Workers Press no. 878

workers press Officials received 'unbelievable' sums

POULSON'S

BEE BIG

FROM ALEX M

YORKSHIRE architect John | money on an 'unbelievable' sca ment officials, a Wakefield co also told of the activities of fo Maudling on behalf of Poulson These were the two sen- sational developments on the fifth public hearing of the Poulson case which was re- sumed in Wakefield bank- ruptcy court yesterday. So far the case has involved Labour and Tory MPs, local government officers and a member of the Labour Party's national executive. Maudling was forced to resign after an official police inquiry into the case, At an earlier hearing the court had been told of large made payments to the pet charity of his wife Beryl.

In yesterday's resumed hearing Poulson admitted he had given 'untrue answers' to earlier ques- tions and he was warned by Muir Hunter QC, for the trustees in bankruptcy, that he would face committal proceedings if he committed perjury. Poulson went on to give evid- ence on money paid to a variety of local and national govern- ment officials and senior officers in industry. Dan Smith, They were T. former chairman of the Northern Planning Council-a man dubbed as 'Mr Newcastle'; W. J. Sales, a former senior official at the National Coal Board in York- shire; R. A. Breene, a high rank- ing member of the Foreign Office; John MacRae, a financial adviser to President Tubman of Liberia; John Hepworth, former mayor of former Southport; Mr Egan, mayor of Pontefract and Sheikh Khalil Khoury, son of the ex- president of the Lebanon.

When the case opened, Poul- son's lawyer Leonard Saffman did not make the expected appli- cation for an adjournment. said his client no longer wished further delay. Hunter then told the court that neither he nor his colleagues had played any part in the pre- paration of an article on the which appeared in Poulson case Sunday's "Sunday Times' last colour magazine. The registrar also said he had played no part in the article's preparation.

then to Hunter went on examine Poulson's relationship with T. Dan Smith. He handed pink file marked Poulson a T. Dan Smith and asked whether Poulson had paid for Smith and his 'numerous family' to go on two holidays to Greece. Poulson replied: I thought he went on business.' Hunter: We have had a little trouble with holidays. Do you remember that when I asked you about a certain civil servant on holidays? Poulson: Yes. Hunter: We then discovered that you sent Mr Pottinger (an ex-

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTR

M ALEX MITCHELL IN WAKEFIELD

John Poulson had paid 'gigantic' ble' scale to a series of high-ranking ield court heard yesterday. The c es of former Tory Home Secretary Poulson's firm in Liberia.

Poulson with his wife John Cynthia. high ranking official at the Scottish Office) on two holiday cruises. Poulson: Yes. Hunter: So your first answer was untrue? Poulson: Yes. Pressed about Smith's holidays in Greece Poulson insisted had no knowledge of them.

Poulson was then asked about his association with Mr John MacRae, former financial adviser Liberian President Tub- to the

TURN TO PAGE 11

SLETTER • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 1972 • No. 878 • 4p

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

gantic sums of ranking govern- The court was cretary Reginald

FIVE DAYS LEFT: SEPTEMBER FI

NEEDS £908.56

IT'S GETTING very close to the end of the month and, frankly, we're worried. In five days time where you have not only by must complete our target of we raised Fund, but in most our £1,750 and still have a long we collected well over the way to go. target. It certainly is of the one of Each day, since the start toughest battles we have ever Press, has Workers our paper faced and yet we are convinced spoken out on behalf of workers that we can still complete our . everywhere. It is the only daily target in time. paper that fights to tell the truth to the working class.

And of The support you. our that it is this deter- wavered. we know, readers, has never mined struggle for principles Tomorrow is our third anniver- that wins all your support.

sary and not a month has gone

BY DAVID MAUDE

TORY preparations for a General Election may lie behind news from the In- ternational Monetary Fund conference in Washington that the government is close to introducing a national in- comes policy. The news is presumably designed both to impress Britain's future Common Market partners as this key financial gathering opens, and to pressure the TUC leaders with whom premier Heath Will be holding talks at Chequers today. But with rents going up all over the country next week and the rate of retail price increases now rising sharply again, it is extremely unlikely the union chiefs can agree to back a 'voluntary' policy for holding down wages. And senior Ministers are well aware of the difficulties the present government would have in pushing through-let alone enforcing-a statutory policy. In Whitehall yesterday, govern- ment officials were refusing to speculate on what might happen if a voluntary agreement could not be reached. But they were stressing Heath's warning, in a Commons speech before the parliamentary recess, that statutory action was a stark alternative'. And in the City the feeling appeared to be that the Tories if would have no real choice the TUC refused co-operation.

At the time of ex-Home Secretary Reginald Maudling's call earlier this month for a policy, statutory "The Times' reported that some Ministers be- a statutory policy, except lieve in a desperate economic crisis, could not be carried by the government through the present House of Commons'

TURN TO PAGE 11

ER FUND STILL

We make, therefore, a very special appeal to everyone. As we enter our third year-keep up your magnificent record. Our Fund this month needs every- thing you can raise, and more.

In these last five days we must try and raise extra amounts. Take collections, if possible add some- thing more yourself-make sure we raise our target by Saturday.

Rush all your donations to: Workers Press September Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG.

workers press Officials received 'unbelievable' sums

POULSON'S

FROM ALEX M

YORKSHIRE architect John 1 ment officials, a Wakefield co also told of the activities of fo These were the two sen- sational developments on the fifth public hearing of the Poulson case which was re- sumed in Wakefield bank- ruptcy court yesterday. So far the case has involved Labour and Tory MPs, local government officers and …a member of the Labour Party's national executive. Maudling was forced to resign after an official police inquiry into the case, At an earlier hearing the court had been told of large made to the pet payments charity of his wife Beryl.

In yesterday's resumed hearing Poulson admitted he had given 'untrue answers' to earlier ques- and he tions warned by was Muir Hunter QC, for the trustees in bankruptcy, that he would face committal proceedings if he committed perjury. Poulson went on to give evid- ence on money paid to a variety of local and national govern- ment officials and senior officers in industry. They were T. Dan Smith, former chairman of the Northern Planning Council—a man dubbed as 'Mr Newcastle'; W. J. Sales, a former senior official at the York- National Coal Board in shire; R. A. Breene, a high rank- ing member of the Foreign Office; John MacRae, a financial adviser to President Tubman of Liberia; John Hepworth, former mayor of Southport; Mr Egan, former mayor of Pontefract and Sheikh Khalil Khoury, son of the ex- president of the Lebanon.

When the case opened, Poul- son's Leonard Saffman lawyer did not make the expected appli- for an adjournment. He cation said his client no longer wished further delay. Hunter then told the court that neither he nor his colleagues had played any part in the pre- paration of an article on the Poulson case which appeared in Sunday's 'Sunday Times' last colour magazine. The registrar also said he had played no part in the article's preparation.

Hunter then went on to examine Poulson's relationship with T.. Dan Smith. He handed pink file marked Poulson a T. Dan Smith and asked whether Poulson had paid for Smith and his 'numerous family' to go on two holidays to Greece. Poulson replied: 'I thought he went on business.' Hunter: We have had a little trouble with holidays. Do you remember that when I asked you about a certain civil servant on holidays? Poulson: Yes. . Hunter: We then discovered that you sent Mr Pottinger (an ex-

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 26, 1972

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOC

M ALEX MITCHELL IN WAKEFIELD

ble' scale to a series of high-ranking govern- field court heard yesterday. The court was es of former Tory Home Secretary Reginald Poulson's firm in Liberia.

Poulson his wite John Cynthia.

FIVE DAYS LEI

IT'S GETTING very close to the official the high ranking at end of the month and, frankly, Scottish Office) holiday on [wo we're worried. In five days time cruises. our target of we must complete Poulson: Yes. £1,750 and we still have a long Hunter: So your first answer was way to go. untrue? certainly It is of the Poulson: Yes. toughest battles we have ever Pressed about Smith's holidays faced and yet we are convinced he complete Greece Poulson insisted we can still our. in that target in had no knowledge of them.

time. asked about was then Poulson The support of you. our Mr his with Tohn association readers, has never wavered. former financial adviser MacRae, anniver- Tomorrow our third Liberian President Tub- to the sary and not a month has gone

TURN TO PAGE 11

• No. 878 • 4p

HE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

S LEFT: SEPTEMBER FI

NEEDS £908.56

have not only by where you raised our Fund, but in most collected well over the cases target. Each day, since the start of our paper has Workers Press, spoken out on behalf of workers everywhere. It is the only daily paper that fights to tell the truth to the working class. And we know, that it Is this deter- for principles mined struggle that wins all your support.

BY DAVID MAUDE

TORY preparations for a General Election may lie behind news from the In- ternational Monetary Fund in conference Washington that the government is close to introducing a national in- comes policy. The news is presumably designed both to impress Britain's future Common Market partners as this key financial gathering opens, and to pressure the TUC leaders with whom premier Heath will be holding talks at Chequers today. But with rents going up all over the country next week and the rate of retail price now rising sharply increases again, it is extremely unlikely the union chiefs can agree to back a 'voluntary' policy for holding down wages. And senior Ministers are well aware of the difficulties the present government would have in pushing through—let alone enforcing—a statutory policy. In Whitehall yesterday, govern- were refusing to ment officials speculate on what might happen a voluntary agreement could not be reached. But they were stressing Heath's warning, in a Commons speech before the parliamentary that statutory action was a stass, alternative'. And in the City the feeling appeared to be that the Tories would have no real choice the TUC refused co-operation.

At the time of ex-Home Secretary Reginald Maudling's call earlier this month for a "The Times' statutory policy, reported that some Ministers be- lieve 'a statutory policy, except in a desperate economic crisis, could not be carried by the government through the present House of Commons'.

TURN TO PAGE 11

ER FUND STILL

We make, therefore, a very special appeal to everyone. As we enter our third year-keep up your magnificent record. Our Fund this month needs every- thing you can raise, and more.

In these last five days we must try and raise extra amounts. Take collections, if possible add some- thing more yourself—make sure we raise our target by Saturday.

Rush all your donations to: Workers Press September Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High St, London, SWA TUG.

PAGE 2 Workers Pross, Tuesday Septen McNamara: Bank chiet Monetary International Fund chief Pierre-Paul Schweitzer warned yesterday that currency speculation could break out again while finance officials continue their efforts to overcome the monetary crisis. Schweitzer, who is fighting an American attempt to block his re-election as IMF direc- tor-general, said he hoped to see 'very substantial progress international in the field of monetary reform' by the 1973 conference in Nairobi. 'By progress I mean actions and conclusions concrete prompted by the sense of urgency us by this imposed on most essential task, he added. His main concrete proposal was the issue of more 'paper gold' in the form of IMF special drawing rights. Finance Ministers at the con- ference in Washington were yesterday a anxiously awaiting from President. Nixon, speech who was expected to spell out THE INTERNATIONAL Social- launched a ism group has 'Fight the Tories' campaign. This remains a completely empty slogan without political contest. Tory Since the government assumed office, almost every section of the working class has been in conflict with it.

Workers have been • fighting the Tories all along. campaign to To produce now a 'Fight the Tories' is to trail so far behind as to be almost out of sight. The question is not simply to 'fight' the Tories, but to bring Tory government down. the avoid Centrists always this basic challenge because it in- reform- volves breaking with ism and mobilizing the working class in action to fight its main capitalist enemy. 'International Socialism' is a reactionary centrist group. • on a total rejection of Based the revolutionary gains of the 1917 Russian Revolution, the the group broke leaders of from Trotskyism because they capitulated to imperialism at the time of the Korean War.

They refused to defend the con- quests of the Chinese Revolu- tion when British troops were in the American- involved dominated United Nations aggression in Korea. characterizing the Although Soviet bureaucracy as more than the Soviet powerful working class, since they say it has succeeded in maintain- ing a 'new' form of capitalism, they nevertheless co-operate wholeheartedly with the repre- sentatives of that bureaucracy lay September 26, 1972 THE SPECTRE of revolution in the ex-colonial countries was evoked yesterday by Robert McNamara in his keynote speech as president of the World Bank.

The Bank is meeting in Wash- ington at the same time as its sister institution, the Inter- national Monetary Fund. Mc- Namara opened the meeting with warning that hundreds of a millions of people in the 'develop.

ing' countries were condemned to the direst poverty.

BY JOHN SPEI

the American attitude on mone- tary and trade questions.

Some of his aides, notably campaign economics adviser Pierre Rinfret, have warned that he may use the IMF platform to declare a new round of intensi- fied trade war. Advance reports yesterday indicated he intended to call for swift negotiation of a new and lasting economic order.

Nixon has consistently main- tained that the world monetary be retailored to system must American requirements and since he severed when last August, the dollar's link with gold, the has forced substantial all- US round revaluations on its main capitalist rivals. But administration spokesmen have already expressed dissatis- faction with the December 1971 currency realignment agreement and there is a growing agitation further for the US to strike in Britain-the British Com- munist Party. They have collaborated all along the line with the Stalinists in opposing any campaign to force the Tory government to line-up with resign. This Stalinism is established on the basis of a complete rejection of any principled assessment counter-revolutionary of its nature. The IS line has been almost totally uncritical support of the Stalinist-dominated Liaison Committee for the Defence of Unions. Trade When the Stalinists have betrayed the working class, the revisionists have not blamed the Stalinists, but the workers. Their leader, in his Mr Cliff, 'Balance Sheet of the Dock ', simply said that the Strike' militants did not take enough initiative - there should have been more leaflets and posters!

'Socialist Worker' And on August 26 declared that the 'not London dockers were worthy of their stewards'.

Throughout the betrayal of the upper Clyde shipyard workers —which has now split and con- fused hundreds of workers-IS put forward only one criticism.

They said there ought to have been more mass meetings on the Clyde. a question of mass It was not meetings. The issue was that Stalinism, as a counter-revolu- tionary historical force-would not lead the working class to defeat the Tory government.

The role of Stalinism is con- sciously to behead the move- ment on the Clyde, the docks, the building sites and every- where else in orarr to prevent 'When the highly-privileged cou are few and the desperately poor are many, and when the gap them is worsening. between rather than improving, it is only of time before. a a question decisive choice must be made • between the political costs of reform and the political risks of rebellion, he said. McNamara should know: as US Secretary of Defence under administration, he the Johnson involved in the deeply was

OHN SPENCER

economic blows against Europe and Japan. With no gold backing to the dollar, the basic questions at issue for the IMF conference re- main unresolved and the ten- the capitalist sions between powers are getting stronger.

The end of the Bretton Woods monetary system, which it was originally established to admini- ster, has made the IMF one of the main economic battlegrounds between the capitalist giants.

Schweitzer's The battle over is part of the opening position stages of this struggle. The US told the IMF chief he will not have their support when he stands for re-election next year.

But backed by France and Schweitzer has West Germany, no intention of leaving without a fight. For their part, US Treasury officials say they see nothing to change their view that the working class from over- throwing the Tory government.

In this situation, the revisionists refuse to challenge Stalinism and instead blame the wroking class and simply call again and again for more militancy.

The centrist sees his role as commenting simply on workers' struggles while dish- ing out a bit of militant propa- ganda. This not only provides no leadership, but holds the working class back. When the UCS work-in began, 'Socialist Worker' headlines screamed: 'Militancy Can Win at UCS. Workers Press insisted that, without the overthrow of the Stalinist leadership, militancy could not win. Only the analysis of the Socialist Labour League and Workers Press on the UCS experience can stand today. up to re-examination But more is involved than being right. The Socialist Labour League is engaged in a conscious struggle to defeat the Stalinist and reformist leadership in the unions and to create a revo- in lutionary leadership the course of mobilizing the work- ing class politically in al generalized campaign to bring the Tory government down and replace it with a Labour government pledged to socialist policies. This would force a split in the Labour bureaucracy and open the way for a revolutionary leadership of the working class to smash capitalism altogether.

The bogus campaign of IS is intended to side-track workers away from this central revolu- tionary task. counter-revolutionary Indo-China World war. He speaks to the Bank as a representative of imperialism seeking the best way to preserve its rule. The Bank president criticized *the metropolitan capitalist coun- tries for not increasing their 'aid' to the ex-colonial countries. In reality, as the Bank's own report last week made clear, so-called aid is the chief means by. which the poor countries are crippled : burdens with debt to imperialist powers. Schweitzer: Paper gold Schweitzer must go. The Washington Post' said the Schweitzer question was the main topic of conversation on the eve of the conference and described it as 'a new source of bitter anti-American feeling'.

test. The issue has become a of strength between Europe and States, which has the United always dominated the theoreti- cally 'neutral' IMF. But no final decision on Schweitzer's future is likely to be taken at the present crisis inter- the facing national monetary system of capi- was spelled out in The talism Times' yesterday with an edi- torial warning that: 'Essentially the choice [in Washington] is between peace and war as the future norm for world economic relationships ... .. we have now arrived at a point where the pursuit of self- interest, however legitimate in it- self, threatens to • bring about the collapse of the very system within which and upon which the past and prospective prosperity of the world economy is built... 'If Japan persists in her mer- cantilist trade policies without to the effects on other regard countries, if western Europe per- sists in putting the promotion of the EEC's identity before all economic other international considerations and if the United States' acute sense of grievance remains unassuaged, then the prospect will be bleak'

TANZANIA

and Uganda appeared close to agreement last night on a plan to end the eight-day-old conflict which had threatened to plunge them into war. There were indications in Dar es Salaam that both sides had reacted favourably to the five-point peace plan put for- ward by Somalia. No details of the plan have been published officially, but it it understood to make the following points: I. Both countries to refrain from agression with their own forces. 2. Both to refrain from aggression through a third party. 2 Withdrawal of their forces from their common border.

4 Tanzania to agree to the withdrawal of all exiles sup- porting former president Mil- ton Obote from the frontier area. 5. Both nations to declare their opposition to subversive activity by other sovereign states. FOUR THOUSAND workers in the Citröen factory, ship- yards and engineering factor- les have now been sacked in the northern Spanish port of Vigo for continuing their strike in defence of sacked carworkers. The employers have sent out two kinds of letters to the strikers. Some workers have been told they will be reinstated if they come to work, while considered to be mili- others, tants, have been told they must fascist Labour appeal to the Court against their dismissal.

Civil Guard The police and are still patrolling Vigo in large detachments. They were at the football 'Derby' in case a demon- stration was staged. The police are extremely wor- ried about the presence of foreign pressmen in the area.

One French photographer, Andre Sylvain, was detained by police he tried to take pictures when of police and demonstrators out- side the Citröen factory.

He was released after being unable to hand over any cre- dentials and forced to leave the area. Civil Guards are riding in all the municipal buses in order to prevent any more attempts at halting the city transport services.

The consistent repression strikers has now the received full backing of Garcia Ramal, the Minister for Trade Union Affairs in the fascist government. In his public statement first the on strike, he attacked the 'confron- tation experts' who disrupt all 'channels of dialogue'.

JAPANESE

premier Kakuei Tanaka began his talks with Chinese leaders in Peking by making a public apology for his country's actions before and during the war. At banquet attended a by Chinese premier Chou En-lal, Tanaka said: 'I hereby express our profound self-reflection for having imposed great trouble on the Chinese people during the regretfully unfortunate period of relations between our two coun- tries.' He was referring to the Japan- to colonize China ese attempt between 1937 and 1945, when the Imperial troops killed 10 million Chinese. Tanaka said now it was time to normalize relations. 'We cannot remain in this dark dead corner for ever,' he said. The same Japanese monopo- lies which financed and equipped the Imperial army against the Chinese during have the war now become partisans of the re- establishment of full diplomatic and trading relations between the two Asian powers. They hope to achieve the same end as in 1937—the acquisition of markets and sources of raw they materials. But at present weak to take on the are too Chinese Red Army and are try- ing to attain their aim by diplo- matic means. the Peking Stalinists, Even are not unaware that however, behind the new face of Japanese imperialism are the old forces stirred up by the current econo- crisis. mic Posters warning against a resurgence of Japanese still on display militarism are in Peking despite Tanaka's visit.

Builders' "flying picket' leader attacked at home Anti-union forces We stick out for union rights-say ULSTER Unionist leaders are that the IRA should be of any deal over Northern Ire- land. This was the ultimatum Tories' Ulster put to the supremo William Whitelaw, opened the who heavily- guarded Ulster summit yester- day. The hard-line declaration came from ex-Stormont premier Brian Faulkner before immediately talks got underway the at Europa Lodge Hotel, a mile from Darlington. Faulkner, leader of a seven- strong Unionist delegation came to the talks with three firm pri- orities. should, that kentive measures should taken quickly eliminate the IRA, he said.

• 'Second, that before there is a chance of success for a restruc- tured Northern Ireland, parlia- ment, in which the whole com- munity can play their part, the gunmen have to be defeated.

• 'And third, the British gov- ernment must pursue these two policies Apart from the Ulster Union- ists, the talks involve the Alli- ance Party and the Northern Ire- land Labour Party. The main opposition Social Democratic and Labour Party and the Rev Ian Paisley's Democratic Unionist Party have _boycotted the meeting as have the Repub- lican Labour Party and the Nationalists. The Alliance Party's Phelim O'Neil and the NILP's Vivian Simpson, launched an attack on those not attending. These two parties have agreed on four points of principle-that Ulster should be a part of the UK so long as a majority in the north wished it; that their should be equal rights in Ulster; that both Catholic and Protestant communities should have a say in running the country and that should remain in the security hands of Westminster. Police were minutely checking of nearly 200 the credentials journalists covering the confer- ence and everyone from White- law downwards was wearing a badge. At the end of the first session, Vivian Simpson reported: "There is an element of common ground welling-up over security.' Union.

ist MP Albert Anderson agreed with the NILP delegate.

BY PHILIP WADE

FITTERS employed by a con- crete works near Canterbury in Kent, who were sacked 14 weeks ago after striking for more pay, remain determined as ever to win their fight for basic trade union rights.

But yesterday they were severely critical of the leadership Union of of the Amalgamated Engineering Workers, to which they belong. They accused union leaders of running away before the Indus- trial Relations Act. Pickets also condemned the Transport and General Workers' Union for lifting the black on lorries delivering concrete to the firm, William Griffiths and Co Ltd of Chartham.

BOOKS • PER

Workerz Press, Tuaaday September 26, 1972 PAGE 3 Flying picket leader Mike Shil- vock with his broken arm In a sling. beat me up

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

A BIRMINGHAM building workers' leader who was badly beaten up after the recent strike has blamed the attack In an interview with Workers Press, Mike Shilvock, chairman of the Bir- condemned reports in the Tory press that the unknown gang who attacked him last Tuesday, were 'union rebels'.

Mr Shilvock, a Communist Party member, believes who have been encouraged by the industry sell-out of the builders strike.

On Tuesday a gang of men forced their way a result of the attack he received hospital treat- ment for a broken toe and arm, shoulder and numerous cuts and bruises. was the wall. The knife kept that will co-ordin- the elbow. At know they the describes slashing at head. : my gave an almighty aicket* ed all Shout. union one dav. Ane forced away from fell military' style. which closed 1 was my sate ( TO „stoe "This in the city. the wall. Then body of and the leader said, on all the jobs was not an attack sitese a men, plus one Nith the it" and they just turned employers discounts are scared that an individual. as DuL Ulsly knife charged door and local a difterent type of worke IT cao rooen 1o oxe e SuRcesuons breaking the chains off. unionist can happen press that his attackers What happened to me s coine nack on the sitec "The Just catching these were any-way on the left. "back-of an man said epitomizes the fascist-type Ar Shilvock says it any. then said element that has been individuals will before the important view the kind 1 a.m.

JUSL

"back There the building dor-bed ango ery has ly, stop kind was

NOT

LOIS

zrOWilY oullalne surugge as Dam oi campaign violence; only the mass asked who was- the back room and ten the hack the overall Dalle In custri because do that. don't normally the years of non-unionism and againse bis business. movement can answer the back room unprincipled union leader- 'It is my Over per cent of feeling that the door-1 m caretul.

VCLY

got a systematir in this whole of the Shivlock oices said "Mr working Shi Naw that the struggle is country labour move Pone investment nent should be ur in arms not Shilvock. in building and land. over. 1 Wa cazed They said something kick managed to regale ay feet in retreat, fight them there develop- about head, somewhat When you bout this kind o elements encouraged you're striking at the problems. Hell lsalzils aluvbases, uscat unln aI C

VCIY

left lobbying employers and so the suppea ine chaln wal emerge ser-oul neart _ot lne system forced has knocked the on.' door and a knife came out behind mass of darkness why these forces of rignt back Mr Shilvock was through my head. Then they gave it the about, but they singled me the dark. men emerging "Trish Whip", breaking demoralized, they out because of his kev role against us.' Icos. l was binncul aralns. dic

JIUL

Kent fitters Desperate for action by their sacked unon. nen Nave made repeated eto Birch, make contact with Reg the

AUEW

executive councilman re- the Blant Mixeo ner efe (Holdings) Thẹ is in 85 hours week for f52', said Cavangh Weaver. sponsible for their area.

Srored from 0200,000 to 615, 00t whose pretax Cavangh Weaver takes up On July 17~after subcontrac- 'The Thursday before the story: the first six tors had been brought in to do months of this the TUC Peckham we wenl „LO some of work fitters Road and were valable. Then vedr struck. Four days later, Birch was "not available". Over four-and-a-half wille MAONLas gate, uoev were Dickemne The the Brighton Con- ago the six fitters teant ed o in Loaxi- for WC well they were told they were pay rise. 'We we gress Tne T beroav sacked were told Birch would see us. earnings brought 1114111 Dali But him there we never met labourers' minimum' Although the AUEW made the WILd Tne Cavangh Weaver, one the 'dispute official on August 1, the culuct. sacked men, told me yesterday.

T&GWU, three Chapman, Added Cyril aays later, In a letter signed by district officer other sacked worker: 'A week Eventually overtime ban an K. W Levy, instructed their last Thursday him Cavangh Weaver was im oose• because nanace- we sent ment refused to answer the members to lift the [Birch] a registered letter asking IOrrY-OrIVeI black on Griffiths. him to and see us, but claim. we've heard nothing. leaders. There left- many are Before that, the had Despite this, pickets have talkers but not many men left-doers. agreement with It's ridiculous. We have been worked a chitrtor nve reacred arivers nights and d was working up oo 12-hour shift of two major concrete firms not told that ours a hopeless case "The determination to fight Sundays. and we should all pack it in.

to cross the line this hrm is there. ano so Is to determination fight the Tory 'But said were deter- we we The working class mined to fight for our rights and

PAPERBACKS ECENTRE

ripe for action we are not going to give up.

against this ws0le SVStem. All lney want ls 'In the my organizing. oDInion UniON leaders are frightened of the Yet Industrial Relations Act. The trade union leaders „the sit down and talk with the

NOW OPEN

was here when local orcanizer government about Mon, Tues, Wed, management threatened us with treezing Thurs Ware High Court

AUEW

stop the when mev shouo de monuing ne Tories.' Fri 9 a.m.- 7.30 p.m. picketing. If the officials Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. are nrigntenea oi the Acl, tnere Financial support for the fitters are men here who are not.

be sent Cavangh : Weaver,

BOOKS • PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

'I think it's time for the work- Chart Close. St Ann's Park ing class to sort out their union Faversham, Kent.

HOW LABOUR BEGAN

ON WORKERS' RIGHTS

Above: Barbara Castle, formulator of 'In Place of Strife' which lald the foundation for the Tory Industrial Relations PAGE 4 Workers Press, Tuesday Septembe Part 24 of a series on Picketing If the Tories are playing a consistent class role in setting out to weaken the organized working class on behalf of capital, the Labour and trade union leaders have played thoroughly treacherous part in preparing the way and enabling the Tories to operate. Wilson government's The total dedication to solving the crises led it into a capitalists' massive political onslaught on wages, jobs and all workers' conditions through the Prices and Incomes Act, the wage freeze, state-backed productiv- ity deals like the Devlin Scheme on the docks, Social Service cuts, and preparations for the nationalized break-up of the industries and for joining the Common Market. Further, the Labour govern- ment's own industrial relations policy, outlined in the White 'In Place of Strife' Paper directly laid the foundation for the Tory Industrial Relations Act. Based on the findings of a Royal Commission (the Dono- Report) which had been van . contributed to by the TUC and a mass of union leaders, the Labour White government's Paper made the following pro- posals, which are now fully incorporated in the Tory's Industrial Relations Act: establishment of • The Industrial Commission on Relations (CIR) on a statutory basis to 'promote suitable company-wide procedures', to acceptable rules 'develop governing disciplinary practices and dismissals, and to "bring shop stewards within a proper framework of agreed rules in their firm' The CIR was set up by the Labour government with TUC support and was simply taken over and extended by the Tories. establishment of • The an industrial board to impose fines on strikers and unions, for example, for obstructing the CIR's recommendations.

This is now extended in an as the National operation Industrial Relations Court.

• Powers to be given for the Secretary of State to impose a 'conciliation pause' of up to 28 days on strikes-now a 'cooling-off' period of up to 60 days under sections 138-140 of the Industrial Relations Act.

• Powers to be given to the of state to order secretary unions to take a strike ballot in cases where: "The proposed strike would involve a serious threat to the economy or public interest and there is doubt whether it commands of those con- the support cerned.' This is now fully in- corporated in Sections 141-145 of the Tory Act. • 'In Place of Strife' proposed facilities for making collective bargaining agreements legally enforceable if they included a written provision to that effect.

The Tories have made them automatically legally enforce- able unless they state other- wise. • A registrar of trade unions and employers' associations to be appointed. The White Paper stated: Unions will be required September 26, 1972 cketing by Bernard Franks Above: Barbara Castle, formulator of 'in to have rules governing certain matters (e.g. admission, disci- pline, disputes between its members, union and and strike ballots elections, the appointment and function stewards) and to ated in sections 61-95 of the Industrial Relations Act.

• 'Safeguards' to be devised against the closed-shop, includ- ing protection for non-union- and the joining a union to sue for 'unfair dismissal'-now entirely incorporated in the section of Tory Act outlawing the the closed-shop and protecting the scab. • To enable a trade union to be used in tort (e.g. for libel or negligence) except in the cir- cumstances of a trade dispute.

Under the 1906 Trade Disputes Act a union was given com- ator of 'In Place of Strife' which laid the founda its plete immunity whether action was in pursuance of a Now the dispute or not. Tories have entirely repealed and in the the 1906 law Industrial Relations Act provided immunity for acts done only in contemplation or furtherance of an industrial dispute' i.e. they have put the sed Labour government's proposal into effect. If the Tories are ready to make yet further inroads into other workers' picketing and rights, this is because the Labour leaders have • used their years in office to do little more than prepare the way for them. a gross betrayal of Such workers' interests must not be allowed to recur. This is why Socialist Labour League the emphasizes the need for the Tories to be replaced by a Labour government entirely he foundation for the Tory Industrial Relations pledged to socialist policies, including the immediate repeal of the Industrial Relations Act and completely purged of the Labour traitors-the people who continue to show their contempt for the working-class by supporting Tory policies on the Common Market, rent ditions. Similarly, no fight to defend the elementary right to strike and picket can be separated from that for a new socialist leadership in the trade unions to replace those who have con- sistently refused to fight the Tories. Even now, the TUC leaders meet with the em- ployers and Tory leaders to formulate joint plans for collaboration against workers' interests. The 'left-wing' trade union leaders avoid the struggle in Relations Act with Harold Wilson.

the same way as the rest. The engineering union's failure to lead a fight for shorter hours and the national wage claim in engineering industry- the instead, advocating plant-by- plant bargaining—is a deliber- abdication of any ate and Tory offensive. Such a policy dissipates the great united strength of an im- portant part of the working class into a series of piecemeal local struggles, making it easier for the employers to take them on section by section.

T&GWU

Likewise, the leaders scurrying to pay the NIRC'S £55,000 fine and attempting to stop the black- ing by Hull dockers so as to with this section of conform the Act, is a similar abdication of leadership.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

A VICTIM OF THE

SINO-AMERICAN DETENTE

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDEI

Cheng Tzu-tsai, the oppo- nent of the Chiang Kai- shek regime, who was taken unconscious from an airliner at Heathrow airport two weeks ago, has been remanded in custody until today. The United States has begun extradition proceedings against Cheng. Bail was said to be 'totally inap- propriate. The Cheng Tzu-tsai Defence Committee has published a statement by his wife, Cecilia, explaining how Cheng is being persecuted for opposition to the US-backed dictatorship in Taiwan. Cheng, a native Taiwanese, left Taiwan in 1962 to study architecture in United the States and joined the Formosa Independence Movement 1964. Because of his activities in this movement, the Chiang Kai-shek regime took away his passport and he became a stateless citizen. The Chiang regime keeps the island under a permanent state of martial law, under the pretext of invading China. This firm control is administered by Chiang Ching-kuo, son and heir apparent to Chiang, who has an estimated million-strong police force -to repress the population of 15 millions.

1970, Chiang In April Ching-kuo went to the Us to ask for more weapons to be increasing used to suppress opposition. The independence World United Formosans staged demonstrations to pro- test against the visit, one in front of the White House, one at his arrival at the Andrew's airforce base, then, four days later, one in New York in front of the Plaza Hotel where he was to stay to meet American businessmen. Mrs Cheng describes what happened at this demon- stration: ... one shot was fired upon Chiang Ching-kuo from the my husband crowd. When ran in the heard a shot, he direction from which the shot came. 'He saw a member of the being pushed organization down by several policemen. He ran to help him out of the situation. The police stopped him and clubbed his head until blood covered all his face and his glasses lay broken on the ground "Together with the other member, my husband was arrested with nothing but leaflets in his hands.' She then tells of Cheng's from New York- departure and the grips of the city police.

'All the Taiwanese abroad contributed money fast enough to get my husband released on a $90,000 bail, 32 days after 42 days later, his arrest, and the other man, Peter Huang, was released on $110,000 bail.

One year later, in May 1971, a trial Huang started. Peter pleaded. guilty to attempted so my husband was murder tried alone. 'The all-white jury found him guilty of attempted murder and for illegal possession of a gun. A date was set to announce his ha

PONDENT

sentence. But he left New York, some days before that date. 'According to New York law, the maximum punishment for attempted murder is 25 years and for illegal possession of a gun, seven years.' July 1971, Cheng and From his family had been living in Sweden where the government him asylum gave report on the New York case.

His wife started teaching; his Swedish children attended schools; Cheng began to follow a course for architects. But, suddenly, the Swedish government,_ propped up by Communist Party votes, had a change of attitude towards the Cheng family. 'On June 30 this year he was arrested by the Swedish authorities because the US wanted his extradition. On Swedish August 31, the yielded to the government the USA and pressure from ordered him to be deported.

'On September husband was taken on board an American plane (Pan Am) at 8.15, having been uncon- scious for over one hour and a half, despite repeated re- quests to take him to hospital to get necessary medical treat- ment. 'According to law, anyone who is sick should be examined by a doctor before boarding a plane for a long trip. An ambulance was sent to the plane, but two American policemen sent the ambulance away. deportation 'Before my jailed for husband had been two months and had begun a hunger strike a few days before the extradition. Above: Mrs Cheng Tzu-tsal Heathrow. Right: Chlang Kal-shek and his wife. The Chiang regime has been asking the US to get Cheng Tzu-tsai back. 'Because my husband was unconscious and seriously ill, the plane, after taking off from Stockholm, landed in Copen- hagen where he was taken to a hospital. Some hours later, the Danish government rushed him out to a plane again and flew him to London, where he was put in the emergency de- the airport, partment at because he was still too weak to continue the trip.' The Taiwanese architect is in fact just being used by the US to calm down Chiang Kai- shek. 'Ever since my husband left New York, the Chiang regime has been asking the US to get him back. As a matter of fact, the Chiang regime wrote a letter to the US to make the extradition demand. But the US did nothing. The US doing it now because it fits in the political interests, with that is to pacify the puppet regime of Chiang Kai-shek, Workers Press, Tuesda who got very upset after the visit to Peking by recent Nixon. 'If the US was well aware in that my husband was Sweden applying for political asylum over a year ago, why is it they didn't demand his extradition then?' $, Tuesday September 26, 1972 PAGE 5 A victim of the alliance Mao and Nixon, between Cheng faces 32 years' im- prisonment in the US—if the British court agrees to his extradition—-and the danger of being kidnapped by Chiang's agents and being returned to a death-sentence in Taiwan.

PAGE 6 Workers Prose, Tuaeday 801

PHOTOGRAPHS B

BY IAN YEATS

If the Marathon Manu- facturing Company is allowed to carry out its sacking threats 1,000 will shipyard workers join 4,000 others in the Burgh of Clydebank who spend their days walking the streets. Glasgow, last week de- scribed in the 'Daily Record' as the 'city of no hope', when highest the unemployment figures ever were announced, has one of the worst also alcoholism and vagrancy prob- lems in Britain. The jobs situation is even worse than mere totals sug- gest. At 8.3 cent or per of the city's insured 37,234 population) total unemploy- bad enough, but ment is among the men alone the per- centage rises dramatically to 11.8 per cent. The bulk of the jobless are 28, 1972

HOTOGRAPHS BY MARTIN MAYER

crammed into the festering slum of the city tenement centre — rapidly disappearing bulldozers beneath to make way for super highways and high-rise flats. Apart from Clydebank, the highest jobless totals fall on the other side of the town where a spate of largely old factories have been shut down in the past two years and the ravages of slum clearance have devastated the area. In Glagow's east end, 5,134 in people are out of work Springburn, 3,852 in Parkhead and 3,366 in Bridgeton. In the adjacent south side, 5,889 adults and young people are jobless. All these districts run into Maryhill and ? rtick at the centre and these districts respectively, 4,421 and 3,312 people are on the dole. Huge slices of 19th century industry have disappeared from east Glasgow and the figures show it only needs a small push for the west side to into the same jobless sink morass. The shipyards are the only major industry surviving in suburbs. the city's western Already, of the 8,500 men em- ployed there 14 months ago, only 6,000 are left and 1,000 of those may disappear in the next few weeks. Any disaster which befell the Clydebank or Scotstoun yards would push up the job- less figures in the Burgh and at Partick-already up by 713 and 504 respectively on August last year. Govan shipyard Many workers say they have little hope of the yard's survival be- yond 1975, but already there are 3,222 unemployed there, a rise of 312 on last year.

Tory politicians have per- advised Glasgow sistently workers to be prepared to travel and to abandon their 'stick-in-the-mud attitudes' by seeking work on the lower reaches of the river Clyde.

But at Greenock and Port Glasgow unemployment is even higher than in Glasgow. Latest figures show that 4,193 people or 10.1 per cent of the insured looking for population are jobs-a rise of 1 per cent over last year. On the other side of the Clyde, in the Vale of Leven, the figure is the same, but with male jobless rising steeply to 12.4 per cent because of the recent wholesale rationaliza- tion and outright closure of engineering factories. The death of the shipbuild- ing industry and associated engineering and metal working trades has turned every major population centre along the of Scotland's historic length river into cesspits of unem- ployment and poverty. Recession has produced un- employment in west even Scotland's new towns and at East Kilbride 1,525 people are looking for work. In the Glasgow metropolitan area, which includes Renfrew- shire, Lanarkshire and Dun- barton, the staggering total of 73,993 men and women and boys and girls are not only work but without without hope of it. In the Glasgow Plannins Region as a whole, 34,318 are jobless-8.2 per people cent. This region includes Ayr- shire and Bute. Although indi- figures outlying vidual in towns are often small, they account for large slices of the insured population. For example, at Lesmahagou only 622 people are out of work, but these account for per cent of the total 24.5 available. On the Clyde, unemploy- ment blackspots are Greenock and Port Glasgow and on the Unemployment Figures in Glasgow

AUGUST 1972

Clydebanh 3.804 Maryhill Springburn 6.853 2372CK Hillinaton Kinning Park Bridgeton 1.021 3,366 Rutheraler 1825 South Side 5 880 other side Alexandria and Dumbarton. Between Scott-Lithgow's and Clyde ship- Glasgow's upper yards, Paisley, Johnstone and Barrhead the highest share jobless figures, accounting be- tween them for nearly 6,000 people. Lanarkshire, In Airdrie, Bellshill, Coatbridge, East Kil- bride, Hamilton, Motherwell, Lishau and Rutherglen all have 10 jobless rates approaching In and per cent. Ayrshire Bute the main blackspots are and Kil- Saltcoats, Ayr marnock. Apart from the very high numbers of men out of work of Lesmahagou, (in the case 30.6 per cent), the figures dis- guise one other appalling Sakhead tragedy-that of the youth.

In Glasgow city 4,763 under- 18s are without jobs and it was this phenomenon which led the 'Daily Record's' leader writer to coin the phrase 'city of no hope' In west Glasgow, Clydebank vies with Partick for the highest number of youth un- Combusian 736 employed-between them al- most 1,000, or a fifth of the total. Glasgow Planning Region as Workors Pross, Tuesday a whole includes over 10,000 boys and girls under 18 un- employed, some of whom have never had a job since they left school. the crushing burden of It's unemployment these mensions which the Tories used at UCS, through their Stalinist agents, to frighten the shipyard workers into throw- ing everything to the wind bar their jobs. Workers facing in- are creasingly intolerable burdens.

For instance, while the Tory right wing plans how to de- prive the and unem- poor ployed of their Social Security rights altogether, workers in Clydeside and elsewhere are facing up to the onslaught of the Rent Act. have been Committees formed to fight unemployment while others are springing up to resist the Rent Act. But it is the Tories and the employers who are responsible for high prices and poverty, unemploy- ment and the so-called 'fair' rents. Nationwide industrial action by all sections of the working class is the only effective way to fight back. Heath and his businessmen's government ra Pross, Tuaeday 801 * za 1872 PACLY Glasgow Above left: slums in where the bulk of the jobless live. Above right: workers at Clydebank yard-which • is now Marathon Manufacturing the Company. must be made to resign and a Labour for make way government which must be forced to carry out socialist policies. The basis of these policies would be the elimination of through unemployment nationalization of all major in- dustries without compensation of and under the control workers - not of faceless profiteers. Throughout Britain Councils of Action are being formed to take up the fight against the Tories which the reformist leaders of the trade unions and Labour seek to evade. There will be no end to un- employment or its use to drive down working conditions and until living standards to resign Tories are forced through a General Strike.

from trade Resolutions union branches to the trades and councils of Glasgow Greenock have already beeen submitted demanding the im- mediate setting up of Councils of Action in those areas. No time should be lost.

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Tuasday Soptem

BY TOM KEMP

•the Ernst Thaelmann, worker from transport Hamburg, was leader of the Communist Party of Germany when Hitler came to power in 1933. Thrown into a concen- tration camp, he was quickly built up by the Stalinists as a martyr for the proletarian cause. His reputation was assured when the Nazis killed him 12 years later. The Stalinist bureaucrats of the Socialist Unity Party in East Germany make every possible use of the legend of the heroic leader and great political genius to conceal their own mediocrity. Speaking at a recent rally in East Berlin to commemorate victims of fascism, a party functionary called Sindermann gave a typical eulogy of Thael- mann: 'One of the greatest revo- lutionaries of the German workers' movement. Our com- rade Ernst Thaelmann, as leader of the German Com- munist Party, gave the party and the fighting working class its international character.'

And Sindermann went on to credit Thaelmann with, if not actually the invention of the united front, at least keen sup- port for it. 'He taught the fighting alliance of all progressive forces in the world to oppose warmongering and chauvinism.'

And later he added: 'In the name of Ernst Thaelmann, we are entitled to declare that we will always honour the frater- nal alliance between the Soviet Union and the German Demo- cratic Republic, that no one will prevent us going our way with the Soviet Union. Rise to power as leader of CP The legend of Thaelmann is useful to the East German bureaucracy and appears from time to time in the Stalinist press of other countries.

But the reality hardly measures up to the propaganda presentation. A great favourite of Stalin, Thaelmann rose to prominence in the period after the defeat of the Left Opposi- tion in the 1920s when the communist parties were brought under Stalin's control.

belonged to the same He promotion Thorez as Togliatti in Italy or France, in Britain. In intelli- Pollitt gence and political acumen he inferior to all three. His was rise to power as leader of the powerful German Communist Party, which had once been led Rosa Luxemburg, by Karl Liebknecht and Levy was an index of its degeneration.

In the early 1920s Thael- mann, who came from Ham- burg, rose to prominence as a leader of the left wing in alli- ance with Ruth Fischer's fac- tion. Even at that time he was opposed to a united front with the Social Democrats, which ay Septembor 26, 1872 was regarded as a bourgeois party. It was an error by Thael- mann which resulted in the communists going Hamburg through with the insurrection in October 1923 after a deci- sion had been taken to call it off. He prematurely told the couriers who were waiting to know the decision of the con- Chemnitz ference called at that the insurrection would take place. All except Rem- mele from Hamburg were re- called. The rising was sup- pressed with heavy loss of life.

Thaelmann's strength lay in the fact : that he represented the CP's powerful Hamburg organization. Despite his theo- retical backwardness, he rose quietly to prominence much as Stalin had done. By 1925 he was sufficiently well-known nationally to stand as presi- dential candidate—he won 6.3 per cent of the votes. In the 'Bolshevization' which followed, both the left wing of Fischer-Maslow and the right wing of Brandler-Thalheimer defeated. Thaelmann were emerged as a faithful supporter of Moscow, following its right and left zig-zags without ques- tion, having no political ideas of his own. It was after the leftward turn known as 'the third period, launched by Stalin, in that Thaelmann's hold 1928 on the Party became complete.

His career almost came to an abrupt end when' he was involved in a case of embezzle- ment of Party funds by his brother-in-law, Wittorf. Thael- mann's attempt to cover up the formally scandal dis- was approved by the Central Com- mittee in September 1928 and he was removed from his Party offices. Reinstatement came rapidly —on direct orders from Stalin.

A Central Committee delega- tion was summoned to Moscow and a purge was launched in the German Party against those who had 'exploited' the Wit- torf affair against Thaelmann.

Flanked by Remmele and Heinz Neumann, he became undisputed leader. From then on Thaelmann was built up in Germany, much as Stalin was in the Soviet Union with a massive per- sonality cult as the great leader of the German proletariat. At the 12th Congress in June 1929 he was greeted by an organized ovation without pre- cedent in the history of the German movement, but now to become standard in all the communist parties. Casting all principle aside, the German Communist Party tried to answer the propaganda of the Nazis for Adolf Hitler by showing that they had a 'Fuehrer' of their own-Ernst Thaelmann. His picture was everywhere and the Party press was liberally sprinkled with tributes to his genius. The adventurist policy which the German Communist Party pursued in the last years of the Weimar republic, under in- structions from Stalin, was accepted by Thaelmann with- question. Thaelmann out bears full responsibility for the defeat which followed in 1933.

No one was louder in his denunciation of the Social Democrats as 'social fascists' All the disastrous policies of those years, going as far as co- operation with the Nazis, were fully endorsed by him. Thaelmann tried to outbid the Nazis in appeals to nationalism, promises to the peasantry and a further build up of his own personality cult.

In the first ballot of the presi- dential elections of March 1932 he won 13.2 per cent of the votes against 30.1 per cent for Hitler and 49.6 per cent for Hindenburg. In the second ballot his share fell to a little over 10 per cent. While the Nazi vote was growing rapidly-Hitler had secured 36.8 per cent in the second ballot-Thaelmann dis- covered the main danger in the Catholic Centre Party. It is probable,' he wrote in January 1933, when the Centre Party leader Brüning was Chancellor, 'that the exercise of the dictatorship of the bourgeoisie - whatever its particularly if methods, and they are fascist methods - will be above all and for a long time in the hands of the Centre Party' A few months later Hinden- burg dismissed Brüning, who later disappeared into obscurity in the United States. This prediction of Thael- mann's was typical of his quality as a political thinker.

He displayed it again when he declared that the Communist Party was the only party to have gained from the Reich- stag elections of July 1932 and suggested that the Nazi tide was on the turn. More accur- ately, he declared to the Plenum of the Executive Com- of the Comintern: mittee 'With the fate of the German revolution the fate of the revo- lution in western and central Europe will be decided.' the typical Thaelmann, Stalinist bureaucrat, magnified every small gain for the Com- munist Party into a great vic- tory and saw every slight set- back for the Nazis as a sign of their coming defeat. Unable to warn or prepare the work- ing class to meet the dangers, Thaelmann persisted to the . with the policy of "social end fascism' which prevented a united working-class struggle against Nazism. The obedient Although it still retained 12 per cent of the votes in the 1933 elections March after Hitler had become Chancellor, the Communist Party was not able to organize any effective resistance. The Party was made illegal, thousands of its mem- bers were arrested, tortured by executed or the Gestapo and sent to concentration camps.

While some leaders were able to escape, Thaelmann was arrested and spent the remain- his life as a ing years prisoner of the Nazis. The defeat of the German working class and of the Com- munist Party cannot, of course, be blamed onto Thaelmann alone. He was a thick-headed and obedient functionary who faithfully and without question carried out Stalin's bidding.

Knowing that he was Stalin's man, the Nazis at least allowed him to, live until their own defeat hoping to use him some future deal. Even during the period of the Stalin-Hitler pact, however, Thaelmann was not permitted his freedom. Perhaps Stalin did not relish his return to Moscow. Perhaps he feared the recriminations of ind the man who led the Party he had guided to defeat. Some troublesome colleagues and friends of Thaelmann had 'liquidated' during the been purges. The legend of Thael- mann could best be preserved if he stayed in Hitler's con- centration camp; the Stalinists were perhaps secretly pleased that he died there. Better an heroic martyr than an un- comfortable ghost from the past. Ernst Thaelmann, handpicked by fatal Stain to promote Germany in the policies in 1920s and early 1930s which led to the defeat of the German working class and the rise of fascism. Above: Thaelmann 1932. Below : imprisoned by Nazis. His death permits the bur- eaucrats of the Socialist Unity Party, successor of the Com- munist Party in East Germany, to preserve the legend. In the light of the true Thaelmann story, their exploitation of his name is as cynical as their attribution to him of the policy of the united or popular front is a brazen lie. all, Thaelmann after But, was a Stalinist of the same hue who used the same methods himself—the price which the working class paid was heavy indeed.

Above: Chaucer House tenants light fire Reviewed by Alex Mitchell Now the rave reviews have subsided it is time to take a more objective look at the BBC docu- mentary 'The Block' transmitted last Tuesday night. It was a riveting hour-long feature on the conditions at a halfway-house for temporarily homeless families in the Lon- don borough of Southwark.

Producer Paul Watson spent 'on locality' months three gathering his film and com- mentary. In this respect the film had much to commend it.

The technique is 'observatory participation'-where the film- maker or journalist lives the role' of his subject material.

Chaucer House, the name of the place, is one of the grim- mest examples of capitalism's of poor working- treatment class families. When Workers Press reporter Sarah Hanni- gan visited the building in June 'Condi- this year she wrote: tions in the block defy descrip- tion.' It seemed at the time that this statement revealed a journalistic inadequacy. But having visited the accommodation through the eyes of Mr Watson's cameras, one can understand how she came to this abrupt conclu- describe sion. To properly Chaucer House, or 'The Block' as it is known, one needs to be a Dickens or a Dostoievsky.

The documentary roves from one family to the next piecing the desperate state together of their lives. Inter-cut are.

interviews with local housing officials from the Labour- controlled Southwark Council.

After three-quarters of an hour of vivid description, one began to wait for the punch- line. What would Mr Watson wretched and make of this cruel existence? One got a nod that he was going to drift into the worst sort of liberalism when onto the screen appeared a woman light fires to protest against the conditions th answering a telephone from someone who had been spied on by agents of the Depart- ment of Health and Social Security. The phone conversation was the first piece of obvious reconstruction. can't We believe that Mr Watson was in the office when suddenly the phone rang! was a passing Then there reference to the courageous work of the Claimants' Union and in a wink the film had collapsed into a mish-mash of sentimental rubbish about those below the 'poverty line' and the hard-faced bureaucracy who didn't understand. little clearer All became a the following night when Mr 'Late Watson appeared on Night Line-up' to explain some- thing of the background to his film. He said that he had seen 'The a brief TV item on Block' and decided that some- thing proper had to be done.

He described how he went to the BBC's head of features and said that 'we should do something on poverty' . Good idea, said the BBC chief, and Watson began his research.

Asked by the interviewer whether he thought his pro- gramme was biased in favour of the tenants, Mr Watson said not. He even definitely по, insisted that his film was un- biased. He wanted to show the problems on both sides, he said. Satisfied that Mr Watson was not a roaring Red, the Michael interviewer, Dean, then introduced his guests for further discussion. (It is here that interesting to note interrogated Mr. Watson was first-and separately. After all, it would be improper for the BBC chap to be drawn into a political debate with the other panel, of the members wouldn't it!) ditions they are forced to live under The guests were ohn Riches, former leader of the tenants' "The Block' at association Frank Field, the director of Poverty Action the Child Cyril Mercer, the Group, Southwark housing manager and Alderman Sawyer, chair- man of the housing committee.

Mr Riches, who had figured orominently in the film, has now got alternative accommo- dation. We also learnt that he is into just about every com- mittee in the business. He is on the 'early-warning committee'-no, it's nothing to do with the weather, it's to do with getting the authorities to pre-empt housing difficulties by offering assistance before the rioting starts-tenants' groups, claimants bodies, etc., etc.

He even vouchsafed that he now tours the country giving social lectures to trainee workers. Mr Field, whose Then liberal sentiments are of legen- dary embarrassment, called for government action to help out, No one stated the obvious that homelessness and poverty an inevitable product of capitalism. To talk of 'pres- suring' the Tory government 'solving' the problem is a into They ludicrous suggestion. won't and they can't! The sickening liberalism of the film-makers and its sub- • in the claimants and jects poverty action groups only pile confusion on top of the misery of the working class. They can offer no perspective or hope for the working class to liberate itself from the shackles of capitalism. Dostoievsky Dickens and splendid descriptive were writers, but they are no sub- stitute for another great writer on the condition of the work- ing class - Frederick Engels.

Mr Watson has some reading to catch up on. Workers Press, Tuesda The prophets of doom, those advocates of population con- a world foresee trol who swarming with starving people, are at it again. They are com- oletely at a loss to explain why n spite of all their dire warn.

ings, no government appears anxious to take up their pro- posals. What appears to be worry- ing the world's governments is not population growth, but a slowing down in population increases. The USA, West Germany, Sweden, France and Russia are all reporting a in the number decline births, and what is frighten- ing their governments is the possibility of a decline in the workforce. Britain itself, the birth In rate is now apparently only just above the death rate, so, if the trend continues, should not be long before we reach Zero Population Growth.

. is not over- population, as Workers Press has pointed out on many occa- siorc It is the capitalist sys- back tech- tem which holds nological progress and destroys production in order to main- tain profits. We certainly not are to birth control. opposed Workers Press does not accept that women have to remain 'breeding machines', , produc- ing one child after another throughout their fertile years.

should be able to Families decide for themselves how many children they want and have the means available to enable them to carry out that decision. The prophets of doom, how- satisfied. still not ever, are Unable to blame capitalism for the problems facing the world, they still cling desperately to spectre of 'over-popula-.

the tion' Alan Huet Owen, writing in 'Social Worker', while ac- fall in birth knowledging the rate, has had to stand the their usual arguments on head to make his point. It is not the rapid birth rate that worries him now, but the fact that due to better health and social care, more people are living longer. So what is needed now, apparently, is a still further decline to ensure that even fewer people are born. s, Tuesday September 26, 1972 PAGE 9 Paul Ehrlich, one of the •fore- most prophets of doom and population control. 'There is a growing body of opinion, he (whose says opinion?) 'that a sane long- term aim for Britain would be to aim for a reduction of population of (say) 20 million.'

To this end he advocates not only government-sponsored family-planning and social- counselling the services on National Health Service, but a legal requirement on families not to produce more than an average of 2.4 children. 'There is no right to produce make children who will demands on the resources of the entire community, Owen declares and advocates that the government should ensure there is no automatic family allowance for a fourth or sub- sequent child. He is kind enough, how- ever, to say that such parents, if they are too poor to man- age on their income, could be •apply for social allowed to welfare assistance. At the same time, young people should be encouraged to postpone marriage and the legal minimum marriage ago could be raised. 'Patriotism,' he believes, 'can be harnessed to civilized social ends as well as to the needs of war' in order to persuade limit the number parents to of their children. If these measures are successful, he hopes there will be no need to consider com- and sterilization pulsory abortion! of 'Brave New Shades and Hitler's Ger- World' many!

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PAGE 10 Workers Pross, Tu 26, 1972

SOUTH

WEST LONDON:

Tues day September 26, 8 p.m. Small Clapham Hall, Manor Clapham Manor Street, SW4.

'ATUA

national confer- ance.

BASILDON:

Tueaday September 26, 8 p.m. Laindon Community Centre, Road, Laindon.

•ATUA

national conference' WANDSWORTH: Tuesday Sept- ember 26, 8 p.m. Selkirk Hotel, Selkirk Road, Tooting. 'Lessons

NOTTINGHAM:

Wodnesday Sep tember 27, 7.30 p.m. "The Lion', Street. 'Lessons of the Cumber builders' strike.

LUTON:

Wednesday September 8 p.m. Recreation Centre, Old Bedford Road, "Stalinism and the capitalist class.'

HOUNSLOW:

Thursday Tsal Chin plays Wang kuang-mel- ber 28, 8 p.m. Co-op Hall. Bath confrontation in 1967 with the Struggle', Granada's fully-networked TODMORDEN: Thursday, Septem- ber 28, 7.30 p.m. The Weavers' actual transcripts of that confrontat Burnley Road. "Lessons speare Company actor Colin Blakely of the builders' and busmen's 9.25. strikes.' Lessons of the bullding workers strike.

SWANSEA

Thursday, September 28 7 p.m. Swansea Council of Social Ser- vices, Mount Pleasant HIll, Next to the fire station.

Speakers: Gordon Ce No. s Swansea No. (Chairman of UCATT branch. In a personal capacity). Jim Bevan (Chairman of Mar- gam AUEW branch. In a per- sonal capacity).

REGIONAL TV -

CHANNEL:

9.30-12.00 London. 3.40 Lottery. 3.50 Puffin. 3.50 Odd couple. 4.25 London. 5.20 South Wales Shirley's world. 5.50 London. 6.00 file. News, 6.10 Police weather. 6.15 Lookaround. 6.35 SOGAT men 7.00 Film: 'Texas'. roads. My good 9.00 woman. London. 10.30 The caretakers 11.15 Plus Tam. 11.45 London. 12.15 News, weather. SIX HUNDRED members of the Society of Graphical and Allied WESTWARD. As Channel except: Trades Wiggins Teape, 12.15 Gus Honey- at 12.00 Paulus. Treforest, South Wales, have bun. 3.53 News. 6.00 Diary. 12.15 voted to continue their week-old News. 12.18 Faith for life.

strike for higher pay and are not due until SOUTHERN: 9.30-12.00 London.

to meet again next Sunday. The men are demanding 12.50 12.55 Jobs in News. the an f8-a-week rise, hours and 1.20 Dick cut to house garden 40 shift allowance for 1 50| Freud and Van Dyke. on food. night workers. 2.15 Bellbird. 2.30 London. 3.00 3.55 Houseparty. 4.10 Saint. Torchy. 4.25 London. 5.20 Road runner. 5.25 Crossroads. 5.50 6.00 Day day. 6.40 London. by Thornycroft Stewart. 7.05 McCloud. Jimmy 8.30 My 9.00 Lon- good woman don. 12.15 News. 12.25 Weather.

men to talk Guideline. STRIKERS at British-Leyland's

HARLECH:

9.30 London. 12.15 Ricochet. Woobinda. 1.45 Thornycroft factory Basing- 12.45 in 2.30 House- stoke, Hants, have agreed to start A place of her own. 3.00 Saint. 4.00 Knight talks with the management. They party. Tinkertainment. have been on sit-in strike for six mare hare. 4.10 4.25 London. 5.20 Gustavus.

5.25 weeks over the sale of the factory American and to company an of 300 the proposed redundancy The dally paper that leads the fight against the Tories. £20.28 for 12 months (312 Issues) £10.14 for 6 months (156 issues) £5.07 for 3 months (78 issues) If you want to take Workers Press twice a week the rates are: £1.56 for 3 months (24 issues) £6.24 for 12 months (96 issues) Fill in the form below NOW and send to: 186a Clapham High St., Irculation Dept., Workers Pres ondon. SW4 7UC I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press.

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Or months. Full subscription (six days) for Name Address Amount enclosed f ing-mel—Liu Shao-chl's wite- In her 'A Subject h the Red Guards. letworked documentary, is based on confrontation. Below: Royal Shake- lin Blakely in BBC 2's 'Peer Gynt' at 6.01 Crossroads. 5.50 London. Report West. 6.18 Report Wales.

6.35 Bless this house. 7.05 Film: 'Border River'. 8.30 My good 9.00 London. 12.15 woman. Drive-in. 12.45 Weather. HTV Cymru/Wales 7 and 41 as Miri except: 4.10-4.25 abüve mawr. 6.01-6.18 Y dydd. 10.30 Chwilio am Tutankhamun. 11.30- 11.45 O'r wasg. HTV West as above except: 6.18- 6.35 Report West. ANGLIA: 9.30 London. 2.00 Jun- kin. 2.30 London. 3.00 House- party. 3.15 Randall and Hopkirk 4.10 Enchanted house. 4.25 Lon- don. 5.20 Chimp. 5.50 London.

6.00 About Anglia. 6.35 Cross- roads. 7.00 Film: 'Ten Wanted Men'. 8.30 My good woman. 9.00 London. ATV MIDLANDS: 9.30 London.

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8.30 My good woman. 9.00 Lon- don. 5.25 ULSTER: 11.00-12.15 London. Ale OVER 4,500 Scottish textile workers struck at the week- end after pay talks broke down. Owners Joseph Daw- reacted son (Holdings) Ltd immediately with a 'go back to work or we shut down for good' ultimatum. Chairman Alan Smith said: 'If we are to meet the full union claim, it would be better in the interests of everyone to shut the doors.' And Hawick Knitwear Manu- facturers' director Association Archibald Purves added: 'Our present offer will cost the industry £1.5m a year. It is abso- for us to im- lutely impossible prove on it as we are recovering from the worst trade recession in 50 years. Workers at the Glebe factory of Pringle of Scotland, owned by Joseph Dawson, are demanding a £6-a-week pay rise which at present range from £15.54 to £18.69 for men and £11.33 to £13.44 for women. They are also asking for an

BBC 1

ITV

9.38-12.30 Schools. 1.00-1.25 Ar 9.30 Schools. 12.00 Magic ball.

Trumpton. 1.45- 1.53 News 1.30 12.15 Women today. 12.45 Crafts- News and weather. 2.00- men. 1.10 Bellbird. 1.25 Felix the 2.50 Play school. Schools. 4.10 4.35 Adventures of Parsley.

cat. 1.40 Flintstones. 2.05 Castle 4.40 Jackanory. 4.50 Deputy dawg. Haven. 2.30 Good afternoon. 3.00 4.55 Animal magic. 5.20 John Charlie Brown show. 3.30 Danger Craven's newsround. 5.25 Josie 5.45 News man. 4.25 Sooty show. 4.50 Mag- and the pussycats. and weather. 5.20 | dream of Jeannie. pie. 5.50 News.

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win Mathews. World War What Are Friends For? Il film.

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9.00 NINE

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Fluid Arrangement. Rich-

A CHILD'.

ard Pearson, Victor Mad- dern, Pat Heywood. right to have a child?

10.00 NEWS AT TEN.

10.15 PRESENTING LENA MAR-

TELL. With guests Vince

10.30 A SUBJECT OF STRUG-

Hill and The Alex Welsh Jazz Band. GLE. Re-construction of 10.45

MIDWEEK.

First British the trial of Wang Kuang- with television interview mei, wife of former Presi- Clifford Irving, of author dent of China Liu Shao- the fake Howard Hughes autobiography. chi, by the Red Guards during the Cultural Revo-

11.30 LATE NIGHT NEWS.

THE OPEN PERSUADERS.

11.35 lution. Joan Bakewell talks to Sir

11.45 PROFESSIONAL WREST

Robert Birley, former

LING.

Headmaster of Eton

12.15 PEOPLE MAKE PLACES.

11.55 Weather. 1.32 Cartoon. 1.40- 1.30 News. Edgar Wallace. 1.45 Jimmy Stew.

2.15 Bellbird. 2.30 Kreskin. 2.42 Schools. 4.00 Romper room.

art. 4.20 News. 4.25 London. 5.20 2.59 News. 3.00 Calling Doctor Lidsville. 5.50 London. 6.00 Re- Gannon. 3.55 Funny face. 4.25 Crossroads. 6.35 7.00 London. 5.20 Shirley's world. ports. Today. 6.35 Film: "The Young Land'. 8.30 6.00 Film: 'Honey. My good woman. 9.00 London. Crossroads. moon With A Stranger'. 8.30 Mv good woman. 9.00 London. 12.15 YORKSHIRE: 9.30 London. 12.15 12.30 Scotland Yard News. Common Market cook book. mysteries. 1.05 Epilogue.

12.45 A world of their own. 1.45 Mad movies. 2.15 Bellbird. 2.30 SCOTTISH: 9.30 London. 12.15 3.00 Delta. 4.00 London. No small change. 12.45 Quentin Simon Locke. 4.25 London. 5.20 Governor. Durgens. 1.40 2.10 London. Shirley's world. 5.50 Champions. 3.10 Horoscope.

3.15 Calendar, 6.00 weather. 6.35 Nanny and 3.45 day. 410 Ench 7.00 Cartoon. 7.05 Crossroads. Enchanted A Women today. Film: 'Honeymoon With 4.25 London. 5.20 Cross- house. Stranger'. 8.30 My good woman.

6.00 Scot- 5.50 London. 12 15 Scotland roads. 9.00 London. Cartoon. land today. 6.30 6.40 Yard mysteries. 12.50 Weather.

Adam Smith. 7.10 McCloud. 8.30 9.00 London. My good woman. GRANADA: 9.30 London. 12.15 12.15 Late call. Grasshopper island. 12.30 Gallop- ing gourmet. 1.00 Rainbow coun London. 12.15

GRAMPIAN: 10.58

2.00 Wonderful try. 1.30 Junkin. Dick Van Dyke. 12.45 Dangerman.

world. 2.50 Chess masterpieces. Funny time. 1.30 Cartoon. 2.46 3.00 Danger man. 3.55 Scales of 3.00 Let's face 4.20 News. London. 5.15 2.57 News. justice. 3.30 Survival. 4.00 Lucy show. Peyton Place. 5.50 London. 6.00 Flintstones. 4.25 London. 5.20 Cartoon. News. 6.25 Primus. 7.00 London. 6.00 News. 6.10 5.50 7.05 McCloud. 8.30 My good Top man. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 woman. 9.00 London. 'Honeymoon With Film: Stranger'. 8.30 My good woman.

TYNE TEES: 9.30 London. 12.20 London. 12.15 Meditation. the greatest. ( 12.50 9.00 Alexander school. 5.35 11.00-11.25 Play Open University. 7.00 NEWSROOM. Weather. 8.00 PICK OF 'REVIEW'. Stories and Storytellers. 8.55

WHEELBASE.

9.25

PLAY:

'PEER

Henrik Ibsen. Stage Colin with presentation Wendy Blakely, Hiller, Annis, Francesca Ray Barrett. extra week's holiday and a 35 ON 2. 11.25

NEWS

Weather. of five hour week-a reduction

THE OLD GREY WHISTLE

•11.30 hours.

TEST.

In the studio Step- has offered Management penwolf, John Kay Band, extra f2 now, plus an additional Linda Lewis. €3 day's holiday with a further spread over 18 months. Notice strike had been from October 1, but after given Record year management's aew fee ade on General Thursday local tor Fisons Union Municipal Workers' officials walked out of the nego- tiations and the stoppage was FISONS, the chemicals and fer- immediately made official.

for tilizers group, is on target With • 900 textile workers who have another record six year. brought production to a halt at months of the current trading disclosed two factories in Flintshire, North Fisons period gone, Wales, have voted to stay out on that profits were already show- increase of more than strike. ing an £lfm at £5,801,000. During the The factories involved are the Deeside Mill and the Aver whole of 1971 the pre-tax total neak of £7.480.000 Works of Courtaulds Limited.

jumped to a from €5.280.000 in 1970 The dispute arose over em - being transferred to The last week ployers company nounced a 7t-per-cent increase department where short-time working had been imposed.

prices.

POULSON

FROM PAGE 1

The implication of this state- ment is clear. If the TUC feels unable to come to heel, the government is giving serious con- sideration to calling a General Election centred on the incomes policy issue. By this means, Heath would hope either to give himself an increased parliamentary majority from which to proceed with attacking the unions with un- employment and rocketing prices, or temporarily pass the buck to a Labour government-of-crisis.

In the latter case the purpose would be to prepare in the wings for a decisive confronta- tion with the working class once the reformists showed themselves unequal to this task. The news from Washington makes today's talks doubly treacherous. again travelling to Chequers yet at Heath's behest, union leaders are blatanțly and openly declaring that they have no intention of fighting to re- move the Tories. And they make this declaration as government spokesmen boast publicly to the IMF that they can whip the TUC into line.

At the same it is as time, clear to the union chiefs as it is to the Tories that any agree- ment they reach can only be of a temporary duration. TUC secretary Victor Feather and his colleagues know that mean big Market entry must class battles. At Chequers today they are signing up for service with the Tories. CLELANDS Shipbuilding Com- pany, Wallsend, reopened yester- day after being closed for nearly six weeks by an unofficial strike of ten ancillary workers.

The men resumed work following settlement of a bonus claim.

Labour A reply to some centrist critics By Cliff Slaughter to trom 100a Clapham H Nt aro avellat Or The Paperback Contre, 28 Charlott

FROM PAGE 1

He denied that MacRae man. was 'touting for business' for him.

He said that MacRae had been introduced to the firm after Reginald Maudling, the former Tory Home Secretary and chair- of man Poulson's international organization, visited the tiny African Republic. Hunter: He (MacRae) was in a position to put contracts your way? Poulson said MacRae's job was to put him in direct contact with the President over a harbour building, contract. Hunter then asked who had 'nobbled' Mackae.

A series which appeared in Workers Press in June, 1972 is now available as a pamphlet in the Socialist Labour League Pocket Library.

'WHY A LABOUR GOVERNMENT?

A Reply to some centrist critics.'

By Cliff Slaughter Price 5p Other titles in this series include: The Case for a General Election By Alex Mitchell. The Ulster Dossier The Social Security Swindle which includes the All Trades Unions Alliance Draft Manifesto and the Charter of Basic Rights.

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186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG. Workers Press, Tuesda Poulson: Nobody as far as I am to Mr Mac- the money got paid Rae or the Sultan of Morocco or concerned. something you said you did not Hunter: ( Who paid him get the President's • sum know. Someone had done it while of money to you were NOT looking? ear? Poulson: As far as Mrs Pollard Poulson: I don't know. was concerned I am certain it was Hunter: Who decided? part of the agreement with the Poulson: I can't tell you.

directors. questioned Further Poulson paid a Hunter: Someone prom- admitted that both he and Maud- inent Liberian personage money had ling separately met the out of your bank account with- Liberian President during a visit your knowing. want to Asked how he made to London. did and know who it, we will MacRae paid much money was get it back from him. Poulson said: I don't know! Continuing his examination Hunter: We are faced here with a Poulson was asked about Mr described as 'a member Breene, gigantic disappearance of money Majesty's Foreign unbelievable and of Her Ser- on an scale everytime I have asked you how vice'.

E OUR

HONE

VORK®

KI

_MEANE —

Workers who have occupied the Gainsborough Cornard factory In Great Yarmouth. TEXTILE WORKERS who have occupied the Gains- borough Cornard factory in Great Yarmouth to pre- vent its closure will arrive in London today to picket the Carrington-Viyella company which owns their plant. They also plan a march down Fleet Street and a visit to the headquarters of the monopoly ICI, which has a 49 per cent stake in Carrington-Viyella.

Over 340 workers began the occupation two weeks ago when they learned by accident that management intended an immediate and surprise shut-down of one of the few stable places of employ- ment in the Norfolk town.

Rumours have gone around that the 14-acre factory site could be sold for property re- I would like infor development. Local estate agents reckon the land could fetch f2m on the open market. Yesterdav, works Dave Arnold told Workers Press: •The delegation we sent to London last week met with no We can't success. even get to meet the directors of Carrington- Fill in the form below and Viyella. They seem to want to

SECRETARY.

SOCIALIST

hands of the whole wash their

186A CLAPHAM HIGH ST, L

thing. 'Management will be meeting Name but we stay where us tomorrow. we are at this stage. The morale is very high.' Address The occupiers held a successful demonstration through Great Yarmouth at the weekend. They also report that financial support through beginning flow to from all over Britain. 8, Tuesday September 26, 1972 PAGE 11 Poulson said he had 'no idea' why Breene was being paid by his company. Hunter then turned to the sumş of money paid to Sales of the NCB, whom he said, got a 'great hand out'. Hunter said that Poulson had provided a deposit for, and paid the instalments on, house which Sales bought a through the Wakefield Building Society. Hunter said: 'He was on the NCB and you built houses for them.' Poulson: 'No sir.' The final payment to Sales was shown as of October 28, 1969, when Poulson's finances were described by Hunter as being in a desperate state. At that time Poulson could not pay his tax, his his bills the rent or at Dorchester Hotel in London. But he went on 'dishing out money' to Sales. 'Why did you do it?' Hunter 'Why were you currying asked, favour with Mr Sales?' Poulson said that when he left the NCB, Sales became chairman of his industrialized building com- pany which hoped to make large sums of money. Poulson told the court he had made 'gifts' to a Mr Egan, a former mayor of Pontefract.

'He was in ill health and I helped him, Poulson said. Poul- son paid sums of money to Egan over a period of six years until December 1968. i Hunter then dealt in detail with what he described as an extraordinary transaction' between Poulson and the former mayor of Southport, Dr Hep- worth, who subsequently went bankrupt. Poulson became involved with Southport corporation when he was bidding for a civic centre When told Hepworth contract. received at least had £7,000, Poulson replied: 'I didn't know it was as much as that until I saw the books' Hunter: I cannot understand the nature of your replies. Here you go through the cash books and you read 'Hepworth t1,000, the next month he got another £500, the next month £250 and the next month £250. Do you mean to say that this man came round with his cap in his hands every month? Poulson: No sir. Hunter: Just plain generosity.

Poulson: Yes sir. Hunter: To the tune of £7,000?

Poulson: Yes sir. Hunter reminded Poulson he was giving evidence on oath. 'Do wish to amend you your state- ment?' he asked. Hunter later produced a memorandum written by Poulson to Maudling, who was then chair- man of an overseas subsidiary called International Technical and Construction Services. In the memo Poulson said 'he [Khoury] is prepared to do anything for but he wants paying us, and

ITCS

can make the arrange- ments' Poulson said Khoury was paid a sum of money to help secure a f2m government hospital con- Beirut. Hunter also tract in referred to a Lebanese senator whom Poulson had told to 'write directly to Mr Maudling, who will be pleased to do business with him.' The hearing continued today.

John Poulson was the head of international architectural an based in practice Pontefract which went bankrupt 12 months ago. information about low and send to NATIONAL

LABOUR LEAGUE,

H ST, LONDON, SW4 7UG.

COLD STORAGE

PAGE 12 Workers Press, Tuesday Septant • 26, 1972 TWO giant building com- panies who refused to con- recent £30, 35- cede the claim, hour week pay record profits turned in yesterday. John Laing announced pre- tax profits of £3,173,000 for the first six months of this year than double those for more the same period last year.

The directors forecast end- of-year profits of than more yesterday €6m paid and interim dividend of 4 per cent.

the Higgs and Meanwhile Hill building also doubled profits to £798,000 for the first months against six €345,000. They expect a total £1.3m profit of than more dividend and ord paid ce interim per cent.

BY IAN YEATS

LEADING ROYAL docks group shop stewards in London said yesterday that the three-month-old black- The news came only 24 hours after news that cold store owner Lord Edmund Vestey has twice written to Transport and General Workers' Union secretary Tack Jones asking whether the pickets were official or un- official. Although the August 16 decision of the national port shop committee to continue the recent dock strike was stewards' reversed at mass meetings of the men, London's Royal group dockers voted to continue blacking container and cold store operators not using registered at the Pickets duty store on labour. unconcerned by yesterday were either possibility. They planned to take on one Vestey If took legal action operator at a time, and a vic-

T&GWU,

they said against the at Midland Cold Storage tory would be happy they see would be followed immedi- Jones himself go to jail. As one picketing another ately by it: 'See if we go to picket put depot nearbý. Pentonville to get him out.

Both pickets and Royal After three months there is no group cold-shouldered sign that Lord Vestey intends to shop stewards the idea that Jones was in a posi- give way. tion take disciplinary action On his letters the contrary, order to get the against them in to Jones would appear to be picketing called off. aimed at eliciting union accept- responsibility for the of pointed out that even They unofficial pickets, which are if they from the were suspended company £3,000 a the costing union they would work without week in lost business. and their men cards represent If they succeed, the company unofficially. hopes Jones will take steps to But behind the tough talk of have the pickets called off. members leading of the shop If they fail, it is understood stewards' there is committee to the it may once again apply that there might yet firm belief Relations National Industrial which the be circumstances in Court for a restraining order. (It picketing could be called off.

in the was Midland's last action courts which led to the jailing of Although there has been no contact between members of the the Pentonville Five.)

WEATHER

LATENEWS

Patrick

PROTESTOR

John O Toole pleaded not guilty at the a mainly dry day. It will Old Bailey yesterday to soliciting mostly cloudy in the east but people to murder policemen, in- there will be some sunny periods, commit arson more especially in the west. citing people to Whitehall and buildings in to scotland and Ireland will als having offensive weapon an e dry. There may be some mis during an Irish political demon-.

or fog patches early, followed by Downing Street stration at sunny periods. February 1971. He pleaded guilty of unlawful to another charge ind riotous assembly with other of a police people and assault will be rather cold near the east officer. The disturbances occurred coast of England. when the demonstration tried to deliver 13 coffins to Downing Outlook Street the to commemorate Bloody Sunday killings in Derry.

Street, 7UG. et. London. Printed abham by Plough Press 180b High Street.

SW4 7UG.

committee and the

T&GWU,

senior stewards feel that if Jones could prove a basis exists for negotiations with Lord Vestey the store might be allowed to reopen. Hull,

T&GWU

shop steward Ernie Wardle com- mented on his union executive's decision to discipline dockers alleged to have been involved in incidents outside Transport House on August 16. 'As soon as I heard that Jack Jones was going to discipline the dockers for so-called violence at Transport House I went down to House IT&GWU head- Bevin WORKERS at a company which faced large-scale redundancies a few months ago, are claiming an extra £3 a week. Ransome, Hoff- mann, Pollard of Newark, solved the workforce problem with voluntary redundancies. Now the unions claim that the cuts, to enable the company to meet strong Japanese competition in the ball bearing market, have also made more money available.

ARMAMENTS and army work- shops in the Nottingham area were closed by strikes by civilian employees yesterday. More than workers, at the Royal 2,000 Ordnance factory in Kings Mea- dow Road, Nottingham, and the R.E.M.E. workshops at the Cen- tral Ordnance Depot, Chilwell, were involved. They have rejected Public Meeting Wages Jobs and the Fight against the Tory government Thursday October 5, 8 p.m.

Town Hall, Banbury Speaker: Gerry Healy, national secretary of the Socialist Labour League. quarters in Hull] to offer myself to be discipan ed out pay any fine, and that if they expelled me from the union, the men would see that I continued as an unofficial shop steward. If I was kicked off the dock not one single docker would go in to work.

to know if also wanted going to set up Jack Jones was into inquire a committee to police violence at Neap House Wharf and into the whole way the strike was run.

'T&GWU

full-time official George Andrews told me to for- get it' an offer of £1.75 a week on their present basic rates of £17.30 for unskilled men and £23.35 for craftsmen. The 1,200 employees at the Nottingham factory have voted to carry on the strike indefinitely, Chilwell but the workers plan to go back today.

PRODUCTION has been resumed at the London Brick Company's Ridgmont, Kempston and Hard- wick yards in Bedfordshire.

About 2,000 workers were sent home last Thursday when fork- lift drivers and belt setters had refused to return to work after a nine-day strike over pay. At the height of the dispute more than 7,000 men at various plants were involved. Socialist Labour League

LECTURES

THE THEORY AND

PRACTICE OF MARXISM

given by

G. HEALY

(SLL national secretary) Historical materialism today Tuesday September 26

AEU HOUSE

Mount Pleasant Liverpool 1, 7.30 p.m. FITTERS at Chartham, near Canterbury in Kent, sacked 14 weeks ago by concrete firm Wil- liam Griffiths, picketing the gates dismissed yesterday. The firm them after they struck for a pay Although the dispute rise. officially backed by the AUBW, pickets are severely critical of the union leaders' role in the strike. • For full story see page 3.

UNEMPLOYED

youth in responding Yorkshire are enthusiastically to the Young Socialists' Right - to - Work march through the area. In Halifax, where the marchers held a meeting on Sunday night, a total of 30 YS members were recruited during their short stay • branch established in and a new the town. All the indications yesterday afternoon were that the campaign would meet with the same sort of success in Hudderfield, last night's port of call. On the march through the out- skirts of Bradford and into Hali- fax on Sunday sales of Workers Press and 'Keep Left' were ex- ceptionally good. campaign recruiting The started in earnest after an en- joyable meal in the Labour Party A lot of interest was rooms. aroused in the evening's meeting.

Mick Bailey, from Todmorden Trades Council told the meeting that he was proud to stand on the the same platform as marchers. had joined the Young He Socialists to get into the fight to force the Tories out, he said.

He brought a donation of £5 and a message of support from the trade council. A young marcher from Brad- ford said jobs were very scarce in the town he came from.

640 unemployed There were youth, but only 120 jobs. Those jobs that were available were ex- tremely low paid - sometimes only £5 a week after deductions.

Dole queues in the town were so long that the Department of Employment had moved out of the centre of the town into a back street. Nature of the capitalist crisis Sunday October 1 Historical materialism today Sunday October 8

EAST HAM

TOWN HALL

Lister Room Barking Rd, 7 p.m.