite in close and work-
ing friendship. This is essential
in order that progressive man-
kind .shall enjoy a stable peace,
democracy, friendship and equal-
ity among nations.” ;

Representing the CIO at the
meeting were Murray, secretary-

Y

CIO’s PHILIP MURRAY

treasurer James B. Carey; R. J.

Thomas of the United Auto
Workers, Albert J. Fitgerald of
the United Electrical Workers;

Frank Rosenblum of the Amal-
gamated Clothing Workers; and
general counsel Lee Pressman.

The Soviet delegates who at-
tended the meeting were, in addi-
tion to Tarasov, N. A. Gaisenok
of the Shipbuilding Workers
Union; V. I. Berezin of the Air-
eraft Industry Workers; E. J. Si-
dorenko, secretary of the All-
Union Central Council of Trade
Unions; and M. f£. Tickomirov,
assistant to the AUCCTU chair-
man.

lran in reverse

LONDON: The Government of
iran is demanding an investiga-
tion into the activities of two
British consulate officials, who
are charged with inciting South-
erm Iranian tribesmen to revolt
against the central government.
Representations on the subversive
activities of these officials have
been made to the British Foreign
office by Iran, but so far no ac-
tion has been taken by Foreign
Minister Bevin.

Trades Congress votes

affiliation with WFTU

By TOM CARLSON

WINDSOR—The Canadian Trades and Labor Congress
voted overwhelmingly in its closing session in faver of af-
filiation to the World Federation of Trade Unions. The de-
cision of the Congress, composed of APL affiliates in CGan-
ada, marks a sharp break with the AFL executive council,
which bitterly opposes the world labor body.

The TLC convention, instruct
ed its’ leadership “to provide the
necessary financial and other ar-
rangements to consummate affili-
ation with the WETU.” One rea-
son which TLC leaders have giv-
en for their failure to affiliate
before was that the organization
could not afford the per capita
fee. .

Just before the vote, TiC pres-
ident Percy Bengough expressed
certainty that “all barriers” stand-
ing in the way of affiliation “can
be removed.”

During a debate in which only
two speakers voiced opposition,
William Rigby of the United
Fisherman and Allied Workers,
termed the vote on affiliation
“a test of our independence.”

“We have the choice,’ Rigby
said, “of lining up with the
world labor movement by affili-
ating to the WETU or remain-
ing in isolation with the AFL.”
Rigby said he was certain that,
if the AFI membership were
allowed to vote on the question,
they would stand solidly in fa-
vor of joining the WETU.

Earlier, the Congress adopted
a strongly worded resolution de-
Ciaring itself “an independent: Ca-
nedian trade union center.” The
resolution, passed in the presence
of AFI vice-president Matthew
Woll and with cnly a handful
of, dissenting votes, said that in-
terference in the past by the
AFI. executive council “ofttimes
pteyented the groxsyn of member-
Ship 2nd inflence” of the TLC.
First challenge te the AED, ex-
ecutive council’s views came on
the opening day of tne conven-
tien, when delegates voted to
seat the International Association
of Machinists. AFI, president Wil-
liam Green had ordered the Ca-
radian body to expel the TAM, in
line with AL action in the U.S.
Another reflection of the dele
gates’ revolt agains APT, poli-

cies was the re-election of Presi-
dent Percy Bengough and Secre—
tary-Treasurer Pat Sullivan by
large majorities. Bengough has
led the TLLC’s autonomy movement
and Sullivan has been identified
aoe the fight for WETU arfilia-
jon

Striking CIO worker gives a not-

so-humorous demonstration of
the intent of anti-Iabor legisla-
tion by decree, such as’ PG-
3689, which seeks to ham-string
the trade unions, and give Big
Busimess the green light for 2

union Smashing spree:
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 4 1946