Workers Press no. 879

workers press Three years of Workers Press

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTR

THIS IS the most important In August 1964 at the Young day in the year for our growing Socialists annual summer readership, the Socialist Labour camp the decision to launch a Young newspaper in League and the daily five years was first discussed. Basing our- Socialists. Workers Press is three years selves on the growing eco- old, nomic crisis and the political and as we enter the fourth year of daily publica- which lay ahead for changes tion, it is timely to glance back working the class, began we over its activities and experi- almost immediately to move ences during this vital period. into action to prepare the groundwork for the daily.

We have never made any result, As a our first issue excuses about the most obvious came off the press on Septem- fact of all-without the ber 26, 1969. stinting and unswerving sup- of But it was by no means easy port from a decisive layer going. Workers Press is a poli- workers in the trade young unions and industry, we would tical which fights newspaper have folded up long ago. for the building of the revolu- Political credit here must go tionary party as the leadership almost entirely to the Young of the working class. We do not tail-end and kow- Socialists, who, in the summer of 1964, expelled by spontaniety and left were tow Wilson from the Labour Party.

We are in conflict reformism. Stalinists and It was their decision to func- with the revi- tion as an independent Young who hold back the sionists Socialists while of the working movement, development class restricting their turning towards the trade by that laid the founda- struggle to the small coin of unions, tion for the support which we reformist pressure on the Tory receive today. government, when the basic UNION LEADERS and the Tory government held their second round of talks on in.

flation yesterday as internal and international pressure for a wage freeze increased. Both sides said the purpose of the meeting was to launch a joint effort to keep down prices and help the lower paid.

In fact the opposite is the case.

There is now overwhelming evid- ence that the government is com- pletely committed to driving down wages and letting prices rise.

All sections of the capitalist class at home and abroad are demanding this policy. At the International Mone- Fund conference in tary Washington, Treasury officials around the top Tory economics minister Anthony Barber are talking about the need for a legally enforceable incomes policy.

DEMAND THAT THE TUC LEAD

The big bankers of Europe and America have made it further clear to Britain that support for the weakening pound and our deteriorating balance of payment will come if the Tories get tough only with the working class. This policy was spelt out twice at Washington. Pierre Paul Schweitzer, head of the IMF, called for an incomes policy with a pointed reference Our demand on July 17 this year to Britain. He was echoed by President Nixon, who warned that the US There stocks and shares continue would not be allowed their plunge downwards- -a sig- economy suffer because of difficulties the Tories that big to nal to business in Britain and Europe. He called must have action TO 'orderly' conduct of push down costs, wages and the for an our (See internal affairs. living standards of the working economic p. 2.) class. The other big source of pres- These are the people the Tories listen to, not the union leaders sure is from the City of London.

LETTER • WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 1

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SI

BY THE EDITOR

is to create the condi- task tions to make the government resign. This approach sometimes brings us into conflict with sections of workers, such as at the upper Clyde shipyards. The workers there, through such misleadership, were mobilized behind a reformist 'work-in' which in the end simply added to the growing in the army of unemployed west of Scotland. The fog of such dangerous confusion is rapidly clearing as the policies of Workers Press being proved right in are practice. Our job is to tell the truth at all times to the work- ing class, no matter how un- palatable it might be. Here lies the real source of our strength. Our readers give unswerving support to their they have because paper learned to rely politically on its analyses and policies.

UC LEADERS

on the TUC delegation who chatter about economic growth and planned expansion of in- comes. Already the big employers have spelt out what the joint initiative between the Confederation

TURN TO PAGE 11

BER 27, 1972 • No. 879 • 4p

THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

Over the three will play a predominant role years our in building the mass party.

Fighting Fund has steadily in- Unions Every has The All Trades creased. month Alliance Conference, to be held been completed on time, even though, as in the case of this in Birmingham on October 22, major step forward month, we have had a tough will be hands during in this direction. battle on our weekly the last few days. Our readers The of the success Young Keep have never let us down. Socialist paper Now, thres- Left we a.e on the emphasizes that the hold of the most important six months in the history of the In Saturday's the working class and trade union movement since the end

WORKERS PRESS

of the war. Alex Mitchell will write about During these vital months the future plans to develop the Tories plan to enter the Workers Press. Common Market, preparing for it by raising rents, prices and See have that we record unemployment. None of us can sale. All inquiries to afford to sit back for a single 01-622 7029 minute. Increasing the circulation of Workers youth are at their post in the Press is absolutely for This is of the struggle essential. task an vanguard Marxism. integral of the struggle revolutionary part The Socialist Labour League which is under way to

HOW

just as it transform the Socialist Labour is proceeding firmly, League revolutionary did when it launched the cam- into Workers daily paign for party. the this Press. to transform itself into a Of course, in practice, revolutionary party of trained this party could not be, at cadres. stage, a mass party. really impossible to do It would be a party in which It is hundreds of new cadres would justice in thanking those who be recruited and trained as a have supported over the result of their present-day past three years. Let us just say: Thank experience with the Tory gov-

YOU

Comrades. ernment. It is these cadres who UN

LUNATES

46W3

YARMOUTH

THE

TEXTILE

redun- workers facing dancy in Great Yarmouth yester- day picketed the afternoon London headquarters of the through a crisis Carrington-Viyella group of com- Negotiations with local man- panies. the Gains- agement at former borough Cornard factory in Great Earlier they visited the group's Yarmouth begin today and shop Sudbury, Suffolk. factory to rally two-week-old stewards are to demand first support for their and foremost an extension of the sit-in. end-of-the-month deadline for the •We went to let them know redundancies. they could be facing the same •Regardless of what happens, the situation in near future, we propose to stand firm. Every- Arnold. ( of the Dave AnuonOr one has to demand the right to 340 workers involved in the sit- Workers "The work and say no to monopolies in. told Press. like ICI. added Dave Arnold.

the Industry is going whole of

workers press Three years of Workers Press

INCORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER

DAILY ORGAN OF THE CENTF

THIS IS the most important In August 1964 at the Young day in the year for our growing Socialists annual summer readership, the Socialist Labour camp the decision to launch a League and the Young daily five years newspaper Socialists. was first discussed. Basing our- Workers Press is three years selves on the growing eco- old, nomic crisis and the political and as we enter the fourth of daily publica- changes which lay ahead for year tion, it is timely to glance back working the class, we began over its activities and experi- almost immediately to move ences during this vital period. into action to prepare the groundwork for the daily.

We have never made any As a first issue excuses about the most obvious result, came off the press on Septem- fact of all-without the un- ber 26, 1969. stinting and sup- But it was by no means easy port from a decisive layer of going. Workers Press is a poli- workers in the trade yuus unions and industry, we would tical which fights newspaper have folded up long ago. for the building of the revolu- Political credit here must go tionary party as the leadership the Young almost entirely to of the working class. We do not tail-end and kow- Socialists, who, in the summer of 1964, expelled spontaniety and left were by tow to conflict Wilson from the Labour Party.

reformism. We are in Stalinists and It was their decision to func- with the revi- who the tion as an independent Young sionists hold back development of working Socialists movement, while the the class by restricting their turning towards trade that laid the founda- struggle to the small coin of unions, reformist pressure on the Tory tion for the support which we receive today. government, when the basic UNION LEADERS and the Tory government held their second round of talks on in- flation yesterday as internal and international pressure for a wage freeze increased. Both sides said the purpose of the meeting was to launch a joint effort to keep down prices and help the lower paid.

In fact the opposite is the case.

overwhelming evid- There is now ence that the government is _com- pletely committed to driving down wages and letting prices rise.

All sections of the capitalist class at home and abroad are demanding this policy. At the International Mone- Fund conference in tary Washington, Treasury officials around the top Tory economics minister Anthony Barber are talking about the need for a enforceable legally incomes policy.

DEMAND THAT THE TUC LEAI

The big bankers of Europe and America have made it clear to Britain that further for support the weakening pound and our deteriorating balance of payment will come Tories get tough if the only with the working class. This policy was spelt out twice at Washington. OMORROW'S meeting of the TUC Pierre Paul Schweitzer, head of the IMF, called for an incomes policy with a pointed reference Our demand on July 17 this year Britain. to He was echoed by President There stocks and shares continue Nixon, who warned that the US would not be allowed their plunge downwards- -a sig- economy Tories difficulties the that big suffer because of nal to business in Britain and Europe. He called have action must for an 'orderly' conduct of push down costs, wages and the our living standards of the working economic affairs: (See internal p. 2.) class. of pres- These are the people the Tories The other big source sure is from the City of London.

listen to, not the union leaders

SLETTER • WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 27, 1

CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE S

BY THE EDITOR

task is to create the condi- tions to make the government resign. This approach sometimes brings us into conflict with sections of workers, such as at the upper Clyde shipyards. The workers there, through such misleadership, were mobilized behind a reformist 'work-in' which in the end simply added to the growing army of unemployed in the west of Scotland. The fog of such dangerous confusion is rapidly clearing as the policies of Workers Press being right in proved are practice. Our job is to tell the truth at all times to the work- ing class, no matter how un- palatable it might be. Here lies the real source of our strength. Our readers give unswerving support to their they have because paper learned to rely politically on its analyses and policies.

UC LEADERS

on the TUC delegation who chatter about economic growth and planned expansion of in- comes. Already the big employers have spelt out what the joint initiative between the Confederation of

TURN TO PAGE 11

BER 27, 1972 • No. 879 • 4p

THE SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

will play a predominant role Over the three years our Fighting Fund has steadily in- in building the mass party.

The All Trades Unions creased. Every month it has Alliance Conference, to be held been completed on time, even though, as in the case of this in Birmingham on October 22, we have had a tough will be major step forward month, battle hands during in this direction. the last few success of the weekly days. Our readers The Young 'Keep have never let us down. Socialist paper Now, Left' emphasizes the thres- that the hold of the most important six months in the history of the In Saturday's working class and the trade

WORKERS PRESS

union movement since the end of the war. Alex Mitchell will write about During these vital months the future plans to develop the Tories plan to enter the Workers Press. Common Market, preparing for it by raising rents, prices and See that we have a record unemployment. None of us can sale. All inquiries to afford to sit back for a single 01-622 7029 minute. Increasing the circulation of youth are at their post in the Workers Press is absolutely for essential. This task is vanguard of the struggle an part of the struggle revolutionary Marxism. integral The Socialist Labour League which is under to now way is proceeding firmly, just as it transform the Socialist Labour League did when it launched the cam- into a revolutionary Workers paign for the daily party. Press, to transform itself into a Of course, in practice, this revolutionary party of trained this party could not be, at cadres. stage, a mass party. It is really impossible to do It would be a party in which hundreds of new cadres would justice in thanking those who over the have supported be recruited and trained as a us past three years. result of their present-day experience with the Tory gov- Let us just say: Thank you Comrades. ernment. It is these cadres who • Mangal miss in TEXTILE workers facing redun- dancy in Great Yarmouth yester- picketed day afternoon the London headquarters of the through a crisis? Carrington Viyella group of com- Negotiations with local man- panies. the former Gains- agement at borough Cornard factory in Great Earlier they visited the group's Yarmouth begin today and shop Sudbury, Suffolk, factory to rally to demand first support for their two-week-old stewards are and foremost an extension of the sit-in. We went to let them know end-of-the-month deadline for the they could be facing the same redundancies. 'Regardless of what happens, in the future, situation near we propose to stand firm.

Every- Dave Arnold. of the convenor one has to demand the right to involved in the sit- 340 workers no to monopolies Workers Press. "The work and say in, told like ICI,' added Dave Arnold.

whole of the industry is going

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Wednesday Septer

BY OUR OWN

CORRESPONDENT

PRODUCTION was at a standstill yesterday at the Vigo, Citröen factory • in northern Spain, despite the to work of large return numbers of strikers. Over 1,000 carworkers are still defying management and police Sympathy threats. strikes in the shipyards are also continuing. Workers in the Santo Domingo plant, who ended their strike yesterday, sat on their jobs with arms folded.

A military tribunal began the interrogation of two militants of the terrorist Catalan Libera- tion Front in Barcelona on Mon- day. Carlos Soler, a 22-year-old taxi driver, and Ramon Lopez, a 33- year-old textile worker, were arrested last May with seven other members of the Front on 28 charges of terrorism and the murder of a Civil Guard. Both Soler and Lopez have been tortured and Lopez is suffering from a badly-bruised spine. The military attorney has called for sentences of 205 and 185 years respectively. However, it is probable that the men will be given death sentences.

The Liberation is Front a Maoist tendency which is fight- ing for the independence of Catalan speaking regions-Cata- lonia, Valencia, the Balearic islands and Roussillon-through 'armed struggle' Barcelona's civil governor has claimed that the arrest of the nine guerrillas has broken up the group. In Bonn, Prince Juan Carlos, his wife, Sophia, and foreign ninister Lopez Bravo, are or a four-day official visit to western Germany. The visit, described by the Spanish 'the first press as Spanish-German summit since Franco met Hitler' • 1s connectec with a new treaty between Bonr and Madrid which will protect the considerable investments of German finance in the Spanish tourist and chemical industries.

LATEST reports from Moscow indicate that the late grain harvest in Siberia, Kazhakstan and the southern Urals which was counted on to make up for the disastrous crop in other areas is itself threatened by mismanagement and bad weather. wheat-growing The traditional areas of European Russia have already produced stunted, a scorched crop, forcing the USSR to buy more than $1,000m-worth of grain from the US, France and Canada. The Kremlin leaders had hoped that the harvest in the Asian wheat areas, which ripens.

the losses in later, would offset the west. Earlier this month, the Com- munist Party secretary himself, Leonid Brezhney, toured local to exhort bec party organizations low-level managers to greater sno efforts. His trip appears to have been in the Soviet wasted: reports Press paint a picture of chaos, mismanagement and demoraliza- tion in the areas where the har- vest is now in progress. A front-page article in the CP daily "Pravda' on Monday told lay September 27, 1972 UNION CHIEFS would be unable to continue their treacherous talks with the Tories for a minute without help from the Stalinists of the British Com- munist Party. Prices, rents and transport costs are all on the increase. Even threshold to cross of Chequers in this situation, as they did again yesterday, TUC leaders need valve for growing anger. The Stalinists oblige.

Yesterday's 'Morning Star' dis- covered a 'danger ... that the government will try to smuggle the old discredited through and detested wage restraint in Bu a new form of disguise'. paper pointed out The although the TUC conference month opposed earlier this wage restraint in any form it totally reject the not possibility of accepting an in- comes policy. If this discovery serves to alert Communist Party even one militant to the real nature of the Chequers talks, Workers Press will be happy. But we feel bound to point out certain additional facts. of wet grain lying in the Siberian fields with workers hesitating to thresh it, of shortages of dryers thir at grain elevators and of trucks wasting time in line because of poor scheduling. Siberian grain was up_to 12 late in ripening, 'Pravda' days said, and as soon as the harvest began, it started to rain.

Wet at harvest time grain means a great risk that the grain will spoil, however abundant the crop. In the virgin lands of Kazhak- stan, 'Pravda' said, wet snow had fallen and the harvesting had to be stopped with 85 per cent of the wheat lying in stooks in the fields. The paper accused workers because holding back the grain was 'heavy and wet'.

It said top speed was essential because of the threat of further ater snow. 'Pravda' blamed bad organiza- tion for the lagging harvest. Wet grain was being sent direct to had no drying elevators which facilities. In other cases, wheat was piling up at railway sidings because less than half as many wagons as required had been told provided. Voting on the resolution referred to by the 'Star' was unanimous and there were no amend- ments, addendums or additional emergency motions. This means that every Com- munist Party member in the conference voted for the motion in question. It means that not a single CP union leader lifted a finger to amend the motion. True the 'Star' wagged a warning finger the following day, when it was all over, saying the motion have should really called for the TUC-Heath talks to be broken off. But what happened on the day itself? Eddie Marsden, the construc- tional engineers' leader and a member of the CP executive, said there was 'considerable worry' in the movement that wage restraint could be the outcome of the talks. But neither he nor any other CP member fought for the demand that the talks be broken off.

What is more, the Party and its fellow-travellers at the Con- gress had already participated in a squalid to manoeuvre PRESIDENT Nixon's speech 1 ington is a further demonstrat and trade questions. Addressit ing, Nixon made it clear to Ar with US demands for a new es ments. Behind the highflown phr massive economic retaliation a agree to shoulder the burden o Chelyabinsk in the southern Urals less than of the harvest Chaotic transport conditions are partly responsible: in the Kizil- sky area, only 78 of 300 available trucks were in use and many had broken down. Less than half the 255 tractor- trailers alloted to the Agapovski region were in use. Spare parts outlets are jammed with vehicles: in one case a truck needed in the fields was sent more than 100 kilometres to fetch a single ball- bearing. 'Pravda' said a fleet of 11.5 unaccountably trucks sent on a 1,2000-kilometre errand pick up lumber when the vehicles were needed to carry instances of bureaucratic mise management, the Kremlin lead- ers are plainly seeking scapegoats for the overall failure of their agricultural policy. But while local inefficiency plays its part the prime respon- sibility for the grain crisis lies in the criminal policies of the centre-above all the pursuit of country, "socialism in single which lies at the root of Stalinist agricultural policy. CP's left cover for Chequers talks ditch from the agenda the one resolution which could have focused opposition talks: a move from the cinema technicians for a compaign to bring the Tories down and elect Labour pledged to socialist policies.

Two days after the TUC debate economic policy, Marsden of the réported to a meetll Congres Party executive that had totally rejected wage. any talks with the CBI and the pover ment restricting wage increases.

It did call however, of talks with the breaking off tne government, ne said. could provide loophole for the manoeuvre. right win added But, soothingly, 'vigilance and _readiness take militant action by the can frustrate such manoelvIes. This where the construction is of a 'left' cover for the talks, the building of a safety-valve, begins. Ea Waxed bisquent Maut had eloquent waxed about in the TUC were successes "s "a tribute to the validity of ...

Terse warning by Nixon at IMF Europe must toe PRESIDENT Nixon's speech to the capitalist world's finance ministers in Wash.

ington is a further demonstration of America's unbending and trade questions. Addressing the International Monetary Fund's annual meet- ing, Nixon made it clear to America's competitors that they must fall into line tailored to Behind the highflown phrases about making history is the crudest threat of massive economic retaliation against European and japanese capitalists unless they agree to shoulder the burden of the international crisis.

The President's speech was in marked contrast with director-general Pierre- Schweitzer, Special increase Drawing Rights. allocations within the work of Bretton Woods sysicill Nixon wants a complete overturn of the present mone- tary set-up which he claims is biased against American inter of the ests: world The resti must accept a completely new face economic war system or with the US. Nixon's terse conclusion contained heeha Later the threat: this week Secretary Schultz (the US Treasury Secretary) will out- of line a number proposals the represent best thinking of my economic ad.

visers-1 commend these for careful consideration.'

you strained relations be- tween the US and the rest of the world were demonstrated from the floor when delegates heartily applauded Schweitzer while giving Nixon burst of than a pertunctory clapping. Schweitzer, wnose re-elec. tion next year is being opposed by the United States, has be- come a symbol of the struggle between Europe and America.

In his speech Nixon specifi- linked cally question with trade and em- and warned other countries against taking pro- LeCUOISl measures America's exports. the British Road to Socialism', Joseph Stalin's* 1951 blueprint for class-collaboration in Britain. Then he started to take the heat out of the demand that the TUC-Heath talks are broken off-and to let the union chiefs off the hook-by saying that militant action will be used.

So by yesterday the 'Star' was able to drop the demand for the talks to be broken off, under cover of an editorial statement that they could be cancelled if TUC secretary Vic- tor Feather so wished. This is Stalinism in action. It demonstrates the real, counter- of the revolutionary nature 'British Road to Socialism'.

And it proves_that those in the Communist Party who want to fight the danger of an incomes policy cannot do so unless they break from these utterly treacherous politics.

*As Nikita Khrushchev told the East German Socialist Unity Party conference in 1963, it was Stalin himself who first proposed the 'British Road'.

Id's finance ministers in Wash- bending stance on monetary Monetary Fund's annual meet- that they must fall into line red to Washington's require.

history is the crudest threat of - Japanese capitalists unless they He made great play with the fact that America was the only industrial nation which did not owe much of its post-war growth to the expansion of world trade. 'We want our working men and women and our business- men and women to have a fair chance to compete for their share of the expanding world trade between nations, he said. to the Bretton Referring; Woods monetary agreement of 1944, Nixon said: 'A genera- tion ago we deliberately set out to help our former enemies well as our weakened as allies so that they could gain the economic strength which would enable them to com- pete with us in world markets.

'Now we expect our trading partners to bring about equal competition.' Later he said: I will not condone the export of jobs out of the United States caused by an unfairness built into the world's trading system.' This refers to the Common Market's agricultural protec- tion and non-tariff barriers to which the US has taken such sharp exception over the last year. Instead of exporting jobs, as he puts it, Nixon is in reality talking about the export of unemployment. Nixon has given nothing away at the Washington meet- ing: his speech is a declara- tion that the • economic war goes on and that Europe must bear the brunt.

Turmoil at Tyne yards: Boilermakers out Electricity prices up

BY IAN YEATS

YESTERDAY'S No vote to Common Market entry in Norway has prompted British politicians to renew their demands for some similar test of public opinion here.

Labour's Anthony Wedg- wood Benn has called for a referendum and Enoch Powell has said that many Britons will feel envious of a country where the public has the means of seeing their wishes respected.

In a heavy 75-per-cent poll final figures showed that 52.5 per , cent had voted against Norway's 47.5 per cent entry and favour. With the exception of 12 MPs the minority Labour government of Trygve Bratteli backed Com- mon Market entry, so will now resign. The Bratteli government had the support of the trade unions, the Conservative Party, at least Norweglan buttonhole A "No' the badge saying to

EEC

half the parliamentary opposition and all Norway's businessmen.

But as the votes poured into counting the Oslo centre on Monday night, it became clear the farming and fishing that Norwunit ands tale seeds were Norway's giving the thumbs down to entry.

The 'No' vote means that certainly Norway will almost have to devalue the kroner to maintain her export position in the face of stiff competition from the EEC countries. The outcome of the referen- dum poses Norway with a for- midable political crisis.

Under the Constitution, parlia- ment cannot resign until the next election in September 1973.

added complication, As an most of the opposition favours EEC entry and would therefore be in no position to form an alternative government. Norwegian is The vote expected to influence a similar referendum due to be held in Denmark next week. A 'No' vote there would also involve devaluation, since a from the Common exclusion entail Denmark Market will losing important British the dairy pro- market for bacon and ducts and therefore being unable to finance the balance-of-pay- ments deficit it has run for the past decade. Immediately the result was known, Prime Minister Jens Otto Krag ordered the stock exchange to shut until October 2 when parliament reassembles after the summer recess. The decision to close the exchange followed a run on the kroner triggered by devaluation rumours. Pro-Market politicians in both countries claim the effect of staying will mean severe out fiscal restraint at home, coupled with unemployment and depressed living standards.

Workers Press, Wednesday September 27, 1972 PAGE 3 the same in shipbuilding- Discussions centred THE 700 draughtsmen in no sign of a break in the turned down on a majority have had to be shelved agreeing common wage deadlock. cost-oi-living the Tyne shipbuilding vOLe for oner or tl.u a week

TONI

SLL

They demanding In any case, the yards of Swan H unter are However, they ruled out repairers with C aser. cent, £4.72 a fostered the Confedera- 17 per were back at work yes- strike action trades the same basic immediate and tion of and last CoSCO-IVI Tüse unions terday. On Monday they decided 4110 mustead LalEo week rejected pleas by Unions' vne bngineerlng forward their claim to the wage dISCuc sem eneil held separate meetings to president Dan committee has not union negotiating the banner of the next stage under consider urudettyn Naarvey

TCLUI

district committee oroccuurei work. bollermakers union. offer and took the boilermakers- witn The boler. To makers still out on strike, While the other who always enjoyed rest of the day off. complete the unrest nave union leaders' unions on the district com- higher rate of than by Hunter, local plans Meanwhile the strike shop owal been other trades have Swan Hunter's 3,800 mittee mel Shiprepair em stewards representing 0,000 To endorte acomadrda boilermakers its outfitting ancillary policy in Tyne shiprepair ployers and cre vulrry Tune hnaoe te accept wue Lat yards - with of boilermakers were absent.

rate system. earlier this week prospects fourth week vesterday with

WULACIS

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

ELECTRICITY prices should rise 'at the first opportunity, says the Elec- Council in its annual report tricity yesterday. It is expected that the in- will come early in November creases when the CBI's so-called "freeze' dis- prices is continued. Informed have sources already speculated that domestic charges will go up by only 2 per cent - as a public relations gesture And the further 7.5 per cent will while industrial users

NCB

in the increase imposed bI have their bill raised by 15

CEGB

March woula cost tne per cent. £27m during 1972- This huge increase the In further punchline T'here is a industrial wil mean a in the council's small print. sharp rise in costs throughout shows that all area boards industry which will in turn be electricity coun- pelonzils lo unt passed on to the consumer.

operating cil made

SDTOTEIS

losses were only incurred after a simultaneous release the were allocated. interest charges Central Electricity Generating Board of £9.4m the Noi shows protit

CHUSI

caoL luU debt each year by huge repay- for 1971-1972 while the council's ments to the original owners, annual report discioses that tne also electricity supply industry Miners plckets at station biamed by

CEGB.

Meanwhile elecuriili

HMUOLI S

England and Wales lost bloodsucked crippling vtne biksan operating profits are wiped out by gigantic and WIl Ill insurance brokers. male reasons. says charges the council, were an unparalleled At yesterday's press confer- succession of cost increases and the Electricity Council try itself had no part, burden- ence try was virtually in a 'state of said lIeC chairman, Sir Peter Menzies, electricity during the miners' strike.

some for consumers siege' restraint. potentially damaging. to the price and the probiem the The board reports that The board that acute He revealed that In- caled savs nelS ls

•TOSOCCLS

were 8 below its fore- industry again became embroiled dustries Minister Tom Boardman per increasingly competitive energy 'settled parties' disputes called other market.' Cobt 101 ace bre COHE o lcd framework' the increased charges. Wit0ln WNCa WOle nave

UDUL

handsome very different role from its tradi- The report pays 'meaningful pricing progress' The minister has asked for the who tional one of public service.

could be made. Toule lo ce the deferment until out- allel worked on in power STaTO The annual report says: Whilst come between

NCB

Tone 'During the no during the strike, thus inflictin strike upward government, the

TUC

and the it is that an coal was moved to acceolcu greater hardships

DUW CI

on miners and

CBI.

revision picketing

COT

prices scale but miners The revort sav staliuls. Their Iamilles Sir Peter 'A required cannot be implemented wamiet. them obstructed the highway and the staff showed *resource, council firmly major part of the unpalatable all the once, cut off supplies other tenacity and ingenuity. OI truth is that at some time, and believed essential materials. The industry н ovoc 'Quite irrespective of the

SOULCI

ralle was virtually in a state ot slege.

its than later, electricity prices must miners "The board had dispute cussions, fundamental reappraisal be put right? with the NUM or the NCB, but of coal's place in the energy pic 'Domestic electricity prices the miners singled out electricity overdue at th the athre Was autcd aver past public service beginning of 1972 supply increased by considerably less a Vilal and deliberately hampered Complaining about increased than other prices.

ITS

operations as means of exert- costs, the council's report blames *So we ar now in a situation acceptance ing pressure towards coal prices by. the where electricity for most of our largest individual domestic consumers is being sold or tnelr demanas lor mncicasca wages. cost? increase to the CUGB's costs them below 'It intolerable situa- The price of coal supplied to Domestic electricity prices hac was an power stations had increased by been subjected to severe re- tion electricity supply tor the straint for period which had inaustry, a nanonwide service, „o „n ợà become a battleground or arena £25.8m to long, the 19/1-19/ …THe asteren _been LO0 claimed. for a dispute in which the indus.

bill.

NOW OPEN

Mon, Tues, Wed, Thurs 9 a.m.-6 p.m Fri 9 a.m.-7.30 p.m. Sat 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Councll chairman Sir

BOOKS • PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

Peter Menzies presented yesterday's report Friday-9 a.m.-7.30 p.m. that direction needs to be made at the first discipline working

CHARLOTTE ST

restored nnancial targels can De the morale of management main- and further developments tained sensible with Lake place corporate planning and colerent marketing policies. £165m alsu sdys claim was made to the coverll-

GOODGE ST

ment ion tor tos are fo core

& TUBE.

loss due price pensation has yet resual. Dul

TOTTENHAM CT RD

been agreed. And in part of the another eport the CEGB, which operates the major power stations in land and Wales, says the indus-

THE BETRAYAL AFTER THE

GENERAL STRIKE

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Wednesday Sept Part 25 of a series on Picketin The questions raised by the dockers' action over containerization are vital to all workers. The con- tinuous elimination of jobs by modernization and automation is not an isolated development peculiar to the docks' industry, as workers in steel, engineering, ship- building, railways, the Post Office and practi- cally every other industry are finding. the lefts' have However, abandoned any struggle with the ruling class in defence of jobs and are supporting TUC discussions with the Tories on how to police the working class while jobs and wages are attacked. The get-together in the shadow of the Industrial Rela- certain tions Act has a parallel with the situation of 1927. Then, the Tories had barely passed the vicious anti- union Trade Disputes and Trade Union Act when the TUC took up discussions with the employers in the notorious Mond-Turner talks-so named after their joint promoters- Sir Alfred Mond, head of ICI, and Ben Turner, TUC presi- dent. Even evidence of Sir Alfred Mond's fascist leanings could not dissuade the TUC from collaborating with employers to bring about 'rationaliza- tion and greater efficiency in industry' Walter Citrine, the TUC's secretary said at the 1928 Congress: 'Supposing that the statement had been true, and that he had associated himself with fascism, would that have been a logical ground on which down discussion?' to break Union Congress (Trades report, 1928.) Now the situation of the working class is different. The crisis is more fundamental, with wider ramifications than in 1928, when the workers had suffered an overwhelming defeat two years earlier in the General Strike, as opposed to their immense and undefeated power, for example, as shown recent miners' in the „strike, the rail ballot and the dockers' action to defend their right to . work. The Communist Party's role in attempting to give validity to the actions of the 'lefts' in attempting to discredit the Socialists 'Right-to- Young Work' marches, in opposing and inhibiting the setting-up of Councils of Action to lead the struggle against the Tories . in shelving the demands and industry control instead, replacing it with a call for more militancy against the Industrial Relations Act-con- a dangerous stitutes pro- gramme for the working class.

The International Socialism group, too, considers that: 'The prime duty of a picket is to be effective ON THE STREET, to be at the fore- immediate front of the struggle. He is of little use to our cause behind bars, or which could attracting fines drain union funds. If we can- not win the battle on the picket lines, we shall certainly fare no better in the bosses' courts' ('Why We Must Win 'Social- the Picket-line Fights' ist Worker, March il, 1972.)

sday September 27, 1972 icketing by Bernard Franks Тор: :contalnerization and auto mation. Above: Citrine. Walter In this period of capitalist crisis, when a major political offensive is being launched strikers,. pickets and against the unions, allegiance to milit- invites defeat. ancy alone Firstly, since the Tories have now directly placed . the full power of the state acting through the courts, police and Industrial Relations Act behind every employer-however tin- pot or bumbling any struggle which does not have a poli- tical basis in linking all other Tory workers to force the government to resign stands in danger of being isolated and overwhelmed. Secondly, the attack on jobs based on modernization and automation cannot be solved by militancy to force employ- ers to hand over jobs. On this basis alone the most militant section of workers may suc- cessfully end up with lion's share of the dwindling number of jobs, but this will be as much at the expense of fellow workers — and fellow trade unionists-as that of the employers. Without nationalization of industry under workers' con- and without compensa- trol tion, the employers are always in a position to use machines jobs instead of to eliminate using them to shorten hours improve employment, wages and conditions. Above: 1927. Ben Turner, TUC presider The nationalization demand, unites all workers in the indus- try on the basis that employers unable to use great the advances of science and tech- nology for the good of the working class must have these means of production taken from them to be owned and run by the class better able to do so. class-conscious For the worker the present situation requires: The need to show the poli- tical nature of strikes, rent and welfare struggles brought on by the Tory government's action to solve the crisis at the expense of the working political fight is essential. This class; the need to show that a is not in any way a purely pro- pagandist undertaking. The use of injunctions, of spies and informers for the NIRC and the 'fair rents' schemes, the backing given to company unions and the police harass- ment of picket lines are all fact, a part of every now a struggle. • president and Sir Alfred Mond, head of ICI • The need to expose the treachery of the reformist lead- ership, that union leaders con- sorting with Heath and • the employers, and Labour leaders consorting with the Tory poli- ticians, are not going to lead a successful struggle on behalf of workers. • The need to fight for nationalization of industry, land, and the banks without compensation and under work- control. Sit-ins and occupation of factories, offices and sites con- stitute an important step in this direction as they are a direct challenge to the bosses' ownership and control of the means of production; more so than picketing alone which leaves the boss in charge, if not in operation. This does not apply to 'work-ins' which, if successful, would even workers' merely confirm the right to be exploited for the continuance of the employers' profit and the employers' right cut the workforce and to which can produce the strange situation of workers complet- ing the boss's contracts with- out him paying any wages at The need to build Councils of Action which will unite the working class in the General Strike to defeat the Tory offen- sive and bring to power a Lab- our government pledged to implementing socialist policies Stalinism no longer in such a position to betray the working class as it did with its subservience to the trade unior leadership the General Strike. The Socialist Labour League's determination to con- struct' the revolutionary party with its daily paper and its consistent struggle for political and Marxist consciousness theory workers van- guard is itself the major factos in prohibiting the repetition of such actions

TOMORROW: COUNCILS OF

ACTION

RUMANIA MOVES FOR

MONETARY PACT

BY JOHN SPENCER

The adhesion of Rumania the International to Monetary Fund and the World Bank is an im- portant milestone in the economic relations between the East Euro- pean Stalinists and im- perialism. application The Rumanian has been welcomed by all the big capitalist countries which dominate the Bank and the Fund. Rumania is thus certain of joining Yugoslavia in IMF membership ... with all that this implies. Stalinist leaders The of other East European countries, notably Poland and Hungary. are reported to be considering similar action, though they have so far been restrained by the Soviet Union. By contrast with these two countries Rumania has tended to follow a more 'independent' course over the last few years, though it remains a member of and the the Warsaw Pact Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (Comecon), the Soviet-dominated trade bloc.

STATUS

Rumania's leader Nicolae Ceausescu has tried to keep his distance from the Soviet Union by maintaining cordial relations with China and by leaning towards the Common Market, with which Rumania enjoys preferential trading status. This allows the bureaucracy to free itself to some extent from the impositions of the Soviet Stalinists who have always subordinated the East European states to their own bureaucratic requirements.

In the past this has created big problems for the East European economies, where certain industries have been developed disproportionately to provide for Soviet require- ments while others have been artificially held back. and his fellow- Ceausescu bureaucrats, like their counter- parts all over Eastern Europe, subscribe to the basic Stalinist thesis that 'socialism' can i be built within the confines of a single country. In reality this is a reaction- ary Utopia: cut off from the centres of industrial develop- in the metropolitan ment capitalist countries, the states of Eastern Europe, including the Soviet Union, cannot over- inherited back- come the wardness of both industry and agriculture without the work- in the west taking ing class power. The 'theory' of socialism in a single country has become a for the pursuit of its cover own interests by a bureaucratic clique, which has usurped con- workers' trol of the state and disfranchised apparatus the working class of political power. Acting in their own bureau- cratic interests, the Stalinists constantly endanger the gains of the working class and their counter-revolutionary policies threaten the very existence of the workers' states as such.

Rumania's of lack developed industrial base is compounded by the misman- agement of the bureaucracy, to call into which is unable play the workers' independent capacity for struggle. So in order to secure the illusion of a greater degree of independence . Moscow, from the Rumanian Stalinists are forced to make major con- imperialists. cessions to the , the World Bank and Joining the IMF is one of these. The Bank and the Fund were founded at the Bretton Woods international monetary conference of 1944. The Soviet Union did not take part. The IMF was set up to regulate the capitalist monetary system established at that conference on the basis of the dollar's link with gold Member-countries contri- buted to a central money assist countries treasury to with balance-of-payments diffi- same time culties and at the they agreed to abide by IMF rules in trading and exchange relations. rules include as These requirement that prime countries' currencies must be made convertible one with another and that the member- countries must try as far as maintain possible to their sed currencies within established parity limits. This meant that in order, for example, to rectify balance- of-payments deficits, IMF expected members to were curb consumption at home in reduce imports and order to bring their currencies in line, by such measures as wage- freezing, increased taxation or credit squeeze. of The primary purpose these rules was to maintain the supremacy of the dollar as the symbol of US imperialism all over the capitalist world and Workers Press, Wednesda petro-chemical Modern Top: plant, though most industry lags behind West. Above: Ceausescu to open up all the member- to the penetration of states imperialist trade and capital.

In the so-called developing countries this was backed up by the activity of the World Bank which became one of the main agencies for inflicting 'aid' on the colonies and semi- colonies of Africa, Asia and Latin America. The Bank, currently headed by Robert McNamara, former Vietnam aide of ex-President Johnson, channels investment under various disguises from the metropolitan countries into the underdeveloped countries, which, since World War,!!

acquired a crippling have burden of debts. Stalinists The Rumanian hope to acquire 'aid' in the form of low-interest loans from the Bank-the burden of in- terest payments to be borne by the Rumanian working class.

CONTINUED TOMORROW

Wednesday September 27, 1972 PAGE 5 foreign Amid rising for a revalua- pressure tion of the yen, the Jap- anese government has released balance-of-pay. ments figures showing a $560m surplus for August compared with only $402m in July. These figures are down on last year's level and are dis- torted by the effects of the seamen's prolonged strike which delayed many export and import items. But they show that the 16.8 revaluation per cent yen enforced last December has failed to slash the surplus by anything like the amount demanded overseas. Idle ships in seamen's strike.

Shigeo Horie, former presi- dent of the Bank of Japan, has said that another yen revalua- is inevitable and the tion opinion is echoed in circles close to the Finance Ministry.

Horie said the Common Market countries, with co- operation from the United States, could be expected to reinforce pressure on Japan for a yen revaluation. Another would revaluation not desirable for the Japanese economy, but it would be more advisable than economic isola- tion, Horie said. Major business interests are opposed both to the prospect revaluation and to any effective alternative measures to cut exports and reduce the Industry surplus. payments firmly rejects export taxes, are opposed farmers to increased import quotas for foodstuffs and small business- men are blocking government moves to streamline the distri- bution system and open up foreign internal markets to goods. Many sections of heavy industry, already badly hit by the December measures, are firmly against another revalua- tion. Hirokichi Yoshiyama, pre- sident of Hitachi Ltd, Japan's largest heavy electrical com- recently that 'all said pany, means' should be used to resist a further revaluation.

Yoshiyama favours 'orderly marketing' as the best way to avoid revaluation, but govern- ment circles say the 'orderly marketing' organization set up by the big employers has done nothing of substance to regu- late exports and does not plan to. The big business organiza- denies the tion Keidanren charge, but its critics say that what is done is too little too The latest balance-of- late. payments figures are certain to the proponents of weaken orderly marketing and strength the demand for al early yen revaluation.

PAGE 6 Workers Press, Wednesday September 27, 1972

BY ALEX MITCHELL

There is an unbeatable barometer to gauge the political temperature at Tory party conferences. You simply turn to the on the agenda section which is headed 'Free- dom under the law'. The title to this section is The deliberately ambiguous. public-relations advisers to the Tory Party feel that 'Free- dom under the law' creates a the better impression with middle-class voters than 'law and order'. But 'Freedom under the law' or 'Law and order', the mes- It is the sec- sage is the same. tion of the conference agenda where the hangers and floggers are permitted to give voice.

The debate is traditionally slotted on the morning session of the first day. This year the Heathmen—he has a rich coterie of well-salaried young who now work fulltime men the government's and his own image--have put law and order immediately after a discussion heart-warming on the and the environment quality of life. 'The idea said one con- ference-watcher from Fleet Street, is to the soften up television audience with sure that whenever trade union debate which shows the Tories officials act illegally, particu- aishe party the with humanity. larly during the course _ot in- get in the afternoon dustrial the police be action, with glamorous pic- papers instructed and encouraged by of Peter Walker, And tures the Home Secretary to ensure then, when nobody's watching, that prosecutions take place, they'll let the hounds out to and not allow the law to be bay about law and order. flouted wholesale, as it was This year's agenda contains during the miners' dispute than 71 resolutions The dockers come in for a no less dealing with the subiect of hammering from the rednecks criminals, hooligans, y vandals. of Cheadle: 'That this confer- and, terrorists same ence views with deep concern category, strikers. This is more the apparent retrogression in than number last year the tho enforcement of law and and. more importantly, the order as exemplified, inter alia, vehemence of these reactionary by the non-prosecution of cer- tain dockers' leaders, and re- demands now extends to in- clude industrial conflicts.

quests Her Majesty's govern- the Tories of ment to adopt a positive policy n this respect, as pledged be this subiect: con- fore the 970 Genera Elec- ference tion' is disturbed bi the rowing tendency of authorit Separate resolutions from to bow to the excessive de- Wokingham and Wrexham call mands of vociferous pressure on the government to 'remain groups such as the the face of utterly firm' in Farm and Liverpool dockers. strike action and to introduce and to its apparently turning new laws to deal with these a blind. eve to the blatantly 'undemocratic groups'. illegal acts of organized groups The Attorney-General Sir such as Ulster rents strikers.

Peter Rawlinson, has already Brent East is also in the given backing to these senti- forefront of this new anti- ments by equating picketing offensive. 'That this worker with 'violence'. In a speech to conference calls Her of Wimbledon upon meeting Majesty's government to Tories last Thursday, Rawlin- son said picketing had now be- come widely interpreted 'as a licence to intimidate and de- stroy'. 'If violent picketing or "heavy picketing" was to be- "come an accepted feature of Britain's industrial scene, then we should have taken a long along the road step to anarchy,' he said. And he added that the government had done and 'will do all that it can . to avert such a danger' Twelve constituency parties hanging reintroduced. want These resolutions come from some of the hairiest Tory patches in the country-Orms- kirk (that's Monday Clubber Harold Soref's seat), Truro, North Cornwall, Dover and Deal and The Wrekin. Then there is a barrage of opinion supporting the birch.

South West Hertfordshire wants the government to birch under 18 year olds for offences of physical violence and van- dalism, while Nantwich discreetly wants to introduce a 'physical deterrent' for young offenders. There is an eccentric body of opinion in the party that believes that prison life is some sort of luxurious vaca- tion. Ashton-under-Lyne wants the government 'to reverse the tendency to pamper riminals, Hackney South and Suoreditch conditions' calls for 'Spartan in prisons while Truro urgently asks the government to cut 'all forms of luxury' at prisons.

There is a bizarre inter- vention by Carmarthen. In the midst of these other wretched suggests, the gentry of Car- marthen turn up with an idea that's as romantic as Dixon of Dock Green and just as old- fashioned. They want the con- ference to urge the govern- ment 'to bring back policemen on the beat', as it feels that the rise in crime 'is due not only to lack of discipline at home and in school, but to policemen patrolling on foot'. "Ullo, 'ullo, 'ullo!

a more sinister note, Harwich, an unregistered port, calls on the government to im- mediately recruit substantial numbers of special constables to assist the police. This is the language of the ruling class as Lett. Harold Soret, Monday Clubber and leading law and order Above: oynonent_ "remier Heath receives standing ovation at last year's Tory Hors Below ference mighton Secretary right: Ex-Home Chancellor Anthony Barber. Maudling won't this year's conference. at be it builds up its forces in pre- paration for a General Strike.

Of course, not all the law- and-order motions will be de- the floor bated on next ot month's conference. It is stage- managed better than much that. One of the broader reso- lutions has been chosen to before conference: Liverpool-Kirkdale Conserva- tive Association one which reads: "That this conference views with the greatest concern the of country increase in this isine, lawless lawlessness and vandal- ism. the government to take all action possible to reduce crime and to strengthen the law and its enforcement in order to law-abiding protect citizens and to safeguard the freedom of freedom panic rights and the resolution is a monu- This The Tories mental hypocrisy. have never been interested in safeguarding rights. They and their have pillaged ancestors and murdered throughout the world for colonial centuries. They have stolen land. raw materials and even traded in slaves pursuit of their profiteering Today they lash out at every basic right that the working dace hac ever won: the In dustrial Relations Act seeks to take away the right strike, the right to picket and black and the right of trade unions to be free of state con- trol. Every Northern Ireland Tory what the worker banwe brand of 'freedom under the law' means. It means that your right to vote is taken awav. military imprisonment rule, without trial. torture and I tho particularly British "paras'. And when the Tories speak "vandalism', they make no mention of the social vandals Workers Press, W who are stripping the assets of industry in the pursuit of huge profits. Nor do they mention the rich gents who leave new buildings vacant for years on end waiting for rents to rise and rise before letting them. The debate is a propaganda exercise against the majority of the people in this country- the working class-whom the Tories fear. It is designed to set loose a series of red her- rings about so-called soccer hooliganism, disorder and anarchy to win over the easily frightened middle class. Be- hind this smokescreen the Tories want to make further attacks on the rights of trade unionists - their right to picket for one. But they also want to pre- for their the climate pare amendments to the Criminal Justice Act which will mean an end to the police caution will bring in the ruling and that a judge may comment to the jury in his summing up that a defendant has declined to give evidence. The man putting the Liver- pool-Kirkdale resolution is Mr Michael Tinne, a retail clothier educated at Eton. Tinne is one of the thrusting or 27, 1972 PAGE 7 City of London Tories styled along the lines of Peter Walker. In 1969 he was appointed managing director of Jessel Securities, the high- flying financial conglomerate which has considerable inter- in and South Europe ests of the Africa. (A member Jessel board is none other than Toby Jessel, Tory MP). Tinne left the Jessel stable last year to start his own firm.

his speech and After the short debate there will be a - reply from the Minister re- sponsible for these matters.

He is, the of course, new Home Secretary, Robert Carr.

Certainly law and order is a familiar subject with this Minister. Before joining the Heath Cabinet he was a direc- of Securicor, Britain's tor largest private police force.

Reginald Maudling, until recently Home Secretary and deputy prime minister, was to have replied to the debate. He was forced to resign from pub- office Scotland because Yard's fraud squad has been investigate ordered to the Poulson affair with which Maudling had business connec- Commander tions. James Crane's inquiries are con- tinuing.

DEATH OF AN ASSASSIN

PAGE 8 Workers Procs, Top row left to right: Ben Barka, murdered in 1985; King By our foreign correspondent The mysterious death of Mohammed Outkir, after the recent attempted as- sassination of Morocco's King Hassan Il, has spotlighted the again murder of the country's opposition leader Ben Barka in 1965. Ben Barka was an exile in Paris. As of the secielaly Tricontinental in navana, ana Champion of anti- colonial movements, he was on his way to see material for a film the struggle in the 29, 1965, colonies on October was stopped by two when he individuals who asked for his papers. They asked him to accom- pany them. He did so and was never seen again. Round-up After Ben Barka's party, the National Popular Union Forces, had won 69 out of 144 seats in the benera necuous 1962, Oufkir, Director as General of Security, began to brigade of organize a special political police which discovered a plot-the NUPF to kill the King was plotting and establish a Republic.

NUPF

were members tortured. up imprisoned the trials which tortured. eventually followed eight NUPF leaders were condemned One of them to death. was day Septomber 27, 1972 ka, murdered in 1885; King Messen Il; Moham Ben Barka who had managed to escape to Paris. quickly Oufkir moved all opposition. In against March 1965, he sent his tanks students and against workers. Casablanca students against started a protest government cut-back measures.

unemployed Students and workers joined in a peaceful demonstration through the Government in town centre. tanks and machine guns were lined up and hundreds were murdered. On April 23, Hassan II an amnesty. Did this called include Ben • Barka? Specu- lation was rife that the king wanted to negotiate a govern- ment of national unity with him-speculation which was cut short by the kid- soon napping. A week after Ben Barka's disappearance Oufkir-who general and now was a Minister of the Interior-was in Paris. On November 3, he dined in the Moroccan Em- bassy with his protégé, Dlimi, director of Security, at a function with French officials. police denied any French responsibility for Ben Barka's removal and the French government began a huge public-relations campaign their hoping to build up as an anti-imperialist image government. On November 9, de Gaulle I; Mohammad Ounki. Bolloma row: DIlmi; Figon; wrote to Ben Barka's mother promising that he would act as rigorously as possible.

Soon, he denounced Oufkir and Dlimi. This was the beginning of a police hunt which led to several deaths, weeks of dis- cussions in the courts-and no action against those really be- hind the kidnapping. that the It was revealed kidnappers were Voitot and Souchon, police agents who, it was claimed, acted independ- their departments. ently of They were helped by Antoine Lopez, an agent Air France at Orly airport as well member of the French as a SDECE, the Service for Docu- mentation and Counter- espionage. A crook, Figon, announced that he had details which he was prepared to sell to the police or newspapers. On January 17, 1966, he was found shot dead in his flat by police who had hoped to arrest him. It was stated officially that he had committed suicide.

a petition of Meanwhile, extradition was sent to Mor- occo against Oufkir and Dlimi.

De Gaulle withdrew his ambas- sadors from Rabat and Mor- occo withdrew theirs from Paris. Whilst de Gaulle strove to maintain a radical posture, the collusion of police, counter- espionage and the French was exposed. A underworld head of police, Caille, a journ- alist, Bernier, one of the heads in Imi; Figon; Antolno Lopez, agent for At Franco.

of the Documentation service, Leroy-Finville, and the gang- sters, Boucheseishe and Leny, emerged as the plotters. On January 19, de Gaulle replaced SDECE Chief General Jacquier and reorganized the service by putting the military in charge. declara- After numerous tions from state officials police investigations, the trial finally began on September 5 with the prospect of hearing 217 wit- nesses, including Prime Minis- ter Pompidou and Minister of the Interior, Frey, but without main protagonists, Outkir and Dlimi. The tedious public hearings dragged on until on October 19. Dlimi suddenly appeared in Paris 'to defend the honour of his country. This gave an opportunity to abandon the first trial on the basis that the questioning of Dlimi would bring to light new evidence. Nineteen months after the disappearance of the Moroc- can Ben Barka trial began with the same magistrates but a differ- ent jury. Also conspicuously absent were the civil lawyers who were conducting the pro- secution. There had been five of them: three-Pierre Stibbe, Thorp and Michel Bruguier-had died in the six months between the first and the second trials, in February and March. surviving lawyers The demanded that the trial be postponed once again in order to reorganize the civil prosecu- tion. This was refused; they resigned and there was no civil prosecution in the second trial.

Dlimi's statement amounted to a defence of Morocco and a that no Moroccans had claim been involved in removing Ben Barka. The only surprise in the sec- ond trial was the verdict.

Lopez was condemned to eight years and the policeman, Sou- chon, to six years for kidnap- ping. Dlimi was absolved com- pletely also were the as majority of the accused. How- ever, the heaviest penalty-life imprisonment - was reserved for general Oufkir, a Moroccan police agent, Ctuki and all who had not been others arrested. Bourgeois justice in France had discovered a new line in its hypocritical pursuit of the murderers of Ben Barka-you set free the criminals you catch and you sentence the ones who are beyond reach. France Relations between and Morocco warmed up and before his death. General Oufkir was often to be seen in Lyons receiving treatment for an eye-disease at a specialist clinic. The sentence of life imprisonment was still valid but the French police did not want to know.

BY TOM KEMP

The worsening crisis of capitalism has world caused the pundits of the embarrassment. By ex- posing the role of reform- ism it blew holes in the policy of peaceful co- existence. It undermined the theory of state monopoly capitalism' which provided the basis for the peaceful road to socialism through an 'anti-monopoly coalition'.

In the last few months the 'Morning Star' has tried to remedy years of neglect of the economic crisis its and put readers straight with a series economics' For the most. part these articles go well-tried over the develop- ground, tracing ment of the gold standard as the basis for economic dealing between countries in the 19th century, its break-up in the inter-war period and the estab- lishment of the International Monetary Fund at the end of World War II. The main fact about the gold standard is that it was never in a true sense international.

It worked as long as Britain conserved her international financial hegemony, which she did with increasing difficulty down to 1914. As is often pointed out, the gold standard was a sterling standard, regu- lated in practice by the : Bank of England and the City of London. World War I created inter- national monetary havoc. The gold standard was suspended.

Inflation sapped the European currencies. The rise of dollar and the decline of the pound sterling as international currencies dominated the inter- war period in monetary his- tory. Britain returned to the gold standard at the pre-war parity in 1925 under the pressure of City the of London. This handicapped British exports pound was now because the over-valued. In any case the strain of trying to look the dollar in the face proved too much. Sterling was forced off gold as a result of the 1931 crisis. The gold standard of the 1920s differed from that of the pre-1914 years. It was only an international standard and it was no longer based on the hegemony of the City of Lon- don. The pre-war relationship between Europe and America had been reversed. When the Stock Market broke in New York in the autumn of 1929, the whole world was . soon plunged into the worst depres- sion in the history of capital- ism. In his account Purton does.

not emphasize these aspects sufficiently. A more serious criticism is that his treatment of international financial developments is not con- nected at all with the class struggle. You would not know that the return to gold forced the ruling class to depress wages, especially those of the miners, and that this precipi- tated the General Strike of 1926. Nor would you know how it was that capitalism survived the crisis of the 1930s. That would involve asking danger- ous questions about the role Stalinism, in Germany to begin with, then in France, Spain and other countries.

At the Bretton Woods con- ference held before the end of World War II the allied coun- tries, under the leadership of the United States, drew up a plan for the reguiation international monetary rela- tions aimed to prevent a return . to the chaos of the 1930s. The discussions and debates revealed big differences between the United States and Britain — the other capitalist countries were either in the enemy camp or too weak to have any real say—in which a compromise favourable to the former was worked out. What Purton does not bring out is that the capitalists and their financial experts feared a return to the 1930s—a post- war Slump—under conditions in which the working class was powerful and able to over- throw capitalism. If they did not in fact do so, the Stalin- ists as well as the reformists were to blame. Architect of the Bretton Woods agreement, John Maynard Keynes If Purton would investigate the position of the Communist Party he would find that it welcomed the Bretton Woods agreement and put forward policies to solve Britain's balance of payments problem within the context of a reformed capitalism. The national reformist perspective which lay behind these policies was not abandoned, but only took a different form in the 1950s and 1960s. The illusion that there was some 'solution' to the balance- of-payments problem by cut- ting overseas military expen- diture, East-West trade and so forth was always present. The Communist Party was thus unable to track the path of the coming crisis in the •world monetary system and when it assumed an open form it tried to minimize its significance.

Purton is the to monetary crisis as though it existed as a thing-in-itself on some purely 'economic plane. Thus no reckoning has to be made with •Communist Party policy at any stage. That certain 'facts' about the international monetary crisis have now , been forced upon the attention of the 'Morning Star' is only a belated recogni- tion of reality and not a sign of any political change. Indeed, Purton's articles are than a commentary no more with not even any deep analy- sis of the phenomenon he describes. How are they related to the basic contradictions of begin- capitalist production, ning with its basic unit, the commodity? We are not told.

From the way in which he presents the crisis, the reader derives the impression that it arose from a flaw in the mone- tary system. When he talks about 'basic weaknesses of the system' it is only certain aspects of the monetary mech- anism which he describes. That is to say the existence of 'hot money' which moves almost instantaneously from one monetary centre to another to make profits or avoid losses and which disrupt balance of payments and exchange rates.

At one point he speculates that an increase in the price of gold 'would help to dimin- ish the crisis in the interna- tionai monetary system, though not to cure it, because it stems from the powerful con- flicts involved in the world economic crisis of capitalism'.

Later he Trade and says: wars, arising out of currency development of the uneven capitalism, will make it very difficult to re-establish mone- harmony in the near tary future' This leaves the way open for a solution to these difficulties, if not in 'the near future, than at some later date. This kind of looseness is not merely stylistic. It reflects the difficulty which the Stalinists have in adjusting themselves to an economic situation which they did not foresee and which they would have preferred to do without. If what Purton tells us about the international monetary crisis is true, it does not leave the reformist perspective of "The British Road to Social- ism' with a leg to stand on.

Workers Press, Wednesd Friendly relations between the capitalist' revisionist, state International Socialism group and the Stalinist British Com- munist Party have reached a new pitch. In what must have been one of the most bizarre football matches of the season a team from the IS paper "Socialist Worker' thrashed an 11 turned out by the "Morning Star' 3-0.

Only the IS, acting in the traditions of English best liberalism, could have thought up such an event. Anti-Marxists to the core, the IS have abandoned the defence of the Soviet Union, designating it 'state capitalist' in line with the anti-working- class prejudices of the petty bourgeoisie. Yet the IS has inevitably found a road to the same Stalinists who presumably are a capitalist party, according to the logic of the 'theory' of state capitalism. After all, both the Stalinists anu! the IS are opposed to the construction of a revolutionary party in Britain based on the theory and practice of Marx- ism to lead the working class to the taking of state power.

In this context, a get-away- from-it-all sporting fixture be- the is tween two groups entirely understandable. It seems the south end of Liverpool docks is to go the closed-down same way as sections of the port of London.

Somebody, somewhere in the game is going to property clean up. One plan-submitted to the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company and other interested parties by estate agents Crarc Ltd-would cost £125m. The planners believe, how- ever, that finance for the residential accommodation be relatively easy would to come by. This is presumably because profits from the development would be equally certain in a city whith such a desperate housing shortage.

Any idea that the dockers , Wednesday September 27, 1972 PAGE 9 and other workers whose jobs are threatened by the south end closure would be the main are immediately beneficiaries dispelled by a glance at the They are for: luxury flats fronting King's Dock and maritime Queen's Dock; museum at Albert Dock; offices and a car park at Salthouse Dock; a sports complex at Duke's Dock; a marine zoo and aquarium at Queen's Dock; a metropolitan council cham- ber near Canning Dock and, oh yes, a housing project at Coburg Dock. is, what The question is Harry Wall OBE, the retired and General Transport Workers' Union official who sits on the MD&HCo board, going to say about this and other development plans? Always ready to rush to the detence ot Lionism, the Labour leaders as usual Jumpea intc • the Israeli the breech when • London received embassy in some explosive letters recently.

Indeed, nothing will prevent these discredited men coming down against the cause of the Palestinian peoples expelled from their homeland. Not even the fact that the Labourites were once on the receiving end themselves. In 1947 eight bombs, made up from powdered gelignite, a pencil battery and a detonator, were sent to Arthur Green- wood, Minister without Port- folio, John Strachey, Food Minister, John Freeman, then financial secretary to the War Office, and Sir Stafford Cripps, the President of the Board of Trade. Other recipients included Major-General Sir Edward Spears, former British Mini- ster to Syria and Lebanon and Sir Harold MacMichael, High Palestine Commissioner from 1938 to 1944. they had Posted in Italy, been sent by Zionist terrorists in Palestine. The bombs were all defused or exploded by ex- perts, but Sir Edward had the unfortunate experience of slicing his envelope open be- fore spotting the wires.

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PAGE 10 Workers Press, Wednesday September 27, 1972

BBC 2

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BY OUR OWN

CORRESPONDENT

STRIKE ACTION hit Plymouth naval base, Britain's biggest, for second successive the day yes. thousands Devon- terday as of port dockyard employees stayed away from work. But officials of the two unions involved, the engineers (AUEW) workers and the transport (T&GWU), said they were not the strike, instructing but added that those who did would recognized be officially and entitled to strike. All availab An AUEW official said this were was because the men the pay national supporting a substantial increase claim for 200.000 government indust- for The claim has now rial workers. been referred to arbitration.

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AN ISRAELI military tribunal has sentenced death to an Arab guerrilla who fighter tried unsuccessfully to place a firebomb in the central bus terminal of Netanya. The sentence was passed in the hospital of Ramla prison where guerrilla, Jum'ah Mahmud the Khalil, is recovering from severe burns. He was injured when his bomb exploded prematurely in his hands. Khalil, a 25-year-old teacher in the from Bayta at-Tahta Nablus area, found guilty was on three counts: being a member of Fatah; carrying a fire bomb and attempting to place it in the bus terminal. The military tribunal decided to impose the death sentence in line with a previous trial where a saboteur was sentenced to death. The prosecution had only demanded life imprisonment as Khalil's bomb had • injured no- body but himself. The of the court- savagery martial sentence is part of the Zionist witch-hunt against the Palestinian fighters which has taken on great intensity over recent weeks. WEST GERMANY and the Soviet Union are planning to co-operate in the construction of a giant steel plant north of Leningrad which would export part of its output to the west. German steel companies Thyssen, Korf and Salzgitter. They would supply the technology for the plant, which is to use the modern direct reduction process.

The first stage of the plant's construction is likely to cost up to £50m. It will meet a growing in the need for sponge iron steel industry, West German producing several million tons a year and exporting much of this to Germany. Labour A reply to some centrist critics By Cliff Slaughter All are avallablo from 186a Clapham H Or The Paperback Centre, 28 Charlotte The case for nationalization of the docks and tratsport mdustry

SEA FLAND

SEA

LAND

SOCIALIST LABOUR LEAGUE POCKET LIBRARY NO 5

By Stephen Johns and lan Yeats Price: Thirty pence AUEW's Manchester divisional organizer John Tocher: Perfect right to refuse to operate plecework system which is unacceptable

OVER 1,000

Coventry Massey-Ferguson assembly workers are likely to have no work when they return from a two-day holiday today. The production crisis at the main assembly plant at Coventry has developed since a pay dis- pute at the Manchester factory cut oft the supply of components.

Two weeks ago 600 of the 1,200 Manchester workers were suspended for refusing to operate a payment-by-results system and reverting to their basic day rates.

Union negotiators had pre- viously accepted a general pay increase of £3.57} a week for workers at Manchester on con-

FROM PAGE 1

British Industry, the government and the TUC means. After he first met the TUC, w. o. Campbell Adamson, director-general of the

CBI,

admitted bluntly that the em- ployers had an 8-per-cent guide- line for wage increases in mind.

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.

dapham High St, London SW4 7UG.

3 Charlotte St, London Wi..

Stephen Johns' and lan Yeats' timely articles on

CONTAINERIZATION

now put together in a useful pamphlet which makes vital reading for dockers and all workers fighting for the right to work. Available as below 30p dition that a joint working party investigated complaints by piece- workers that their earnings were up to £6 below those of Massey- Ferguson workers in the Mid- lands and f4 down on those in Scotland. But, say union spokesmen, the company refused to agree to any changes in the piecework system so they banned all piecework and refused to operate the Measured- Day Work system. Management then suspended the 600 men involved until they returned to 'normal' working.

A further 100 Manchester workers not involved in the dis- pute have been laid off. Lay-offs also began last week among the Since then pressure from the boardroom and the international financial community has hardened attitudes. The current figure for wage increases is 6 or 7 per cent . lower than the present increase in the cost of living. And what about the famous bid to drive down the cost of living? These are the facts. Retail prices have suddenly started to increase at a faster rate than before. The underlying wholesale increasing have been prices throughout the year. In February they were increasing 5 per cent, last month they were increasing 7.8 per cent. These price rises of course ignore the vast increases in other important items like rent. Most workers will have £1 taken out of their pockets when the new Tory rent into comes operation next week. Worse is bound to come. • The Electricity Council is pressing for a 15 per cent in- in the price oi powel crease supplied to industry (see p. 3).

Big rail fare increases are inevitable to meet British Rail's expected f40m deficit this year.

• The Road Haulage Association wants to increase rates by 10 per cent and • British Steel Corporation is also lobbying for a 15 per cent increase. These are all basic industrial costs and commodities-the effect will be a swingeing all-round rise in the cost of living. The Tories are therefore lying when they say prices have been, or will be, kept down. But yesterday's talks prove that this evidence, despite all and despite the fact unemploy- ment will go on rocketing up- wards over the million mark, the union leaders will go on operating with the Tories.

They say that this is because they want to help the lower paid.

Again this is a lie. The Tories, too, know that the union leaders will not be able to hold wages back unless the working class is seriously defeated. This is the real meaning of the talks. They are to buy this government time to create the conditions for an offensive against workers. As they slide deeper into economic crisis, the Tories will attempt to hit the working class Workers Pross, Wednesday September 27, 1972 PAGE 11 BUILDING workers from Briant's sites in Birmingham are on official strike over the implementation of the national pay settlement. Prior the strike labourers TO were receiving minimum guaran- eed earnings of £30 for 40 hours, including E10 guaranteed bonus Now the is offering company £31. In announcing the settlement National of the Federation Building Trades Employers said worker would receive that every £6 extra in his wage packet as a result. Pickets at Briant's ATV site in 5,000-strong Birmingham told Workers Press workforce at the Coventry plant and the company yesterday that they were determ- have that ined not to return to work until announced there the company paid up. little hope of work for the 1,050 Ken official Barlow, full-time assembly workers when they of the Union of Construction, from their return two-day Allied Trades Technicians, and autumn holiday today. intend said: 'We do to not the dispute, Commenting

WIPI

tolerate this attitude of Briant's.'

Manchester livisional organizer The strike, which according to of the Amalgamated Union of

UCATT

shop steward Jimmy Engineering Workers, John Lindslay involves 1,000 workers, Tocher said: 'We will not accept has been made official by the this sort of ultimatum from any union's regional committee.

Employees employer. have Contrary the to reports in perfect right to refuse to operate local all the press, company's pieceworking system which shut down sites are completely find unacceptable.' they mpany occepts have insisted apart from the ATV site. There only subcontractors and six that the workers must return to blacklegs are working. 'normal' before further working negotiations can be held. About 400 hospital workers in with mass unemployment, rocket- Gloucester yesterday began walk- ing prices, wage freeze and the outs designed to disrupt hospital Industrial Relations Act. efficiency, endangering patients, over a pay dispute.

The TUC knows very well that The workers, members of the the employers and the Tories Transport and General Workers' Phoney talk Union, want wages down. that said the campaign about the lower paid is designed intended was to encourage to fool all those workers fighting nation-wide action by the low- hard to keep their standards to paid hospital staff. give up their struggle and spare their leaders embarrassing battles with Heath. It is exactly this situation that the TUC leaders are conspiring to produce together with the most discredited of government the century. One can safely predict, there- fore, that the despite phoney friendship at Chequers yesterday the next months will be ones of THE REPORT of a committee bitter class struggle. The pace headed by Lord Franks which of this battle is not dictated by reviewed the of the operation the TUC or even the government, Official Secrets Act is to be pub- but the by economic crisis as lished on Friday. the big guns of the international Reginald Maudling, as Home capitalist community deironstrate Secretary, the set • "Pts principal tase committee every time they fire a sa'vo at 1971. in April, wasco. was to the opera- of Section tion 2 of the Act of There is only one demand the 1911 makes which unauthorized working class can make - that of any communication or receipt the TUC break off all discussion official information an offence.

with the employers and the Tory Prosecutions, however, may be government immediately. brought only with the consent of the Attorney-General. The task is to prepare now Maudling's action after for the battle. came workers coming Telegraph' had been the 'Sunday The

TUC

leadership clearly of acquitted charges brought incapable of doing this. under the Act, relating to the A new leadership must there- Biafran war. fore be built. There had also been consider- central question at the All Trades able parliamentary disquiet about Alliance the effect of the Act, particularly October in relation to the acquisition information of an official nature attend necessarily be rights must which might not this vital meeting. communicated to anyone else. Fill in the form below and send to NATIONAL

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PAGE 12 Workers Press, Wednesday September 27, 1972 the Tories and elect a Labour THE YOUNG Socialists' Right- government pledged to socialist to-Work yesterday campaigners marched the 12 miles from Hud- policies. Wakefield, Shop stewards from the ICI dersfield to nearing their trek factory at Huddersfield are also the halfway stage of Yorkshire. to meet the marchers. through Unemployment throughout the After a meeting with young consistently. high, with area is Huddersfield, workers in 1,500 workers in over Monday night, the marchers set 1,000 in Huddersfield and over for then out Dewsbury and Latest figures, Wakefield. reveal Wakefield where they were due the area as a whole that in the to meet local miners. hard-core jobless percentage of Throughout the route they re- is above the national 3.6 average.

ceived a good response to their Today the marchers out set demands for for Hemsworth. action remove

GETTING

But know will

WE'RE

dangerously we also you This end of the the fight. is close to the month never give up confident that in and we still are a long from what makes us way the next four days you can and of reaching target £1,750. our will turn the situation around for There's not a moment to lose. must be rushed September Fund. So, wher- Every donation our immediately. We must make ever possible, try and raise extra in collection our target in time. take a at We know it is a tough, uphill work, raise money everywhere we feel struggle this month, but will do it! Post every that behind our paper is your to fiaht donation immediately to: determination the Workers Press round of rent increases, the huge September Appeal Fund, large-scale rises and the price 186a Clapham High St, is unemployment, we know, London, SW4 7UG. greatly affecting all our readers. smaller in

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

allowing employers IN A TOP-LEVEL memo to dock labour released on contract recognized from and existing port employers. official dockers' leader Tim Other employers with a perma- have O'Leary appears force the TO labour outside nent demand able abandoned the to Scheme will be to open described as a "limited what is if evidence register' they give National Dock Labour the that pay and security of employ- Scheme. to that given ment is equal to The O'Leary report represents registered dockers. the official position of the Trans- there is no specific But again whether such conditions mention the future of the docks. be statutorily enforceable on will Its recommendations are bound as they are under the Scheme.

militant dockers who with this report ends to anger The immediate inclusion demand the promise: like Felixstowe under 'The intention should be clear of ports the scheme—a move which that at an early and specific date workers would force them to employ -only registered dock dock labour on dock work at reristered only. employed seven-page report is the The T&GWU's to the The inquiry response promise an non-Scheme and into the ports which the broad future for the dock in- non-scheme ports the NPC. An of the being steered by dustry was one main

T&GWU

appendix, which the weapons used by the contains leadership to call union's views on individual ports, off the recent being kept secret. dock strike. is document In the published makes mention of O'Leary no of the nationalization docks in- dustry which is his union's policy.

Instead he proposes the creation based of super-port authorities on large ports which would con- smaller within their trol ports area. O'Leary says: It is intended the that when the area that major ports will have control of that these in total is agreed, will cover the entire coast line of the British Isles future dock • allocated in which developments could take place would repeat the dangers that and mistakes of the nast, Within the port 'areas' O'Leary labour force a flexible proposes that can be moved from port to a day-to-day basis to port on smooth out surpluses and short- labour. of ages This is also likely to be un- dockers who popular with oppose this kind nomadic of working arrangement. the On the key question of Dock extension of the National Labour Scheme the memo is de- cidedly vague. of It talks giving the recog- THE WIFE of Mr Cheng Tzu- nized port authority the right to Taiwanese tsai, the taken un- facilities and close where conscious from airliner at an conditions are in conflict with London airport three weeks ago the major port authorities'. But Sweden, after extradition from it is not clear whether again won permission yesterday to re- this means facilities must employ main in Britain for 48 hours to registered dock labour only. see her husband. He was alleged Elsewhere O'Leary proposes involved have to been an Chiang assassination attempt Registered as at the Post Kai-shek's son, Taiwan's premier, a newchaner Droce Dunklichor York. when he visited New 186a High Street, SW4 with For a full interview (TU), Press 180h Street. row's Workers Press.

SW4 7UG.

BY ALEX MITCHELL

Maudling, who was then chairman of Poulson's over- of other Poulson companies, without my When asked about this docu- in Wakefield Bankruptcy ment Court yesterday, Poulson said, I recall that.? told the court that he and his solicitor had seen Maudling in London in August 1969 to demand s of £70,000 payment which he was owed. Maudling acknowledged the sum of money but didn't pay.

Poulson flared up yesterday at memorandum. Mr Muir Hunter, for the debt- ors, quoted Maudling as writing: 'He [Poulson] attended all our board meetings. His staff admin- istered our finances and he per- sonally approved all payments.' Poulson interrupted: "That is not correct. I didn't see the pay- ments.' Mr Hunter: Mr Maudling is mis- taken? Poulson: He certainly is. I don't see how I could have gone to all the board meetings. I never saw the accounts. That is ridiculous.

Mr Hunter said the 'whole question' of the relationship between Poulson and Interna- tional Technical and Construc- tion Services was raised.

Mr Hunter: Surely you must see the first question is what was the true yourself and ITCS? Poulson: We were acting as consultants for which we could claim fees. I am not a principal of ITCS. I was their consultant and did work, and I expected to be paid for it. That is why I rendered accounts. I am amazed that they have never been paid.

Before flying to the United yesterday States Maudling appeared angry about the revela- tions made during the bank- ruptcy hearing. 'I don't get a chance,' he said.

"They can say what they bloody well like about me and I don't get a chance to reply? Maudling's solicitors have issued a statement about a letter read at Monday's hearing in Wakefield in which Poulson said to Maudling that deputy Sheikh Khalil El-Khoury of the Lebanon 'wants paying' and ITCS, the make the arrangements'. The solicitors said: 'Mr Maud- no action of any kind was taken in regard to the proposal that business should done with deputy Sheikh Khalil El-Khoury Evidence was produced at yes- terday's public hearing that Christmas gifts of turkeys, drinks and flowers were sent to coun- and their wives. Mr Hunter produced a bundle of documents which contained lists of Christmas presents.

One list was called 'Cheer to Middlesbrough Office 1966'. One column was headed turkeys and the other drink. He said that of each column about half were either aldermen or councillors or local govern- ment officers. Mr Hunter said he had another list for 1966 on the notepaper of the Edinburgh office which pro- borough to surveyors, sent borough architects, hospital sec- 'and so forth'. retaries There was a list of ladies to whom flowers were to be sent in 1966. Mr Hunter said there were three They pages names. wife of a chief jus- included a tice, the wife of an alderman, the wife of a senior National Health Service officer and the mother- in-law of a senior officer.

Mr Hunter: In what circum- stances would Middlesbrough send a turkey to an alderman?

Poulson: I have no idea. Mr Hunter: Assuming a turkey there's £110 • 1966 worth of turkeys here for one office. Poulson: They would not be that price. Mr Hunter: You would not send an alderman less than a £10 turkey. Poulson's reply was inaudible.

Mr Hunter: I would have thought there was not an alderman or north-east councillor in the corner of England that Mr Poul- son does not know. Mr Hunter said that he had a letter from Mr R. P. Wilson who was in the Ministry of Social Security. He said the letter was about a test certificate for a car and he went on: "This is a car provided at your expense and registered in your name and provided to a serving officer of the Ministry of Social Security! Asked why he supplied the I have no car, Mr Hunter: Was it a fee? Poulson: It would not be. This man could not do anything.

Mr Hunter: Don't be so sure. Do terrible difficulty getting people National to put stamps on cards. Could it be a Insurance help? Poulson: No, sir. Turning to the involvement of Andrew Cunningham, a leading figure in the Labour Party and Socialist Labour League

LECTURES

THE THEORY AND

given by (SLL national secretary) Tuesday October 3

MUNICIPAL ANNEXE

well like about me and I the General and Municipal Work- Cunninghams paid for by Poulson. At previous hearings evidence was given of two holidays abroad by the Cunningham family, one of them to Portugal. At Mon- day's hearing Hunter disclosed that Cunningham had refunded the money—amounting to some £640—to the trustee in bank- ruptcy. Mr Hunter, continuing cross- examination: Do you remember I about Mr Cunning- asked you ham's holidays and you said there were three jobs but only two holidays? Do you remem- ber, you provided and paid for a holiday at the Carlton Hotel, Bournemouth, for Mr and Mrs Cunningham and their family.

Poulson: No, sir, but I obviously did. Mr Hunter: Mr Cunningham in the event couldn't go, so Mrs Cunningham took a friend. That in July 1968. was Poulson: Yes. Hunter: Did they take a third holiday for the third job? A special account opened at was the Carlton Hotel for the accom- modation of Alderman Cunning- ham and his family at your expense? Poulson: I can't remember.

Mr Hunter: Why should you pay for an alderman and a trade union leader to go and have a holiday at your expense? There must be some explanation?

Poulson: There is no explana- tion. The debtor admitted that he had been a general commissioner of the Inland Revenue and had sat as a commissioner up to the last two years. Mr Hunter: Did you sit in judgement on your fellow tax- when owing payers you were Her Majesty £200,000 odd?

Poulson: No, I had paid most of that back at that time. Public Meeting • Wages Jobs and the Fight against the Tory government Speaker: Gerry Healy, national secretary of the Socialist Labour League. Nature of the capitalist crisis Historical materialism today Sunday October 8