xa : | on | 4 LOCAL 1-217, IWA, President, Syd Thompson speaking from the rostrum of the new IWA auditorium during the Open House held for Committee members of the Local Union May 28. Others on the platform are left Stu Hodgson, Financial Secretary of Local 1-217; IWA International President, A. F. Hartung; Thompson; Regional President, Joe Morris; Regional Secretary-Yreasurer, George Mitchell. DBS Release April Unemployment Hits Highest Post-War Peak Unemployment in April was close to the post-war peak for the month. DBS releases said that 517,000 Canadians, or 8.3 per cent of the working force, were out of work and seeking jobs in mid-April. In the House of Commons, the government was peppered with questions from opposition spokes- men on the subject. The DBS re- port showed, that while unem- ployment dropped between March and April, the decline was much less than in the past two years. In fact the jobless total was less than 5,000 below April, 1958 — the height of the recession. Canada Highest Another set of statistics showed that Canada’s unemployment was highest in the western world, The United States‘ was a “poor” second. In mid-April, 787,225 were registered with the National Em- ployment Service for jobs; a de- crease of 43,436 from the previous month but 53,526 higher than the same period last year. WATSON'S 326 LUMBER MITT Cut from Davis top quality Pearl Cowhide split feather. These mitts are reinforced with double-sewn thumb strap and wrist patch for added strength. A.B.C, Product Manufactured by ‘JOHN WATSON LIMITED (127 EAST 2nd AVE. Ne Lionel Chevrier (Liberal- Laurier) asked whether the gov- ernment was taking any steps to deal with the problem. D.B.S. Report Labour Minister Starr replied that he hadn’t had a chance to study the DBS report, but he as- sured the House “this government is at all times taking action to re- lieve any situation where a pro- blem exists and that applies also in this case.” Harold Winch (CCF-Vancouver East) asked about the number of unemployed who stopped getting unemployment insurance benefits when seasonal benefits were cut off last May 15. Mr. Starr said he would look into the matter and see if figures were available. The Prime Minister was asked Advisory Board Release of the DBS figures came less than 24 hours after the defeat of a Liberal-CCF motion calling for the establishment of a national advisory board on eco- nomic development and automa- tion which would plan for full em- ployment. The proposed board was to be composed of representatives of government, industry, labour, agriculture and the universities, and has repeatedly been advocated by the Canadian Labour Congress. It would study trends und advise the government on what measures it might take to promote full em- ployment. The DBS figures also pointed out the growing hard core of un- employed. Twelve per cent of the present vnemployed have been out of work for more than six months. It showed that 37 per cent had been jobless between four and six months and than half for less than months. three Transilater A machine has been perfected in Japan to translate a simple English sentence into Japanese. The Mitsubishi Electric Manu- facturing Company has built the machine, which can perform more! ‘dian labour force would welcome if he stood by his statement, made in London, Eng., that the Cana- the translating feat within 30 seconds. By changing the vocabulary in the machine, any language can be translated. It can also be transformed to act as an electrical computer. tens of thousands of immigrants. “T have nothing to add to what has already been said,’ Mr. Diefenbaker replied. “Dear John" “Newfoundland Letter Scores Diefenbaker Some political observers believe that Prime Minister Diefenbaker refused to disallow the Newfoundland anti-labour legislation because he feared the wrath of the Newfoundland voter. If that was the case, he must have been worried when he received the following letter: St. John’s Municipal Workers’ Local Union No. 569, National Union of Public Employees, St. John’s, Newfoundland. April 21, 1960 The Hon. John Diefenbaker, Prime Minister, House of Commons, Ottawa, Ontario. Dear Mr. Prime Minister: It is a matter of deep regret to the members of the St. John’s Municipal Workers that your government has refused to exercise its powers to disallow the two anti-labor laws enacted last year by the Government of Newfoundland. We believe that this decision to permit these laws to remain on our province’s statute books reflects a shocking and disap- pointing disregard for the civil rights of Newfoundland’s 20,000 trade unionists. Your decision to ignore the Newfoundland anti-labor is all the more inexplicable in view of your professed desire to enact a Canadian Bill of Rights which would guarantee to all citizens of this country the basic democratic freedoms — the same freedoms which the Newfoundland anti-labor bills so flagrantly violate. If it is the intention of your govern- ment to allow the provincial governments to pass oppressive laws with impunity, then your proposed Bill of Rights, if enacted, will be little more than a hollow mockery. It seems to us that your decision to tolerate the Small- wood bills was motivated by nothing more than. political expendiency — by the belief that the injustice permitted by those bills is condoned by most of Newfoundland’s citizens. Whether this is true or not is surely not the criterion by which your government's reaction should be gauged. Surely there are greater considerations here — such as the pre- servation of the rights of a minority, however small — which should have predominance in your analysis of the issue. Of course, it is too late now for you to undo the in- calculable harm which your inaction has caused. This letter, therefore, can be little more than a recrimination. We dispatch it simply as an expression of our deep sorrow and disillusionment, and in the hope that, when you are faced with similar challenges in future years, you will be able to summon the courage and statesmanship to meet them with honor and nobility. Perhaps we were expecting too much in hoping that you would rise above purely political consider- ations in dealing with anti-labor laws, but, naive as it may seem, we really believed that you were something more than “Just another politician.” We do not condemn you. We are sorry for you. Yours sincerely, The letter was signed by the president, vice-president and secretary of Local Union No. 569. ° ntroducing Labaftfs new trademark cael look for the symbol of AUTHENTIC PILSENER BEER now on every cap, bottle, and case. This advertisement is not published or displayed by the Liquor Control Board or by the Government of British Columbia,