CAN BRING CREEPING POVERTY

THE TORY government plans creeping poverty for the working class—while wages are held down by the state. Small luxuries would have to go first, then food and clothing cut down, until finally the working-class family would be unable to make ends meet at all. Any wage increase within the Tory state limits of fl prices pressure' is bread, accordplus 4 per cent will be eaten ing to Godber. The manufacaway by rising costs within a large loaf. month. This _week, for example, the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Wor- on prices has yet to be felt. kers accepted an increase of British prices, however, must be £1.80 to £2 for supermarket workers. This means butter will be 179 How long will this 'increase cent and bread 10 per cent. be worth anything?

April sees the second stage of fix food prices at the highest the Tories' 'fair rents' Act, oppo- level proposed within the Marsition to which was sabotaged ket. For example, cereal prices by the Labour leaders and the are highest in Germany. ThereStalinists. Now many council fore the European price for house rents will go up another wheat, barley and oats are ad50p. justed to that level. Mr Anthony Beresford, President of the Food Manufacturers' Value-Added Tax (VAT) ic still Federation, has stated that fore the end of this year: MEAT will be up 12 per BUTTER 24 per cent.

SUGAR 18 per cent.

FISH 10 per cent.

DRIED EGG 20 per ce This means another 4p 5p Ib on butter and 1p 2p Ib on sugar.

All canned foods will be dearer in the near future because of a 12-per-cent rise in the cost of tinplate and higher distribution charges.

Tory Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food Joseph Godber said on Monday that the food prices peak had not yet been reached.

'The high prices for meat and cereals in the past few months, which have already affected fresh foods, still have to show their full impact on manutactured foods,' he declared.

Godber also made it clear that the go-ahead for more rises would be given under Phase Two. Applications for increases so far rejected would be reconsidered, he said.

'I would expect that in Phase Two of the policy there will have to be further rises.' The food 'under the greatest turers want a rise of lp per The full effect of BEC entry forced up to European levels.

per cent dearer, cheese 62 per Common Market policy is to Similarly, the full effect of La can to come. In the first days, some prices have fallen, but these will certainly rise again.

And the government has the power to increase and extend VAT at any time.

Meanwhile, in Britain, the retail price index published by the Department of Employment was at 172400 February 2 20, com parea witn 1/1.s on January 10, 1 71 0 and 159.8 on February 22 last year.

Early increases are expected in hotel and boarding-house charges, toilet requisites, washing powders and telephone costs. Cinemas and football matches will also cost more. Oil could rise by Ip a gallon next month and petrol by ip a gallon.

Building Society chiefs meet today and are expected to recommend that interest charges on house mortgages be raised to 10 per cent.

Higher canteen charges will hit millions of workers. And there will be more.

A government order this week on the sugar subsidy means a price increase of 1fp per lb.

But the Tories have not yet succeeded in imposing its policies on the working class.

The union leaders, supported by the Communist Party, have done all they can to dissipate the strength of the working class Ford militants critical of union lead The huge meeting at Essex, yesterday which The men voted three to given by union officials.

in isolated, piecemeal struggles and one-day protests.

They isolated the gasworkers and hospital ancillary workers and allowed the miners' strike ballot to be conducted separate from all other working-class action, while leaders like engineers' president Hugh Scanlon spoke out in favour of the Industrial Relations Act and the Tory pay laws.

The Labour Party leadership has opposed the Tories only in words, while collaborating with them in practice and tolerating within its own ranks the substantial Jenkinsite pro-Tory wing.

This creates divisions and confusion.

But it does not mean the Tories have won the battle.

The government's offensive against the working class is felt not only, in every factory, dock and pit, but in every high street in the country.

There is enormous resentment and resistance to these soaring costs. rejec Fred Ford plant, Dagenham, ted the latest pay offer. against, but no lead was APRIL £1,750 FUND NOW £13.25 IT'S A TOUGH BATTLE AS PRICES go rocketing high with VAT on top of huge increases in food and other basic items, we know that this month it will be a struggle to raise our Fund. We appreciate that you, dear readers, will feel the brunt of this attack.

But everywhere, thousands of workers will not be able to pay these huge prices while wages are legally kept down. An enormous movement must emerge to fight the Tory government. No one will allow their basic standard of living to be taken away.

In this political situation, See page 12 the trade union leaders remain silent on these issues and prepare to accept this onslaught, only our paper shows the way forward in the battle against the Tories.

Help us with a very special effort for our April Fund. We know it might mean a sacrifice, but this is the only way to fight back. Raise all you can and post immediately to:

April Appeal Fund_ 186a Clapham High Street London SW4 7UG

A WEEK after entertaining President Numeiry, butcher of the Sudanese trade union movement, the Tory government welcomed yesterday yet another infamous dictator - President Luis Echeverria Alvarez He and his wife Maria will spend three nights in the regal apartments of Windsor Castle. He was the architect of the massacre of Mexican students on the eve of the 1968 0LS31JNPR from Mexico.