Workers Press no. 821

workers press

MAUDLING GOES!

THE MAUDLING DOSSIER-The rise and fall of John Poulson-See centre pages

MAUDLING'S

REGINALD

resignation is the fifth major cabinet shake-up in Western Europe this year.

REGINALD MAUDLIN(

Secretary, resigned yester Heath told parliament tha gate the financial crash o Heath said that the Di- rector of Public Prose- cutions, Sir Norman Skelhorn, had requested the Metropolitan Police to conduct an investiga- tion and report back to him. Commander James Crane, head of the Yard's fraud squad, will be in charge of the inquiry. The new Home Secre- tary will be Robert Carr, the man who guided the Industrial Relations Act through parliament. Before the last General Election of Carr director was a Securicor Limited, Britain's largest private police force.

Maudling's resignation has been inevitable since revelations in the Wake- field bankruptcy court about the business affairs of architect Poulson. The two open hearings of the court revealed that Poulson had paid more than £330,000 in fees to various MPs, civil servants and other consultants. Maudling was chairman of one of Poulson's over- seas subsidiaries and a di- rector of several others.

time his whole At one family, including two teen- sons, held shares in age Poulson's companies. In a letter from Maud- ling which Heath read to the Commons, the ex-Home Secretary said: I took no remuneration' for the chairmanship of the export company. 'He [Poulsonl had made a covenant in favour of a charitable appeal which had my sup- port. I do not regard this either for as matter criticism or for investiga- tion.' This is a reference to the covenant which is alleged to have paid

THE MAUDLI

INCORPORA

DAILY ORGAN OF THE

ITALIAN premier E Colombo was forced to r with the whole of his cabine January 15, precipitating!

first premature General Ele since the war.

BY ALEX MITCHELL

JDLING, the deputy prime m I yesterday. In making the anno ent that Scotland Yard had bee crash of Yorkshire architect J £22,000 to the Adeline Genee theatre trust, which built a theatre in East Grinstead. The Maudlings launched the trust at a champagne party at No 11 Downing Street in 1963 when Maud- ling was Chancellor of the Exchequer. Maudling's letter went on: However, there are matters not relating to me that do require investiga- tion and I entirely agree that this should be carried out in the normal way on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions. 'We agreed that it would not be appropriate for me to continue to hold this office while the investiga- tions are being pursued in view of the fact that my name has been mentioned at the hearing.' Heath hoped that Maud- ling would be able to resume his position in the public life of this country.

He also announced that two senior civil servants named in the Poulson case had been suspended. They are George Pottinger, per- the manent secretary in Scottish Office, and Mr E. G. Braithwaite, secretary of the South West Metro- politan Hospital Board. In evidence so far it has been revealed that Pot- tinger received £21,000 from Poulson. When asked why he paid Pottinger such large sums, Poulson said it was because he was a friend'. Fleet Street has been carefully keeping the Maudling episode as quiet as possible over the past few weeks. yesterday, the Only political editor of The Times', David Wood, wrote in a front-page story: 'No minister, no poli-

UDLING DOSSIER-

CORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • WEDNESDAY JULY 19, 1972

OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST L

remier Emilio • KARL SCHILLER, West Ger- • man Economic Minister, resigned Jacques CI ced to resign last month, following a spate of French pren his cabinet on defections coalition MPs on July 5 ol pitating Italy's by eneral Election which left the government with- ing an out a working majority. vote of conf rime minister and Home he announcement Edward had been asked to investi- hitect John Poulson. tician at Westminster, be- lieves for a moment that Mr Maudling has anything to answer for. 'He may have been un- fortunate in his business but he broke associates, rules for MPs and no public men when he agreed reluctantly become to chairman of International Technical and Construc- tional Services, a company doing business wholly overseas.' Press Association, the main news agency, rushed out an adulatory biography of the No 2 Tory headed: Loyal Reggie, the easy- going whizz-kid. said: "The The article cheerful, easy-going manner Reginald Maudling of Mr camouflages a strong deter- mination backed by an extraordinary brain.' This gushing statement is difficult to reconcile with the 'New Statesman' article last week that of nine companies which Maudling became director during a 1964 and 1970, five have ended in bankruptcy. of the Tory No. 2 (above) har The resignation deputy prime minister re- Securicor director Robert the desperate veals state Tory leadership. of the This government is kept the in office solely by craven collaboration of the labour and trade union leaders. It is bitterly ironic that having announced Maud- ling's exit, Heath went round to his No 10 Down- Street residence to ing greet the TUC leaders to commence talks about wage restraint. TUC leaders have The no mandate for such talks with these people. They off all talks should break bankrupt with this Tory government and force a General Election. IER-The rise and fall of John Po 19, 1972 • No. 821 • 4p

ALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

it was the of • On Monday the resignation of turn Chaban Delmas the two of the Dutch members of ench premier forced to resign cabinet placed the future July 5 only days after receiv- cabine germa da right-wing imposing parliamentary Biesheuvel longer has te of confidence. working parliamentary majority.

BY IAN YEATS

YESTERDAY'S meeting of Common Market finance ministers in London 'solved' nothing. All efforts to find a substitute for Bretton Woods are founder- ing on the rock of American refusal either to revalue the price of gold upwards or to make the dollar convertible. Chancellor Tory Anthony Barber said after the one-and-a- half day meeting which ended yesterday that the ministers were going away to work out details for an overhaul of the world monetary system. No further meetings were planned until the end -of September. Then the ministers would con- fer again in Luxembourg, coin- ciding with meetings of the Inter- national Monetary Fund and the Commonwealth finance ministers in London. In other words there is com- plete stalemate. The only effect of this decision is to further post- pone action until the end of the summer. For the next two months min- bent to isterial minds will be finding 'neutral international a reserve' to substitute for the pound and the dollar. The hopeless. Value search is cannot be restored to the paper currencies of the world without first putting an end to the sys- tem of trade which they serve.

not sign But capitalism will its own death warrant. Trade war is the only alternative, and it is ve) hands over to ex- this prospect which the break- Robert Carr (below) down of yesterday's talks brings one step nearer. Nixon is determined not to raise the price of gold, thereby calming world fears that the seriously overvalued— dollar is belief likelv to gain credence when US the balance-of-pay- ments deficit is disclosed later this month. Meanwhile Europe is saturated with increasingly worthless paper dollars. Last week altoe, ce central forced banks were to up $3,000m to prevent them falling below their support rate.

However pious the hopes of the finance ministers, this is a situation which cannot be allowed to for long continue not until September certainly without some action being taken to stem the dollar deluge.

n Poulson-See centre pages

workers press

MAUDLING GOES!

THE MAUDLING DOSSIER-The rise and fall of John Poulson-See centre pages

MAUDLING'S

REGINALD

resignation is the fifth major cabinet shake-up in Western Europe this year.

Secretary, resigned yester Heath told parliament tha gate the financial crash o Heath said that the Di- rector of Public Prose- cutions, Sir Norman Skelhorn, had requested the Metropolitan Police to conduct an investiga- tion and report back to him. Commander James Crane, head of the Yard's fraud squad, will be in charge of the inquiry. The new Home Secre- tary will be Robert Carr, the man who guided the - Industrial Relations. through parliament. Before the last General Election of Carr director was a Securicor Limited, Britain's largest private police force.

Maudling's resignation has been inevitable since revelations in the Wake- field bankruptcy court about the business • affairs of architect Poulson. The two open hearings of the court revealed that Poulson had paid more than £330,000 in fees to various MPs, civil servants and other consultants. Maudling was chairman of one of Poulson's over- seas subsidiaries and a di- rector of several others.

time his whole At one family, including two teen- sons, held shares in age Poulson's companies. In a letter from Maud- ling which Heath read to the Commons, the ex-Home Secretary said: 'I took no remuneration' for the chairmanship of the export *He [Poulson] company. had made a covenant in favour of charitable a appeal which had my sup- port. I do not regard this either for as a matter criticism or for investiga- tion.' This is a reference to the covenant which is alleged to have paid

THE MAUDLI

INCORPORA

DAILY ORGAN OF THE

ITALIAN

• premier E Colombo was forced to r with the whole of his cabine January 15, precipitating first premature General Ele since the war.

BY ALEX MITCHELL

JDLING, the deputy prime m I yesterday. In making the anno ent that Scotland Yard had bee crash of Yorkshire architect J £22,000 to the Adeline Genee theatre trust, which built a theatre in East Grinstead. The Maudlings launched the trust at a champagne party at No Il Downing Street in 1963 when Maud- ling was Chancellor of the Exchequer. Maudling's letter went on: 'However, there are matters not relating to me that do require investiga- tion and I entirely agree that this should be carried out in the normal way on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions. 'We agreed that it would not be appropriate for me to continue to hold this office while the investiga- tions are being pursued in view of the fact that my name has been mentioned at the hearing.' Heath hoped that Maud- ling would be able 'to resume his position in the public life of this country'.

He also announced that two senior civil servants named in the Poulson case had been suspended. They are George Pottinger, per- manent secretary in the Scottish Office, and Mr E. G. Braithwaite, secretary of the South West Metro- politan Hospital Board. In evidence so far it has been revealed that Pot- tinger received £21,000 from Poulson. When asked why he paid Pottinger such large sums, Poulson said it was because 'he was a friend'. Fleet Street has been carefully keeping the Maudling episode as quiet as possible over the past few weeks. the Only of 'The Times', David Wood, wrote in a front-page story: 'No minister, no poli-

UDLING DOSSIER—

CORPORATING THE NEWSLETTER • WEDNESDAY JULY 19, 1972

OF THE CENTRAL COMMITTEE OF THE SOCIALIST L

remier Emilio • KARL SCHILLER, West Ger- • man Economic Minister, resigned Jacques CI ced to resign French prem his cabinet on last month, following a spate of defections by coalition MPs on July 5 ol Italy's ing an eneral Election which left the government with- vote of conl out a working majority. rime minister and Home he announcement Edward had been asked to investi- hitect John Poulson. tician at Westminster, be- lieves for a moment that Mr Maudling has anything to answer for. 'He may have been un- fortunate in his business associates, but he broke rules MPs and no for public men when he agreed reluctantly become to chairman of International Technical and Construc- tional Services, a company doing business wholly overseas.' Association, Press the main news rushed agency, out an adulatory biography of the No 2 Tory headed: 'Loyal the easy- Reggie, going whizz-kid.' said: "The The article cheerful, easy-going manner Reginald Maudling of Mr camouflages a strong deter- mination backed by an extraordinary brain? gushing statement This is difficult to reconcile with the 'New Statesman' article of last . week that nine companies which Maudling became director during a 1964 and 1970. five have ended in bankruptcy. of the Tory • No. 2 (above) The resignation deputy prime minister re- Securicor director Robert the veals desperate state Tory leadership. of the This foe solent by ene solely craven collaboration of the union labour and trade leaders. It is bitterly ironic that Maud- having announced ling's exit, Heath went round to his No 10 Down- Street residence to ing the TUC leaders to greet commence talks about wage restraint. TUC leaders have The no mandate for such talks with these pcople. They off all talks should break bankrupt Tory with this government and force General Election. IER-The rise and fall of John Po 19, 1972 • No. 821 • 4p

ALIST LABOUR LEAGUE

it was the of • On Monday the resignation of turn Chaban Delmas the two of the Dutch members ench premier forced to resign cabinet placed the future of July 5 only days after receiv- Bieshenge cabltonger opardy.

imposing parliamentary Biesheuvel longer has. te of confidence. working parliamentary majority.

BY IAN YEATS

YESTERDAY'S meeting of Common Market finance ministers in London "solved' nothing. All efforts to find a substitute for Bretton Woods are founder- of ing on the rock American refusal either to revalue the price of gold upwards or to make the dollar convertible. Tory Chancellor Anthony Barber said after the one-and-a- half day meeting which ended yesterday that the ministers were going away to work out details for overhaul of the an world monetary system. meetings No further were planned until the end . of September. Then the ministers would con- fer in Luxembourg, coin- again ciding with meetings of the Inter- national Monetary Fund and the Commonwealth finance ministers in London. In other words there is com- plete stalemate. The only effect of thine acion until the end poste this decision is to further summer. For the next two months min- isterial minds will be bent to finding 'neutral international a reserve' to substitute for the pound and the dollar. The is hopeless. Value search cannot be restored to the paper currencies of the world without first putting an end to the sys- tem of trade which they serve.

But capitalism will not sign its own death warrant. Trade war and it is ve) hands over to ex. this prospect which down of yesterday's talks brings Robert Carr (below) one step nearer. Nixon is determined not to raise the price of goldthat thereby calming world fears the overvalued~ dollar is seriously a belief likely to gain credence when US the balance-of-pay- ments deficit is disclosed later this month. Meanwhile Europe is saturated with increasingly worthless paper dollars. Last week central banks forced were to up $3,000m to prevent them falling below their support rate.

However pious the hopes of the finance ministers, this is situation which cannot be allowed to for long continue not until September certainly without some action being taken to stem the dollar deluge.

n Poulson-See centre pages

PAGE 2 Workers Press, Wednesday July DETAILS of the indictment against 13 supporters of former Czechoslovak Commun- ist Party leader Alexandr Dubcek show they are being charged with subversion over leaflets circulated just before last November's presidential elections. The 13, who include some of Dubcek's closest collaborators, are accused of producing or dis- seminating leaflets reminding citizens of their constitutional in voting, such as crossing out the printed names on the ballot slip. Charged under a section of the majority have been Penal Code which provides a maximum sentence of five years' jail.. But least one, at former student leader Jiri Mueller, has been charged under a section subversion on dealing with large scale or in time of national danger, which carries a penalty of three to ten years. Mueller is being tried with Jan Tesar, a well-known his- torian, and Rudolf Battek, a sociologist. In a separate trial Jiri Littera, secretary of the Prague Party committee under Dubcek is being tried with three others. Littera played a leading part in organizing the secret 14th Party congress following the Soviet occupation of August 1968. A third group headed by former Party school professor Dr Kirsanovsky is also on trial.

indictment mentions The several men who are currently in prison: Milan Hubl, former head of the Party college and a member of the central com- mittee elected at the 14th con- gress; Karel Kyncl, a former TV Jiri Hochman commentator, and and Vladimir Nepras, both journ- alists. four , years of Soviet After occupation and unremitting pur- ges of all walks of Czechoslovak life, the puppet administration headed by Gustav Husak now strong enough to move feels the Dubcek tendency against through the courts. The Prague newspaper 'Rude Pravo' said as much in an article on the trials yesterday: 'Several defeated rightist • . • are continuing exponents activities aimed against the basic principles on which we are rebuilding our society? MONDAY'S judgement in the Chancery Division of the High Court put the crisis in dockland squarely at the feet of the Tory government. As 'The Times' said, a path was cleared through the legal thicket thrown up by new and untried legislation-the Industrial Relations Act. The authority of the National Industrial Relations Court to enforce its orders and punish disobedience was decisively up- held. On Monday afternoon, within the NIRC, asking for earlier orders prohibiting blacking to be enforced. Rumours are circulating that the Tories are more willing to precipitate a dock strike today The Treasury is said to wel- come the further effective de- valuation of the pound which a dock strike would cause. And, it is being claimed, the government has been encouraged by recent emergence of the esday July 19, 1972

FOREIGN NEWS

THE KGB campaign to discredit American, George Feifer, and a Russian are indifferent to the fate of the novelist, emiere neer he Soviet novelist Alexander Sol- Burg, zhenitsyn will be powerfully the sister of veronea Solzhenitsyn's first wife, has issued a state- assisted if a new biography ment in Rome quoting the author's con- appears in western Europe and demnation of the book. Mrs Turkina and her husband were forced to flee the Soviet Inion afte

KGB

pressure. the United States. the biography is written in a she say irresponsible and western imperialists the Soviet manner 1 1S

BOTA

The ana Solzhenitsyn, who holds the Nobel capable of doing harm'. It will, she says, prize for literature for his books which Soviet release 'a new wave of persecution' against shown in Czechoslovakia in 1968, expose the brutality and repression of

ONE.

As was It appears that Feifer and Burg, described the ruling classes in the western capitalist bureaucratic rule, has always refused by Solzhenitsyn as much countries are in solidarity with the bureau- 'rascals', obtained authorize a biography to of himself. with Mrs of their material in conversation Clacy He holds that such a work should be She says that their methods of present moves towards European lurkina. gathering information 'more like a Security Conference based on confined to literary criticism.

were the status police investigation'. makes this reactionary line-up What is evident is that Feifer and Burg The new biography is a joint work by an more necessary.

THE

TEAMSTERS'

who Board labour to load grain for bers, met club set the

USSR

exclusive country. (truck drivers') Union,

THE

ECONOMIC

crisis Nixon's The

AFL-CIO,

the and the biggest the The other four of the lal

ILOM

confedera- rocketing inflation which have summer residence huge UnOT States, yester- Unitea San Clemente, Cali- five original union nom- has yet to endorse about are Tes eradon day pledged its sup- fornia, explained their the board McGovern's candidature. two Dutch cabinet ministers, inees on port for President George threatens bring the resigned Meany, down the when

SUDDONU

DIeSL- Nixon in the Novem dent by saying: slashed the dockers' pay president. renuises ever with budget ber elections. rise won after a lengthy to talk to the candidate a huge Union in the - teeth telephone. deficit, the government of Prime president ment ought strike on Minister Barend Biesheuvel pro- attempt to win Frank ritzsimmons told our back and out of our Nixon's anti-union In an laws. and policies reporters after the pockets. Mcirovern certainly Dosed

CUL

caucation Vir McGovern a lab- Democrative calent Teamsters' 17-member McGoverr chose expenditure. of the big first to con- lawyer Democratic minis executive promise more running- resigned in protest after five ters gratulate Nixor but this has done reversed

ITC

Traditional prouder.

NOT

sess. Illale. backing for Demo- Later they all attended freeze with Tof ¡tue to oriage tne gull. •ays ol marathon mccula pratie candidate: cocktail the statement that it should US trade unionists If the party Western party Minor we The House faced urgently support MPs, the and will have been sooner. are now eight Calliol will lose its majority. the with the building of ar encorse Nixon creele• caca one Denalol cratic fickethas George with smile and voted against the repeal independent Labour Biesheuve hodes to avert resig. McGovern not handshake the Party nation by finding a compromise.

big The political crisis reveals the earned already knows two parties visitis difficulties and serious Fitzsimmons labour and is no iriend naruey Acl business Holland of labour.' the sole union leader He has also favoured socialist policies to meet Gee social eason The the the use of non-union the employers' attacks. below a surface of stability.

mem- on execute notonous cision : yet another rebuff mose want use me aw in industrial disputes. Not content T&GWU mem- If it is decided that this kind rebuffed from their infighting among for large sections of in die altogether of bers in dockland dispute is not covered by the the Stalinists Course old

ACL,

menne •ovenment oven the ine line The Tories the Tories lose no time in amending rest SO clearly and totally failed to nave we comes une the legal shilly-shallying of the the bourgeoisie are shuffling stop the legislation becoming has been themselves into war formation. past month, not only 'The outcome of the conflict Chobham Farm shows cive Jones a motor effective law to Complacency face come up with need for _ in the committee TIme the an Said the 'Star', 'They [the but also because these preparations means disaster.

should occl will matel. Jeteers All forms of reformist pleading real hurdle taking industrial action to organizing and pressurizing will expose the Industrial Relations une triumph the Otherwise might will working the

TUC

has now been asi •eed time and again regardless and for all. more terrible than 1926. secured. the claims justice It was to the this situation that There never has been Yet at the The Tory press was quite clear

LUTE

very moment when was Kelations

ACI

the need. to fighting yesterday Du!! up the onto the statute book. If the Act Tory anti-union law without rule of law posed by the dockers' oraanizations of the workina class strengthened, so full-scale attack against the Tory needs be is at its greatest, when the need defiance must be ended. from to independent revolu- them governmen ousl power and elect a Labour govern.

Said the •Daily Telegraph': tionarv Marxist party to ment bound to carry out socialist 'Quite clearly this situation can- 'But on no must the working class to power is at its

ACCOUNT

policies. government abandon the policy highest, the Communist Party be allowed cuttinue even if the end means Stalinists consciously only paring the ground for the defeat because The Heath will with the government brings the law into disrepute.' Contentalioll not back down will not shelve unions.' the working class. a single piece view 'The Times' com-

POTTS

programme The Star against working The clear. The 'Morning editorial ment about path Coarine massace forced office July 18 proclaimed: be out through legal thickets, the Tory government, the employers 'The peaceful road and press are demanding dockers have shown adds significantly: I elegraph Industrial Relations Act policy of turning the other cheek blood.

THESE

nas can only betray the working class demonstrated beat clarified and amended if it proves of the labour movement must be to be inadequate. smashed profit margins are Yesterday's Chancery into poverty and subjugation

Bullding workers picketing the New Cov strike there WORKERS on all three con- oil struction sites on • refineries around Stanford-le- Hope on the Thames estuary are on strike for the building pay claim of £30 for a 35-hour week. At the Shell, Coryton, site John Laing's 200 workers are now in the fourth week of official strike action. Stewards at one of the gates told Workers Press that pressure from the unions had forced out 100 'subbies' working for con- tractors. They hoped the remain- ing 20 would soon be off the site. Shop stewards at the oil refineries have promised support in removing the remaining lump' labour from the sites. The promise was made to Dave Union of Construction Hardy, and Allied Trades Technicians branch chairman and nominated delegate to the union's eastern council. Last week building workers lined the roads asking drivers not to cross the picket line. Very of tanker quickly a stream vehicles blocked the roads.

inter- It was only after the vention of full-time union officials that the road was cleared. After police had intervened, manage- ment at the refineries phoned the officials for help. Pickets were persuaded to let the vehicles through as they were carrying 'essential supplies' Stewards were bitter about this told Workers experience. One 'We didn't like it very Press: much; it was a sell-out.'

Others were critical of the selective strike strategy: I'd sooner see everyone out-after all it is one out all out, isn't it?,' said another steward. More pickets pointed out that it would be something just to call out all Laing's workers throughout the country. But this hadn't been done. At the main gate, Dave Hardy selective strikes were 'the said at the only possible way moment, since only 30 per cent building the trade was unionized. 'But,' he said, 'we're not getting the backing we should from the top. We have some men with five or six children and we

BIRDERS

$31

TO LIVE! STERE

New Covert Garden site at Nine Elms, Londo

BY OUR OWN

CORRESPONDENT

haven't i received a penny from the union. And this is an official strike? This criticism of the organiza- tion and leadership was echoed by Ivor Hall and Ernest Frostick.

In the first week, when they had wanted some guidance, they dis- officials were away covered area on holiday. 'The strike has been badly organized and handled in this area. To make a strike success- ful you've got to have leadership to explain things to you and so "They added Mr Hall. promised to send an organizer down here every day but there hasn't been one.' Six gates in all are being stretching manned by pickets, down the road just outside Stanford-le-Hope Coryton. to They told Workers Press that further action was being planned for next week to make the strike more effective. IN LEEDS a mass picket has been thrown round the Dragonara luxury hotel develop- ment site to stop two sub- contracting firms who were still working on the site early this week. Joe Johnson, one of the pickets, said. 'The building workers are in a different position as they are not able to paralyse the country as the miners and dockers could. In this situation I think it is even more imperative that the strike becomes national. I've never seen anything work that was half and half. We'll have to take a lead from the miners and the dockers, even though we don't have their leverage in national action. 'The Leeds strike is carried 70 per cent by the non-union men.

For this reason there will have to be a big development over the weekend or their support will begin to waver. 'The miners had to decide to starve to win. Most buildins workers support the claim-_al they need now is a decisive lead.'

Arthur Dale, Communist Party chairman of the Leeds Action Committee, said: 'We're not ready for national action. If we did strike nationally it would be defeated.' ns, London, yesterday. About 400 are on AT THE Esso refinery, Milford Haven, Wales, South further talks are planned today aimed at settling the two-week-old strike by 2,000 building workers.

The men walked out after 37 workers had been sacked by Foster Wheeler Ltd, the main Those dismissed contractor. include the chairman and secre- tary of the shop stewards' com- mittee and the reinstatement of all 37 is demanded. The talks will be a continua- tion of a nine-hour session last Friday involving Department of Employment officials. Meanwhile, round-the-clock picketing continues. The flow of traffic into the refinery has almost halted, stopping work on scheme which is the expansion nearing completion. LINCOLN'S 10,000 council ten- ants are up in arms against the Tories' 'fair rents' Bill.

They are particularly infuriated at last week's decision of the Labour council members to implement the Bill. The coun- cillors' action contradicted the policy decided on by the local party's ward and trade union delegates to ignore the Bill.

Tollerton, Mrs Louise a март. 28 Charlotte St London W1

BOOKS • PERI

Workers Press, Wer

LEITH

Constituency Labour Party, Scotland, have agreed on its resolution conference later this year—it will call on the Labour Party to sup- port the setting up of nationwide Councils of Action. A spokesman for the Leith party said: "The idea is to rally the different political parties of the left and trade union organiz- ations_in a united fight against Tory Other government. union branches have been taking up this demand for Councils of in different parts of the Action country? Leith chose the Councils of Action resolution from two other motions. The motion is a sharp rebuff to the local Communist Party.

At the last meeting of the Edin- burgh and District Trades Council, Stalinist chairman Ray FIFTY representatives of the met in Croydon on Monday ni of Action to fight to force th resign. The meeting, called by the Croydon Trades Council, elected a committee to pre- pare for a full-scale confer- ence of the council early in September. The committee includes dele- gates from trade union Socialist branches, Labour League, All Trades Unions Alli- Young Socialists, the ance, Labour Party and the Inter- national Socialism group.

The Communist Party was not represented at the meeting although it has members on Croydon Trades Council. The meeting rejected a pro- grammatic amendment moved by a delegate from the International Socialism group, which proposed 'militant policies of no produc- tivity, an end to unemployment COHSE (Conference of Health Service Employees) member, who . works as a domestic in a local has already hospital, collected over 1,000 signatures for a peti- tion which she and a neighbour have got up protesting against 'the government's proposal to introduce a means test and to increase rents beyond the means of the majority of tenants' • She said: Everyone is dead

SO PERIODICALS • NEWSPAPERS

Press, Wednesday July 19, 1972 PAGE 3 Wolf ruled • an Association of Scientific, Technical and Man- agerial Staffs' motion on councils 'out of order. He said it could not be accepted because it was not the national policy of the union concerned. • BARROW (Yorkshire) branch of the National Union of Mine- workers has called for the establishment of a Council of Action to include representatives from trade unions, shop stewards' tenants' associations committees, and all socialist organizations.

The resolution will go before the next meeting of the Yorkshire area council of the NUM. A SIMILAR resolution has been passed by Cross Gates (Leeds) branch of the AUEW and will be placed before the next meeting of the Leeds Trades Council.

of the local labour movement iday night and set up a Council orce the Tory government to and no wage restraint while industry is in private hands' The amendment was intended to replace a call for a Labour elected government on a pro- gramme of nationalization, des- cribed by the IS speaker as 'pie-in-the-sky socialist govern- ment'. S. Mani, a delegate from the Croydon Labour Party, declared opposition to the demand for a General Srike to force out the Tories and referred to the 'self-inflicted wounds' of the 1926 General Strike. The answer to the Tories, he claimed, was to get the right candidates for Labour at local level. Against these speakers, the meeting affirmed its support for a General Strike to force the Tories to resign and for the election of a Labour government ent pledged to socialist policies.

set against this Tory policy and most that we've spoken to have asked what is being action planned as they seem doubtful • will take any whether anybody notice of a petition.' being held on Meetings are all the city's estates next week.

culminate in a mass These will demonstration rally and next when the rent issue Thursday will be linked with that of jobs.

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.

PAGE 4 Workers Press, Wednesday Jul Manchester engineers, who are planning a sec- ond wave of industrial action ih support of their national pay claim, may once more fall foul of the treacherous tactics of their national leaders. Shop stewards met on Monday in the city to plan a campaign of action. Their aim is to mobilize workers in the 40 or so firms who settled for cash-only deals during the recent spate of sit-in strikes.

The other targets are those few employers who still have conceded nothing on the 14- point claim. The fresh bid to rouse the Manchester membership in the Confederation of Shipbuilding and Engineering Unions was in response to the breakdown of a second attempt to open ne- gotiations on the claim at national level. This occurred at the CSEU's annual conference in June.

Then the unions, led by chief negotiator Hugh Scanlon, president of the Amalgamated Union of Engineering Workers, made a feint to start talking with the employers. The dis- cussions would be informal said Scanlon-ever wary that a call for formal negotiations while the campaign for plant- by-plant negotiations was being urged in the areas would tarnish his credibility. As it was, the employers re- jected the approach and de- clared that they were de- termined to resist demands for substantial pay increases.

The whole manoeuvre was basically designed to promote confusion at the conference and sidestep the row brewing over the way the leadership had handled the national claim. Manchester divisional organ- izer of the AUEW, John Tocher, who led the sit-in movement, declared that this rebuke from the employers resday July 19, 1972 put a second wave of militant action in the north west back on the cards. 'A lot of workers antici- pated that something would eventually have to be done at national level,' said the Tocher. 'Now they must realize that there will be no national talks and that if they are going to achieve anything in the next 12 months they will have to be done by local negotiation.'

Tocher noted correctly that all evidence pointed to a hardening of attitudes by the Engineering Employers' Feder- ation. But this view was a apparently not shared by Con- federation leaders. A week after the plans for more Manchester action had been announced, they met at York and once more crawled to the employers for more talks. They claimed that the time for discussions were now 'ripe', but hinted that they were pre- pared to bend on the claim if the employers also gave an inch or two. In a conciliatory mood, Con- federation president Jack Higham announced: 'We are looking to them to be more realistic on the major items of our claim-wages, holidays and equal pay for women. The move to open talks, of course, is a second stab in the back for the Manchester mili- tants. Tocher and the other Man- chester officials will now find it doubly difficult to fight a battle with men who know that their dispute could be settled any time at national level. But this has been the story of the claim. Militants like Tocher, a leading Communist Party member, accepted— though with protest — the abandoning of the fight at national level and launched into their area battles. Top: John Tocher (speaking), Manchester divisional organizer of the AUEW. Above. Scanlon For weeks they remained isolated—at the peak of the struggle nearly 30 firms were occupied by their workers. But inevitably the employers, who organized themselves on national lines, held out. None of the big combines conceded on the key demand for a week and shorter working many settled their disputes concession without a on. holidays as well. The campaign was broken up when the AUEW executive unanimously voted to remove the hours demand from the list of top priorities. In Man- chester a flood of settlements basically favourable to the em- followed. Many ployers workers, like the 6,000 at and the 3,500 Ferranti at AEI, settled for £2 wage in- creases. With the present rate of inflation these amount to a wage-cut over 12 months. Now in the second wave, the same bitter mistakes could be repeated. As always there is the re- fusal to face up to the poli- tical challenge of a leadership like that of the Confederation.

There are endless schemes and militancy is suggested. more is not adequate to But this safeguard workers' living standards in the face of a united campaign by the em- ployers. Eire trade union leaders are starting their attempts to sell a revised national wages agreement to a membership dis- tinctly hostile to such a deal. Early in June an employer- labour conference made pro- posals for a second agreement in draft form. With inflation and unemployment soaring in the Republic, however, work- ers soon moved to throw out the deal. Meeting after meeting mandated their unions to vote no at a special conference oi the Irish Congress of Trade Unions on June 24. The majo- rity against at the Congress was two-to-one. Late last week union lead- ers again sat down with employers and reached a new agreement. And 24 hours later the executive of Eire's largest union, the Irish Trans- port and General Workers' met and voted in favour of recommending the deal to the membership. The IT&GWU, which has a As the dust: settles around the flurry of recent statements issued from Pretoria, it becomes clear that the something- for-everybody white society Prime Minister Balthazar Vorster promised is to be bought at the price of even more stringent repression of the Africans. A new directive prohibits African leaders from leaving their homelands, cutting them off from white institutions and other tribal homelands. From now on visits by African leaders to other leaders, to the African popula- tion living in white areas or to white institutions will only be obtained after long and search- ing consideration by officials of the Bantu Administration.

Apart from virtually im- prisoning Africans in what as the recession develops could Mean membership of 150,000, had previously voted for rejection at the special Congress. This time the IT&GWU exe- cutive was in a hurry to make sure the membership got the message. "The national executive council are anxious to ensure that this recommendation is known as quickly as possible to its members throughout the country who may be proceed- ing to hold early ballot votes at their branches,' said Michael Mullen, the union's general secretary, after the meeting.

Eire's ruling Fianna Fail gov- ernment is desperate to get some sort of a wages deal in preparation for its Common Market entry. The new deal fixed up pro- vides for 18-month agreements for most workers and 17 months for others. Another special delegate conference of unions has been convened for Dublin on July 28 when the deal will be dis- cussed. In the meantime, there will be strong opposition from the rank and file in the various same deal in unions to the another form. well turn into barren, over- crowded concentration camps, the move is almost certainly aimed at keeping the Africans divided. It coincides with a new tough line adopted by the South African Students' Organ- ization—a black power group —to have nothing to do with the black Bantustan leaders who it brands as 'extensions of the oppressive system.

The instruction follows the resignation of SASO chairman Temba Sono who was forced to quit his post for suggesting 'dialogue' with Vorster's • a apartheid regime. SASO claims 6,000 members among the African, coloured and Indian, population and advocates African rule throughout the union. The new Bantustan policy has its parallel in Rhodesia where Smith has just an- nounced his own plans for separate African development.

Below: South African Prime Minister, Vorster-more stringent repression of the Africans.

US BUILDS UP ARMS

ARSENAL IN VIETNAM

BY JOHN SPENCER

Still in a state of shock at North Vietnamese the offensive successes the Nixon administration is planning to ship still more planes, guns and tanks to its beleagured puppets in Saigon. High-ranking officials in the Defence Department in Wash- ington, where these plans are being elaborated, say serious consideration is being given to providing South Vietnam with higher performance jet aircraft as well as quantities of better tanks and long-range artillery.

They admit that President Nixon's 'Vietnamization' pro- gramme begun three years ago not designed to with- was stand the tank and artillery supported offensives carried out by the liberation forces since March 30. A senior general told the 'New York Times': "The nature of the North Vietnamese offen- sive has forced us to make some modifications in our long-range plans to enable South Vietnam to defend it- self. 'Some decisions have been made; others still have to be worked out.' According to Nixon the 'Vietnamization' scheme was justified because South Viet- nam was now strong enough to stand on its own feet.

This myth was destroyed in the first weeks of the libera- tion offensive when whole divi- sions of puppet troops simply turned and ran at the first shock of the battle. That was how, for example, the Saigon forces lost Quang Tri. They are still taking heavy losses in their efforts to regain control of the town.

Until now the Americans have been reluctant to supply their puppets with the most weapons in their advanced stockpiles. These weapons are more costly, need more train- ing to operate and the South Vietnamese cannot be trusted to prevent them falling into the hands of the liberation forces. Instead, the US has relied on its air superiority to hold the line while the South Viet- namese get along as best they can on the ground. The planned aid to Saigon is convincing evidence that the 'Vietnamization' policy failed. As in the past, Nixon's only 'solution is more of the same: more weapons, more bombs, more shells. For example, army authori- ties in Washington are plan- ing to add two battalions of M-48 tanks — about 100 vehicles — to the single bat- talion now operating in South Vietnam. A third battalion of about 12 long-range 175-mm guns is to be added to the two already in the South Vietnamese army.

This step is made necessary by the superiority of the lib- eration troops' heavy artillery which has taken a big toll of the puppet armies. The plans also involve trip- ling the number of advanced F-52 fighter planes planned for the South Vietnamese air force, making three squadrons instead of the one originally planned. The US is also considering the possibility of adding longer- fighter-bombers— jet range either f-4 Phantoms, A-7 Sky- hawks or A-7 Corsairs-to the bro Top: heavy artillery of the Vietnamese during the April offensive this year. Abc Saigon air force. The South Vietnamese have only six squadrons of relatively obsolescent fighter-bombers, totalling about 100 planes.

include two squad- These rons of propellor-driven A-1 Skyraiders; three squadrons of A-37s, a modified jet trainer, and one squadron of F-5As. In addition it has 34 modified transport planes equipped with rapid-fire machine guns for 'zapping' anything that moves on the ground. Over the next two years or so, if the planes are put into operation, the fighter forces will be doubled to nearly 200 planes. By contrast with the South Vietnamese Air Force, the US has more than 1,000 fighter- bombers and B-52 heavy bomb- ers involved in the present campaign. Since the end of March the US Air Force strength in Indo-China has been consider- ably increased, with planes brought from as far away as letnamese liberation forces in operation year. Above: North Vietnamese soldiers.

Europe to boost the bombing and fighter forces. But even a reinforced South Vietnamese air force, the Pen- tagon planners believe, may not be enough to meet a renewed liberation offensive on the scale of the present cam- paign. The US air force would still be needed in strength even if the puppet force is reinforced.

Things would be even worse for the South Vietnamese if the North brought their MiG fighters south of the border, as they might do if the US air force withdrew. The South Vietnamese air force is already strained to capacity. Its pilots — like the rest of the puppet forces-are demoralized and lack the will to fight. About the only thing Nixon can do is to keep his own planes in force in Indo-China for the indefinite future. So far only blockbusters napalm have kept his puppets on their feet. Workers Press, W US air force people have referred to VNAF (South Viet- nam Air Force) pilots as 'per- haps the sharpest combat pilots in the world'. In a recent inter- view, then Chief of the Air Force Advisory Group in Viet- nam Maj. Gen. J. Watkins, stated: "There is no doubt that the VNAF members are moti- vated toward carrying on. They have been in this war much longer than any individual US person has, and they have demonstrated that when the chips are down they have the will to carry on and fight the war — around the clock, if necessary ... I think the Republic of Vietnam air force will stand up and be counted when the USAF departs,, Gen. Watkins concluded. Lt. Col. Robert L. Burns recently remarked that he has flown with many VNAF pilots second lieutenants through colonels-and felt their flying skills were 'second to none.

In an interview not too long ago Lt. Col. John M. Slattery Press, Wednesday July 19, 1972 PAGE 5 stated that the past year has been a period of extreme rapid progress for that division's helicopter forces. When Col.

Slattery, a command pilot with more than 6,000 hours of time, helicopter flying was asked: 'What sort of pilots are these VNAF officers?' He responded: Damned good ones!' —From a USAF news release, June 19, 1972. LAIKHE, South Vietnam, — Although the enemy pressure on An Loc has eased some- what, American helicopters still flying nearly all of are the highly dangerous support and troop-carrying missions in- to the town while large num- bers of South Vietnamese helicopters sit idle on their pads, their crews lounging and sleeping. American advisers here say that the South Vietnamese helicopters are not flying because the crews have pan- icked under fire and suffer from low morale. As a result, South Vietnamese Army com- manders do not feel safe with them and have requested American helicopters instead for difficult missions. —From The New York Times, June 23, 1972.

PAGE 6 Workers Press. Wednesday July 19, 1972 Tory Prime Minister Edward Heath announced in the Com- mons yesterday that his Home Secretary and deputy, Reginald Maudling, was resigning. The resignation comes after revela- tions in the Wakefield bankruptcy court about the business affairs of Yorkshire architect John Poulson. There have been two public sessions of the court and two in chambers. The extraordinary fabric of relation- open hearings disclosed an ships with MPs, civil servants and other 'consultants'. Among those mentioned in the proceedings was Maudling. In this on Maudling's business

ALEX

second article connections, MITCHELL looks at the Poulson empire.

John Poulson began his discussions mighty of an ideological kind. But they did business career modestly.

find immediate harmony on He qualified in 1932 as an one point-business. architect and, with £50 Maudling agreed to become a founding director of cash capital, started a of Poulson's companies-Inter- business from rented national Technical and Con- Services. premises in Ropergate, structional He re- mained a director from 1965 Pontefract. until after the General Election By 1968 he boasted the in 1970 when he was forced to largest practice in Europe with relinquish all his directorships.

750 employees. He had branch Seven months after his offices in London, Middles- father left, Martin Maudling brough, Edinburgh, Glasgow became company secretary. He and Newcastle, and overseas the post August gave up in bases in the capital of Lagos, 1971 and resigned from the Nigeria, and Beirut the board in September. At the Lebanon. same time, £750 of the com- His salary at the peak of pany's £3.000 share capital his career was £100,000 a vear was controlled by the Home and he was reckoned to have Secretary's three other children.

He lived made his first million. Caroline Maudling, 25 now L-shaped in magnificent and living South Africa, in called mansion Manasseh at allotted £100 worth of was near Pontefract: the Carteton, and a April 1967 shares in place had cost him £60,000 further £50 in Tune the same and had won nationwide hous- Edward, 17, and year. now ing competitions organized by William, 15, were recorded as the magazine Ideal Home'.

holding £600 of shares between In the spacious. garage area them through the trustees. stabled" he his three cars-a Through a special resolution Rolls-Royce, a Mercedes and at extraordinary general a Jaguar. kept a suite at meeting in February 1967, the the Dorchester in London and trading, after it began year regularly entertained there. the memorandum of associa- Poulson always had power- to allow tion amended was ful ties with the Tory Party. "infants' to hold shares.

He belonged to the National When the was company Forum, a high Tory Liberal originally registered at Com- discussion body in the Party, House, the full share panies and is believed to have been capital was £2,000 divided into generous to various Tory cam- 2,000 shares. This was paigns in his home Yorkshire increased in February 1967 to (One of his neighbours area. £3,000. was Tory Chancellor of the Exchequer Anthony Barber.)

On at least two occasions he came in contact with Edward Heath. In 1960 when he was Heath Labour, Minister of forum The latest company returns spoke at reception given by Poulson and his wife, that the share show largest Poulson Mrs Poulson Cynthia: (Mrs was subscriber was Miss King and re- £2.000 (Mrs formerly with stake. a represented her hus- lated to the multi-millionaire, Poulson John King.) band's interests in a number November 1966 Then in of companies because he Heath spoke at another meet- found the code of practice of ing of the forum at which his profession prevented him Poulson presided and intro- from joining certain business duced the guest of honour.

ventures direct bene- as first met Maudling ficiary.) Poulson In 1968 ITCS Limited made in 1965 'through politics' when Poulson was chairman of the loss of approximately National Liberal Wing of the £89,000, but in 1969 it made Tory Party. pre-tax profit of £87,697. There is no evidence that The be filed last returns to the two men engaged in any show that at the end of 1970 it had current assets of only £5,231 liabilities of against £34,241. At his bankruptcy hearing, Poulson admitted that in June 1969 his staff prepared figures which purported . to show that he was insolvent to the tune of £100,000. Poulson told the court that when he heard the news he went to see Maudling. I knew that at that time I was owed more than I owed,' he said and he claimed that Maudling's firm, ITCS, owed him £70,000. 'It was a most unsatisfactory meeting,' •be- Poulson said, he was not very well. cause But he did not deny that the firm owed this money. He said he would look into it.' A few months later, on New Year's Eve 1969, he signed away his business. The ITCS company was concerned with exporting to underdeveloped countries the design and construction skills of the Poulson group. Maud- ling travelled to Liberia and the Middle East as an envoy of this scheme. He says, however, that he never drew a salary. He waived a salary in return for a cove- to Mrs nant to pay money Maudling's favourite Beryl charity, the Adeline Genee theatre trust in East Grinstead In court Mr Muir Hunter, QC for the trustees, read a letter Maudling from which said: I enclosed another covenant as arranged. I would be most grateful if you could arrange for it to be sent to the Trust before we leave for Liberia.'

After Poulson said that Maudling was. going there on his behalf, Mr Hunter said that Mr Poulson's secretary had written on the bottom of the letter: 'This is a covenant Mr Poulson is taking out. It is really for Mr Maudling.'

was underlined, Mr 'Really' Hunter said. Mr Hunter: You are saying he did not want a salary but would you subscribe to his wife's favourite charity?

Poulson: Yes. Mr Maudling asked me to do that instead of paying him a salary. Mr Hunter: You were falling seriously in arrears with your income tax. Did you consider it proper to sign a covenant to Mr Maudling's wife's pet charity which would cost you £8,000 a year? Poulson: Because at that time I had no conception. I was owed very much more than I owed myself. Mr Hunter: It is plain Mr Poulson you are a man with an immensely generous heart.

Poulson: Stupidly generous.

Mr Hunter: You were pre- pared to lash out large, per- manent, regular sums to your old chums? Poulcon• Come of them Thad never met Hunter, Sure v von are paying sums, all tranger i great nilanthropic Mr The su an smith paid to Mr Is Dan Smith naid same tax. Were you spending money be z with outi care what tor? During 1 522.000 records state that paid tannet. the trust says it received only £15.000. There is a discrepancy of f7.000. Maudling's connections Poulson were not simply company, son Martin formed in 1964 by Crith nuhlin relations the concultand Harold and Northern the Council. Fronomic Planning The aims of the company were "white typical part hot technological revolution' voguish in those days. Basically it meant pre-fabricating houses then cheaply and easily and erecting them on site. the was really of barracks for the nicer working class! Principal shareholder was Mrs Poulson while the design genius behind the scheme was When again Poulson. he was appointed to the NEPC, Smith quit OSB though he continued to give advice. Meanwhile Poulson trans- formed the company by round- ing up an impressive number of new directors, including Maudling. The chairman Sir was Bernard Kenyon, County Clerk West Riding Council, of tha board members former of the chairman division of the National Coal W. F. Marr, Board and Poulson's London solicitor. The northern area manager was Mr Peter Walker, Tory.

Walker, Mr Peter Mr Fred Rook, who retired as clerk to Pontefract Council, became company secretary to

OSB.

He resigned in January 1970. The has ed Mr Smith bankruptcy has how Pouton says he paid vague did Paulson of anything He produced nothing. He cam to me achina for inneancoc in as consultaney very mine for make ed f it was proper request, he added. In January 8iVetner Vener Mir Poulton reti caryal Cmith with pamuntion was considered adequate wil summoncer mr aled be in corned paid alleger he

PAGE 8 Workers Press, Wednesday Jul

LETTER AND REPL'

Dear Editor, David Spooner's article Edmund Wilson (Workers Press, June 28) struck me as faintly mean, though not much meaner than • the press obitu- aries he surprisingly describes as 'eulogistic. Little attention is paid to the body of Wilson's work as a literary critic, and even less to his unique role in his native culture (by no means 'agrarian incidentally) where populist, 'he was the major modern figure.

of American letters to stand outside academia and, with Gilbert Seldes, one of the few intellectuals of his generation to look seriously at US popu- lar culture. It is true that, for perfectly explicable reasons, he was no Marxist by essential conviction and fought whole- never heartedly for the workers' cause; Spooner is right to say that he stayed on the 'periph- ery' of the movement. Yet for this reason there is little point relationship in discussing his with the Socialist Workers Party — it was simply not a central part of his career. As well write on 'Elephants and the Fourth International'.

Wilson's eclecticism was a weakness, but he seems to have been a man who needed the constant reinvigoration of fresh ideas. This kept his writing alert and stimulating. "To the Finland Station', , despite its errors, has acted as a lively.

historical introduction to thought, including Marxism, for many younger readers who then seek to their deepen knowledge. Spooner's piece, like others that have appeared in a gen- erally well-produced paper, suffers from a reductive nar- rowness amounting almost to a mistrust of the creative dis- ciplines. It is desperately vul- gar, for example, to pick out from the Wilson canon a few 'Prolet-Play' lines from his (Wilson did have an immature streak, it showed too in his fondness for conjuring and practical jokes) as though they were representative of his powers, or to assert, on the evidence of an unclear meta- phor, that 'he endowed the with nothing less than spirit tionpower of human reproduc- It is a mistake to believe that only explicitly Marxist ideas can • be valuable to the advance of the socialist move- ment. The movement does not live by bread alone. Wilson learned from reading Marx critical processes that energized much of what he wrote, and in turn he has left lessons for those who believe that literature cannot be under- stood in isolation from the dia- lectical development of society.

To raise the cry of 'renegade' is to risk ignoring those les- sons. Yours fraternally, I. M. Colley, Redbourn, Herts. esday July 19, 1972

EPLY

David Spooner replies: Mr Colley's letter raises a number of basic questions. To take first things first, he sarcas- tically proposes-'as well write on "Elephants and the Fourth International" as on "Edmund Wilson and the Fourth Inter- national"' The original article made the point that the key to Wil- son's development—which was a degeneration — was that although he was critical of Stalinism, he never progressed beyond a middle-of-the-road scepticism towards Marxism.

In this he was characteristic of a group of talented literary intellectuals which included Philip_ Rahy, Lionel Trilling and F. W. Dupee, •Partisan centred around the journal Review. The political and theoretical fate of these writers was fought Trot- out consciously in the skyist Socialist Workers' Party in the years 1939 to 1940 in the struggle over dialectical materialism. This conflict came to a head in the period of the Nazi-Soviet pact, the outbreak of World War Il and the Soviet Union's invasion of Finland.

Those intellectuals inside the SWP — Burnham and Shacht- mast notably — who man, shared Wilson's hostility to dia- lectical materialism as the indispensable theoretical foun- of the revolutionary dation party were defeated in the con- flict. Wilson felt the theoretical blows struck against the petty- bourgeois tendency inside the SWP even though he stood on the sidelines. Finland Station', "To the published in 1940, was this obituary to Trotskyism. It is in no sense a lively introduction to Marxism', as Colley would have it. It is an open and cynical attack on every • basic theoretical principle of Marx- ism. Just in case there is any doubt about this, the follow- ing is a representative section of the book, under the title "The Myth of the Dialectic': 'Karl Marx, with his rigor- ous morality and his interna- tional point of view, had tried to harness the primitive Ger- man Will to a movement which should lead all humanity to prosperity, happiness and free- dom. But insofar as this move- ment involves, under the dis- guise of the dialectic, a semi- divine principle of history, to which it is possible to shift the human responsibility for thinking, deciding, for acting —and we are living at present in a period of the decadence of Marxism—it lends itself to the repressions of the tyrant.

The present stream of the old German Will, which stayed at home and remained patriotic, because canalized as the philo- sophy of German imperialism and ultimately of the Nazi movement.. 'After all, the German Nazis, too-also, the agents ot an his- torical mission - believe that humanity will be happy and united when it is all Aryan and all submissive to Hitler'.

(p. 191. Secker and Warburg . edition.) Fascism is equated not only with Stalinism - the stock in trade position of many liberals and radicals - but also with Trotskyism. For Wilson, the dialectical method is a schema (thesis, antithesis, synthesis) to be applied to reality. On the con- Marxist the trary, for the essence of dialectics is the con- scious 'splitting of a single whole and the cognition of its contradictory parts'. If To the Finland Station' speaks sympathetically at times of Marxism, that is only the better to suffocate it with liberalism. Wilson always presents Marx's materialism as pragmat- ism; he accuses Marx and Engels of labouring to dis- credit men's futile illusions, to rub men's noses in their human miseries, to hold men's minds to their practical prob- lems.' (p. 189.) Likewise Wil- son has the American prag- 1 matist's hatred of 'the abstrac- t

Wilson equates fascism not only with St tions of German philosophy' which, according to Wilson, 'have the power to hallow, to console, to intoxicate, to ren- der warlike.' (p. 189.) 'Wilson's Colley writes: a weak- eclecticism was '. That point was ness . . . made in the original article from the standpoint that it was not so much a weakness but a method that inexorably took him back into the arms of his literary and philosophical pay- masters-—the bourgeoisie.

He only alighted for a pass- ing moment upon Marxism. opening of the With the democratic' on fascism, war he scuttled behind American imperialism. Eclecticism, prag- matism and empiricism are the theoretical implements of the bourgeois revolution. However Colley continues: 'But he seems to have been a man who needed the con- stant reinvigoration of fresh ideas. This kept his writing alert and stimulating.' So eclecticism was a weak- but far from proving ness, fatal this was what made Wil- son such a fine writer! And from the perspective of the capitalist class this is undoubt- edly true. Certainly they are a little chary about the sheer range of his subject matter. No entirely trustworthy American citizen would be such a cul- tural and intellectual magpie.

But they are well content with him overall. The whole of Colley's final paragraph is a pot-pourri of and cul- Fabian conceptions tural prejudice. He implies that literary creativity is not subject to the laws of dialec- tical development and believes that this is a field of human endeavour to be left to the mystics, romantics and meta- physicians. It is not at all that 'litera- ture cannot be understood in ant ly with Stalinism (a common Ilberal position) isolation from the dialectical development of society' (though in the light of Colley's for Wilson the word "dialectical' is thrown in as a mere sop). It is that the rela- tionship between the author, the historical formation of the technique of his medium (novel, poetry, films etc) and the particular stage of class relationships at the time of his writing have • to be grasped and explained. It is not just society and nature that are transformed dialectically, but literature also in relation to that society. To take one instance very briefly and not at all fully.

The novel developed in Eng- land in the 18th century as one of the ways in which the bour- geoisie fought to understand itself as a victorious historical force. The religious allegory of John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress' was discarded for biographical realism the of Daniel Defoe's Robinson Crusoe' or 'Moll Flanders'.

novel Not merely did the reflect the growth of individ.

ualism, but the novel also, in turn, sharpened that individ- ualism by making it more conscious. novels The earliest attempted to reconcile the bad conscience of the author with the demands of capitalism. So Defoe grappled unsuccessfully —but from an artistic point of view, brilliantly, and with great unconscious humour - to contradiction reconcile the between Moll Flanders' need to steal and whore in order to live and his own Christian beliefs. Other 18th and early 19th century writers-Samuel Rich- ardson, Jane Austen-centred their fiction upon the social compromise between the nobil- ity and bourgeoisie that was perfected after the 1660 Res- toration and in which the novelists, and literateurs like and Steele in The Addison Spectator', played an import- I in ant role. ".... position) but also with Trotskyism.

As Trotsky insisted, the class criterion in art is essen- tial, for in art the most sophi- sticated social and hidden psychological aspirations and of the bourgeois are expressed.

There is nothing of 'reductive narrowness', as Colley puts it, about drawing out these aspi- rations. On the contrary, the appli- cation of dialectical material- ism to the history of the devel- opment of literature and art is a necessary task of the revolu- tionary movement and deepens our understanding of the his- torical characteristics of the bourgeoisie and its more 'subtle' reflections in the work- ing class. The pressure of the bourgeoisie upon the workers' movement is not only mani- fested in the Labour and trade union leaders, but also in the ways of thought and emotions of the working class itself._ Our correspondent would like to preserve literature from the working class. It is, to the cultural snob, 'desperately vul- gar' to resurrect Wilson's un- republished and abominable drama, 'Karl Marx: A Prolet- But the crudeness of Play'. this drama and its bristling contempt for Marxism • is the side of the glittering other and rhetorical sophistication of his more famous works. Colley would have us believe that the revolutionary over- throw of capitalism can be achieved by some sort of broad is socialist movement which eclectic about theory. Under this brand of English utilitari- anism, Marxism is useful-or even energizing — along with other theories. However the bitter experi- ence of the international work- ing class in the 19th and 20th centuries has been that with- out a party based upon revolu- theory, dialectical tionary materialism, there can be no social revolution. In England the preparation of that revolu- tion means the transformation of the Socialist Labour League into that party.

SOCIAL SCIENCE

Spare a tear for the stricken of Stanley Dixon, conscience chartered accountant and of Midland Tar chairman Distillers. week he along Well to Birmingham University to receive an honorary Doctor of Social Science degree. What Dixon been neared in all those 'social science' has years? He explained to his audience he had spent much of that his life making firms more efficient their and reducing work force. 'I lived my whole have life in the belief that if you reduced your work force trom 1,000 to 800 men and main- tained the same production, you had done a good thing. But today, I begin to wonder.

Can anvone be more important for our society than that every the member should do a worthwhile chance to job?' It is not known whether the great hall was then filled with and sobbing. à greal wallilig

A SPECIALITY

police cadets stood on the parade ground looking all neat It was graduation and shiney. day from the police college in Sydney, capital of New South Wales. Acting police commissioner, Hanson thing Mr addressed them: "The best that could good happen to vou Is hiding, he declared. It's all part of his philosophy should be that the police a bunch of hardened thugs. Keeping the force in this

BOOKS

Press, Wednesday July 19, 1972 PAGE 9 shape has been a speciality in NSW. After all, the first police force : there was the warders looking after the convicts with the help of batons and whips.

These fine traditions have been enshrined over the passage qf time. On Wednesday, July 12, 11 ministers in Franco's govern- ment, Prince Juan Carlos and vice-president Carrero Blanco attended the opening of the new building for the National Institute of Statistics by Gen- eralissimo Franco. Carrero Blanco took the opportunity to eulogize the eco- nomic development of Spain the Civil War and since to maintain . that the Spanish worker 'has never had it so good'- a clear indication of the kind of statistics which the Institute will produce!

The Institute cannot fail to record the immense volume of trade between Spain and the Stalinists bureucracies of East- ern Europe, the real motives of which can perhaps be glimpsed behind Blanco's des- cription of the Civil War.

It was 'our war of libera- tion, a war of dire necessity because without it Spain would have ceased to exist as nation and our territory would have been converted into "the first western citadel of com- munism" as was laid down in plans of Lenin for the the soviet takeover of the world.:?

Blanco does not hide his position on Lenin. What is the Stalinists' position on the 'war of Liberation'? Below: Franco and Juan Carlos.

LEON TROTSKY:

Germany 1931/1932 Paperback £1.25—cloth £1.87} Where Is Britain Going ? Paperback 37p Revolution Betrayed Paperback 62}p-cloth £1.05 Problems of the Chinese Revolution Paperback £1.12½—cloth £1.87% Permanent Revolution : Results and Prospects Paperback 75p In Defence of Marxism Paperback 75p Lessons of October Paperback 60p Postage 10p per book, 3p per pamphlet. Order from :

NEW PARK PUBLICATIONS

186a Clapham High Street, London SW4 7UG.

Fighting the Tories' Rent Bill PAGE 10 Workers Press, Wednesday July 19, 1972 BY PHILIP WADE Our Housing Correspondent 'shocked by THE LEADER of a the behaviour of O'Grady Councillor who has Labour council in favour and arrogantly cynically of implementing the Tory broken good faith'. 'fair rents' Bill has been He added: In view of the attacked as being in of the matter it was urgency expected that this report would danger of becoming a be high priority the given at Judas of the working Labour June group meeting on 26, but we understand the report class, willing to allow was talked out and no indication tenants to be crucified in tenants' of the view was men- tioned. the name of the law. despicable "This is man- which clearly demon- oeuvre At the same time the strates Cllr O'Grady's contempt for the tenants.' split on Southwark coun- O'Grady has said that the cil in London between attack by McCann was 'complete misrepresentation'. the pro-implementors and Referring 'Judas' the state- those Labour councillors ment, he said: I have represented the people who have taken a prin- of the borough for a large num- cipled stand on the issue ber of years without ever having deepened been subjected to has even that nature. I have also served further. the trade union movement. 'There is no cause in my view The attack on Cllr John for of this nature comments to O'Grady, the Labour leader, be made, and it really does not has come from Bill McCann, mean a great deal to me.'

that he 'abhorred' He added vice-chairman of the South the use of the term working wark branch of the Associa- class' because the council repre- tion of London Housing sented all the people of South- Estates. wark, not just one section. Meanwhile Labour chiefs are He has accused O'Grady of angry that preliminary 'fair rent' failing to keep his promise to figures for the borough- -calcu- put the views of those opposed lated by official and so far told the Bill to the Southwark to to only a handful of members of Labour group. He said he was the housing committee - have The daily paper that leads the fight against the Torles. £20.28 for 12 months (312 Issues) £10.14 for 6 months (156 issues) £5.07 for 3 months (78 Issues) If you want to take Workers Press twice a week the rates are: £1.56 for 3 months (24 issues) £6.24 for 12 months (96 issues) Fill in the form below NOW and senid to: 186a Clapham High St., Circulation Dept., Workers Press, London, SW4 7UG. I would like to take out a subscription to Workers Press.

MONDAY

THURSDAY

Days required

TUESDAY

FRIDAY

(Please tick)

SATURDAY•

WEDNESDAY

Or Full subscription (six days) for ...

months.

NAME

ADDRESS

Amount enclosed £ I would like information about Fill in the form below and send to NATIONAL

SECRETARY,

SOCIALIST

• LABOUR

LEAGUE,

186A CLAPHAM HIGH ST, LONDON, SW4 7UG.

Name Address tenants' been leaked to local leaders. - Figures quoted at a brieting meeting attended by about 15 members of the housing commit- tee are thought to have been to the ALHE who passed on commented: 'We understand that these levels exceed our worst fears and this will be a terrible blow to moormed of the situationey most tenants once are Cllr Fowler, one of nine people who voted against implementa- tion at a group meeting earlier this year claims that increases of between 40 and 85 per cent on net rents were predicted in to housing the figures shown committee members. He said that these figures left some councillors speechless.

Homes which had two toilets yould pay more rent, along witi those that had playspace on theil estates. Caretakers meant extra on the rent as did wall fires fitted by the council, he said. 'In view of the way our rents are going to be assessed, I think the council should have a rethink on its decision to implement the Bill on rents in October.

The proposed increases are far higher than by were expected most councillors.' Cllr Fowler said that it must be obvious to those councillors who accepted implementation rather than submit to a housing were commissioner that they 'fighting a lost battle'.

BY OUR OWN REPORTER

STRIKE ACTION will halt production of the 'Sun' news- paper at midnight on Sunday unless management takes immediate steps to improve conditions in the print room.

Notice of the proposed stop- page has been served on man- agement by the National Society of Operative Printers, Graphical and Media Personnel.

NATSOPA

Richard Briginen said tart since the notice was served two weeks ago, the management had shown any willingness to not speed-up improvements in work- ing conditions. Talks about bad working con- ditions have been going on for years and because of the lack of towards better con- progress ditions this notice was served. Unless someone does something dramatic quickly, the stoppage will go ahead.' He complained that new the News of the machines in World' and 'Sun' machine room made no provision for drawing off fumes and ink. The next meeting of the union's executive is August 7.

Mr Briginshaw said he would not consider calling members to- gether earlier unless there was something worthwhile to say.

Owner of the 'Sun'/'News of the World' group is Australian newspaper tycoon Rupert 'Murdoch.

GOR

Southwark borough, London, tenants have kept up constant against implementation of the Torles' Housing Finance campaign Bill through lobbies of councillors. But their views were: not owen raised at a recent Labour group meeting.

A GOVERNMENT inquiry into the organization and methøds of Leadership Dynamics Institute is called for by three MPs in a Stafford jail

PRISONERS

100-strong Commons motion tabled yester- ended their protest day sit-in yesterday. The men stayed House to They call on the the exercise yard view with concern disclosures in overnight in their cells. yesterday's 'Daily Mail' the refusing to return to of Home Office spokesman said techniques used by the Institute, the reason for the protest was in the an American organization, not known. of training 'budding course tycoons'. the In would-be report,

MILLIONAIRE

chairman of business executives were said to 45-year-old Mothercare, Selim have paid £385 as fee for a Zilkha, made another £4m in 30 course in which they were minutes yesterday. assaulted, insulted and degraded.

Zilkha, an American, who has Mothercare been nursing as and managing director chairman since 1961, saw his personal for-

ALL TRADES UNIONS

by tune jump this amount as

ALLIANCE MEETINGS

the soared shares in company The currency crisis first dealings 28p a time in on and the working class the London Stock Exchange. His NOTTINGHAM: Wednesday July shares are now worth £28.5m.

7.30 Thurland Hali, 19, p.m. Investors, who last week Councils of Pelham St. 'Build rushed for the first public offer Action.' of Mothercare shares, made a £2.25m. total profit of nearly PRESTON: Thursday July 20, Zilkha's brother, Ezra, a New 8 p.m. Railway and Commercial Hotel, Street (near rail- York banker also owns nearly Butler £8m worth of Mothercare shares.

way station).

ALL TRADES UNIONS ALLIANCE MEETINGS

WEDNESDAY, JULY 19, 8 p.m.

CO-OP HALL, FANSHAWE AVENUE

BARKING

eaker: Larry Cavanagh (T&GWU shop stewar a personal capaci

TUC TO FORCE

THE TORIES

RESIGN! RETURN A LABOUR GOVERNMENT

PLEDGED TO NATIONALIZE DOCKS AND TRANSPORT INDUSTRY

UNDER WORKERS' CONTROL.

THURSDAY, JULY 20, 8 p.m.

CO-OP HALL, SEVEN SISTERS RD

HOLLOWAY

SOCIALIST IRELAND

Fewer unions than expected

ITV

11.00 George Formby. 12.20 Women. 12.45 Freud on Food. Sean. 1.10 Bellbird. 1.25 1.40 Woobinda. 2.05 Castle Haven. 2.30 Good Afternoon. 2.55 Racing. 3.45 Edgar Wallace. 4.40 Hatty Town. Big Time. 5.20 4.55 Little

BBC

Ace of Wands. 5.50 News. 6.00 JUNKIN. Fun and fantasies 9.45 Mr Benn. 10.00 Casey Jones.

with John Junkin. 10.25 Play Tennis. 10.50

6.25 CARTOON TIME.

10.55 Magic Roundabout. 11.00,

6.35 CROSSROADS.

1.53 Cricket. 1.00 Disc 1.30 Pandy. 7.00 THE SMITH FAMILY. Mac.

1Ar. 4.15 1.45 News, Play School. 4.40 weather.

7.30 CORONATION STREET.

Jackanory. 4.55 Starsport. 5.10 8.00 CADE'S COUNTY. Shake- Pixie and Dixie. 5.20 Little down. 5.44 Sir Prancelot. 5.50 Women.

9.00 THE

MAIN

CHANCE.

News, weather. Where Did I Leave My

6.00 NATIONWIDE.

Shining Armour?

6.50 TOM AND JERRY.

10.00 NEWS.

7.00 RYAN

RONNIE.

AND

10.30

•WORLD IN ACTION SPE-

CIAL.

Comedy. The making of an American Presidential

7.25 MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. A

candidate. Game of Chess.

PROFESSIONAL WREST.

11.15 8.10 NO EXIT. Good at Games.

LING.

WHAT THE PAPERS SAY.

9.00 NEWS, Weather. 11.45 Alan Coren.

9.20 SPORTS

SPECTACULAR

THE COMMON MIND.

12.00 Muhammad Ali v Al (Blue) Lewis. Show Jumping.

REGIONAL TV

AT NIGHT.

11.20

SKY

Jupiter The Colossal Planet.

CHANNEL:

1.45 Racing 4.05

BBC

4.20 Paulus. Puffin. 4.25 Good afternoon. 4.55 London. 6.00 6.10 F. Troop. 6.35 Cross- News. 11.00 Play School. 4.15, 7.00 7.00 Please sir. 7.30 Lon- roads. Cricket. 5.35 Open University. don. 11.45 News, weather. Epi- 7.30 NEWSROOM, Weather. logue. 8.00 TIMES REMEMBERED by WESTWARD: As Channel except: children from abroad. 3.55 Gus. Honeybun. 4.20 News. News.

8.10 MAN ALIVE.

Billie Jean 6.00 Diary. 11.44 11.47 'I hate to lose'. Faith for life.

9.00 POT

BLACK.

Snooker

SOUTHERN:

12.55 News. 1.00 Competition. Let them live. 1.25 Hot dog. 1.50 2.15 Bellbird.

'FURY'.

Cooking. 2.30 Lon-

9.20 FILM:

Spencer 3.50 Cartoon. 4.00 House- don. Tracy, Sylvia Sidney. Mob party. 4.15 Enchanted house. 4.30 violence in backwoods Crossroads. 4.55 London. 6.00 American town. Day by day. 6.30 Challenge.

7.00 10.50 NEWS, Weather. 7.30 London. 12.00 News. Jokers.

10.55 LATE NIGHT LINE-UP.

12.10 Weather. Guideline.

BY DAVID MAUDE

Our Industrial Correspondent JACK Leonard Prescott, 28, WHEN THE Tories' Chief jailed for 15 years following Registrar of Trade Unions the so called Angry Brigade and Employers' Associations explosions, was given leave by took office, he expected 25 three Appeal Court judges per cent of TUC-affiliated yesterday to challenge his unions would register in line conviction. with the Industrial Relations Prescot kochampton unemployed Act, he disclosed in his first decorator, Lane, Roehampton, London, report yesterday. victed Bailey at the Old 20 November of conspiring to In the event less than half and sentenced cause explosions that percentage - 17 unions by Mr Justice Melford Stevenson on December 1. out of 140-have so far failed He was acquitted on charges comply with the TUC's alleging that he caused explosions to the Employment Ministry in deregistration policy. St Tames's Square, London, and at the home of the then Employ- The only the report covers ment Secretary Robert Carr.

from the beginning of period He also pleaded guilty to September last year arquearthe when the theft and obtaining property on a Registrar, Robert instrument and was given forged Keith, took office, and March 31.

a concurrent five-year jail sen- tence. At the end of March, 29 of the Lord Justice Lawton, smaller

TUC

had said sitting unions with Mr Justice Swanwick would register and and probablv thev Mr Justice Phillips, said Pres- four had postponed decision. But 100 organizations had regis- cott's grounds of appeal raised points of law and he was entitled tered themselves provisionally as to appeal. 'unions' the meaning of within The judges granted Prescott's the Act, and there 164 were application fer legal aid.

He will such bodies on the permanent represented leading and register. junior counsel. There were also 105 employers' organizations on the provisional and 141 the on permanent registers. 'Since that date,' the report says, 'a number of organizations

FURNISHED

Rooms Bureau of have left the and registers Seven Sisters Road, North Lon- number have been added, and don, discriminated there will be further fluctuations.

against would-be white tenant because But a minimum of 500 entries of her coloured it son, was about 260 unions and 240 em- by claimed the Race Relations ployers' Board They organizations) seems yesterday. were likelv to represent the registry's claiming an order at Westminster general field of operations during County Court restraining the its first year' firm from discrimination on alleged racial grounds; damages This week the TUC General for humiliation and distress; and Council started interviewing damages for loss of opportunity leaders of the 17 unions who are for the unmarried mother whose defying its policy. had a Rhodesian African son Recommendations for action father. Lee Montague (left) as Hemsley and P called 'Good at Games'. HTV: 2.15 Racing. 3.20 Talking hands. 3.35 Enchanted house. 3.45 Ugliest girl. 4.15 Tinkertain- ment. 4.30 Crossroads. 4.55 Lon- 6.01 Report West. 6.15 don. Report Wales. 6.30 Dave Cash.

Jokers. 7.30 Coronation 7.00 street. 8.00 Hawaii five-o.

9.00 London. 11.45 Frighteners. 12.15 Weather. HTV Wales and HTV Cymru/ Wales above except: 6.15 as Report West. ANGLIA: 1.40 World War I. 2.05 Rovers. 2.30 London. 3.45 Yoga.

4.15 News. 4.18 Cartoons. 4.30 Romper room. 4.55 London. 6.00 About Anglia. 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 Shirley. 7.30 London.

MIDLANDS: 1.45

Racing.

ATV

3.35 Horoscope. 3.45 Women.

will be put to the annual con- ference at Brighton in September.

Some TUC officials feel that a number will face a serious threat of expulsion, but there will clearly be a bitter battle between right and left before this occurs.

The Keith report, however, confines itself mainly to the of registration of staff issue associations. It discloses the general prin- Registrar adopts ciples the deciding whether such organiza- tions can be considered 'inde- pendent'-a registration require- ment. The working method he has adopted is to assess the scale of activities the members of these staff associations appear to re- quire of their organization, and then determine to what extent these activities were carried on than out of the members rather at the employers' expense own contributions. • organization could 'Where an not apparently maintain its exist- ing level of service to its mem- bers if the employer decided to withdraw his there support, would be difficulty in satisfying the Registrar that it was inde- pendent,' says the report.

'On the other hand, the exist- ence of financial reserves suffi- cient to permit the organization to continue to function for as might be necessary to long as re-organize its affairs would be a factor to be taken into account.

'As the Registrar's inquiries progressed, it appeared that staff associations were in a state of evolution. Some were so heavily dependent on the resources of an employer that the ability of the organization • to arrive freely at its own decisions and follow its own line of action must be threatened the by the power might exert tol inter- employer vene in its affairs. In such instances the Regi- strar has been unable to pro- nounce himself satisfied as to independence. 'Other associations had already Workers Press, We ley and Phillp Latham Pardoe In tonight's 1 as i 4.10 Mrs Muir. 4.40 Magic ball. New 6.00 Today. 6.35 4.55 London. Crossroads. 7.00 Who do you do?

7.30 London. ULSTER: 1.45 Racing. 4.30 Rom- per room. 4.50 News. 4.55 Lon- don. 6.00 News. 6.10 Viewfinder.

Crossroads. 7.00 Sporting 6.35 challenge. 7.30 London. YORKSHIRE: 1.45 Racing. _2.15 Bellbird. 2.30 London. 3.45 Dr Locke. 4.10 Calendar. 4.15 Cross- roads. 4.40 Sean. 4.55 London.

6.00 Calendar, Weather. 6.30 Uni- versity challenge. 7.00 Jokers.

7.30 Coronation street. 8.00 Jason King. 9.00 London. 11.45 Weather.

GRANADA: 1.45 Racing. 3.40 Junkin. 4.10 News. Peyton place.

4.40 Sean. 4.55 London. 6.00 appreciated the danger to their own interests of such a state of financial dependence. and had taken steps to rid themselves of it. Others again have put for- ward proposals which, if imple- mented, may qualify them registration in due course.'

The Registrar claims that registration is a means of pro- viding a service of considerable (though hitherto less emphasized) significance to the members of registered organizations and to the organizations themselves.

To the individual, he says, registration offers a set of rules which take account of the In- dustrial Relations Act's concep- tion of natural justice and good administration. His obligations and rights are clearly defined and The eight-page youth paper which leads the fight against the Tory government, for the right to work, in factories, schools and dole on queues. Please send me 'Keep Left' for one y ' enclose £2.86 Name Address Press, Wednesday Juty 19, 1972 PAGE 11 2 3 G. • tonight's 'No Exit' play on BBC 1 News. What's on? 6.30 Jimmy Stewart. 7.00 University chal- lenge. 7.30 London.

SCOTTISH: 1.45

Racing. 3.35 Horoscope. 3.45 Women. 4.10 Animaland. 4.15 Crossroads. 4.40 Hatty town. 4.55 • London. 6.00 News. 6.15 Singmalman Holmes.

6.30 His and hers. 7.00 Jokers.

7.30 London. 11.15 Late call.

11.20 At odds. GRAMPIAN: 1.45 Racing yoga.

3.37 News. 3.45 Women. 4.10 4.40 Enchanted house. 4.55 Lon- don. 6.00 News, weather. 6.10 Grampian week. 6.20 Canadian 6.35 Crossroads. 7.00 vIew. 7.30 Coronation Jokers. street. 8.00 Department S. 8.55 Police news. 9.00 London. 11.45 Scales .00 of justice. if his rights are infringed he can call on the registrar to help him. • Among the TUC unions already interviewed by: the General Council are the Union of Shop, Distributive and Allied Workers, the Association of Scientific, Technical and Mana- gerial Staffs and the Iron and Steel Trades Confederation.

Both USDAW and ASTMS believed to have argued are against harsh • discipline on the grounds their policies were pushed through at the annual conference against recommenda- tions from the executive. ISTC narrowly failed in a recent bal- to gain the lot two-thirds majority necessary for deregistra- tion. Plenty of nows, views and features at 3p a copy. Order your regular copy now.

Yearly subscription £2.86.

Send to Keep Lott, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG. • for one year

Coventry engineers hit back against witch-hunt PAGE 12 Workers Press, Wednesday Jul

FUND

STILL NEEDED

WE WILL not raise our Fund in time unless we step up the pace.

Yesterday we received £51.75, leaving £882.60 to collect by this coming weekend. We know we can raise more. Let's make a very great effort and change the situation. The role of Workers Press over the next few weeks will be very Important. Developments In the the container- economic crisis, ization issue and TUC collabora- tion with the Torles must all come to a head in this immediate period. We are relying on you all for a very special effort to help us this holiday period. Do over everything you can to make sure complete our target. If we extra possible, add something yourself. Rush every donation Immediately to: Workers Press July Appeal Fund, 186a Clapham High St, London, SW4 7UG. Minister

SPANISH

Foreign Gregorio Lopez Bravo arrived in to begin a London yesterday. three-day official visit to Britain.

This is the first such visit by a Spanish Foreign Minister for six years and is a follow-up to the visit of Sir Alec Douglas Home to Madrid in February. Royal Apart from attending a garden party, Franco's Minister will have talks with Edward Heath, Geoffrey Rippon, Britain's European Common Market nego- tiator and Douglas Home. The aim of the visit is certainly of to settle the question not Gibraltar, but to lay the basis increased trade between Spain and Britain and to open the way up for more foreign investment in the Spanish police state. This will be discussed in the context of the necessary political preparations against the Euro- pean working class. Yesterday was the 36th anni- of Franco's uprising versary against the Republic which led to the Civil War in which the political parties and trade unions of the Spanish working class and peasantry were destroyed.

WEATHER

SOUTHERN counties of England will be cloudy at first but sunny periods expected later. are Isolated thundery showers are likely. The Midlands and Wales will have sunny periods with the threat of an afternoon shower.

England, Northern Northern Ireland and Scotland will be dry with a good deal of sunshine, but patches of sea fog will affect coastal areas of eastern Scotland and north-east England. It will again in many inland be hot areas, but rather cool at times on the east coast. Outlook for Thursday and Fri- day: Sunny intervals in many Scattered thundery places. showers over England and Wales.

Very warm inland but rather cool near east coast.

LATE NEWS

nesday July 19, 1972

BY OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT

STRIKERS at the Jaguar car factory in Coventr yesterday at the press witch-hunt aimed at breakin old pay struggle with the company.

Started by Don Perry of the Sunday Express', the witch-hunt has been hung on a single phrase in a leaflet given to the strikers of the Claimants' by the Coventry branch and Unemploved Workers' Union phrase-'the Social Security is the The biggest strike fund of them all'—was used by the 'Express' and later other Tory newspapers as part of their campaign for the government to stop strikers' families receiving benefit.

'Express'-man Perry unleashed the pack by con- structing the following, provocative opening para- graph: "Two thousand strikers who have wrecked the introduction of the best-ever Jaguar car are being by their leaders to claim Social Security urged order to prolong the strike.'

benefits in He went on to describe the leaflet as 'the shop stewards' document' and, later, 'the strikers' leaflet'. It was, This is in fact, a Claimants' untrue. Union leaflet included a strike committee which statement dealing with picket rotas and progress of the strike. Pat Lillis, a Jaguar shop steward and member of told Workers Press the strike committee, while taking part in the 24-hour picket at the factory: 'Perry knew this before his article was printed, because he rang me up. fully explained to him that we were only concerned, firstly, with statement and, our own secondly, with what our dependants were entitled 10iy made clear to him that we were not re- sponsible for what was in the leaflet, since apart from our statement everything else the was Claimants' Union views? The 2,000 Jaguar pieceworkers are fighting for Although a substantial increase the In earnings. factory is closed for its fortnight's annual holiday a picket is being maintained to make sure no cars leave the plant. British-Leyland, Jaguar's owners, claim they have lost production £7m; rows upon worth of rows the new £3,700 XJ12 have been immobilized inside the Brown's Lane; Coventry, site. Leyland is determined to defeat the strike in order to force Measured-Day Work into the factory.

The strikers are determined to win their demands.

'The firm has refused our demands because they want their new pay structure', Pat Lillis explained.

'They said if we increased our effort, we could earn more, but they would not give us a straight We say workers are already at saturation increase. point.' Besides being an attempt to crack the strikers' will, the press witch-hunt is a build-up to House of Commons question by a local Tory MP.

J. H. R.

Stokes, a former ICI personnel manager, who sits for Oldbury and Halesowen, plans to ask Social Security Minister Sir Keith Joseph about benefit pay- ments to the strikers. Pat Lillis said: 'This attack has been for built up one purpose TALKS AIMED at breaki only-to help the Tories move against benefits to strikers' wives the deadlock over a ma and children. Trade ning dispute which unionists must be on their guard against witch-hunters close the port of Liverpo of Tory press. Irresponsible the statements such that continued yesterday., as con- tained in the Claimants' Union leaflet play into the hands of Meanwhile 1,590 dockers w such witch-hunters. E. work for Smith one of Merseyside's largest car handling firms, continued strike which is stopping work ALL SOVIET military 19 ships. experts have been asked to leave Egypt Shop stewards warned following a sharp deterioration mass meeting of the strikers t in relations between the two if the dispute was not settled countries. could become a port issue.

The number of pilots, missile technicians and experts in charge The dockers say Smith Cogg military installations insisting or are on using attached to the Egyptian armed registered dock labour forces is put at about 20,000. It traditionally done by register is doubtful whether he Egyptians men. could handle the advanced The dispute came to a he equipment provided by the when the firm moved a num Soviet Union in recent years Yugoslav of ships from without them. End of the port to the Horn The decision follows the visit and Gladstone docks of the to Moscow Monday on north. Prime Minister, Aziz Sidky, and They refused a request fr a lengthy meeting of the central stewards to release committee of the Arab Socialist men to do a number of cleri Union, the ruling party. jobs. After dockers had refused do the work, they then ened to use unregistered

NEWS DESK

01-720 2000 our.

CIRCULATION 01-622 7029

Behind this issue are dockers' ( fears that another rationalization is on the wa Reet published us Workers e Pss, Liverpool. These Press, arise Clapham His Street, London, decision by the port's 7UG. employers-A. E. Smith Coggi Printed by Plough Press Ltd. (TU), Ocean Port Services, 180b Clapham Street, London, High Stevedoring and 1 Liverpool

SW4 7UG.

Coventry hit back hard reaking their four-week• it breaking

FROM STEPHEN

er a man- lich could Mersey Docks a : Liverpool pany—to dockers who ith Coggins, further cutback „Torce. ing work on tion after a o lake a DI labour force,' he "This is defending at nith Coggins are not going to п0N- Another jobs English, said: and-out battle w jobs.

UVEI

to a head 'If we don't w we are in seriou South The dockers " the Hornaby firm has attempt the Glasgow, there have them. equest from egisterec employers and I r of clerica the Mersey I refused to then threat- Shop lab- at liverpoe meri at Liverpool's the • Elsewhere on ale terday work was anoiner no token biggest coincide with General Workers ith Coggins, Port conferenc Aldington repor the

STEPHEN JOHNS

, Docks and Harbour Com- begin merger discus- Jack Abbott steward yesterday's mass meeting would mean

CULOACK

en they talk about amalga- mean rationaliza- this means tney Wall DIg SlICE _out oi the he said the we are at and time over ll. Alan steward, said: "This is out- battle with the employers e don't win this one, then in serious trouble dockers were told that the is attempted to move ships dockers black consist- shop ers and representatives o Docks and Harbour "the dispute yesterday. were attempting STeWaro W1! at 11 a.m. today Head. were on versevside ve work was normal as doc. next week's one- timed with the Transport and i Workers' Union delegate on Jones. ton report. outside the Jaguar. plant in Coventry to stop finished cars being taken out aired by a kios, wi chaired by Jack Jones, secretary, and Lord Aldington of the Port of London Authority, is rushing to complete its work.

The co-chairmen issued statement on Monday dismissing as 'pure speculation' reports that they have asked the government for f5m to smooth the way for the voluntary severance of up to 4,000 more dockers from the industry. Meanwhile talks between the docks shop stewards and the London Road Transport Com- Committee of mercial the T&GWU about the picketing and counter-picketing of container depots have broken down. The drivers' leaders have called a meeting tomorrow to determine what steps will we take to safeguard our livelihood and that of other members of our union' Also tomorrow, further talks will take place between port employers leaders and union representing London's tally clerks. Their threatened industrial action over redundancy has been at least, until the postponed Jones-Aldington committee reports. Union chiefs have agreed work-sharing to continue a scheme as a holding operation.

From Hull, the national port shop stewards' committee has been sent a list of about 40 transport companies using the dozen or so private wharves on the Humber. The Hull stewards want the firms blacked by dockers at every registered port in the country.