Detroit evening times. (Detroit, Mich) 1921-1958, 1944-08-07
REHIND
THE NEWS
BY Paul
Manon

'N'AllSl
QUEBEC, Canada, Aug. =
VI The rise of socialism in Can
ada-heralded so much in our
magazines and press-seems TO
he a somewhat theoretical al
fair.
II may have looked real
enough in the reports OF the
June CCF COOPERATIVE Com
monwealth Federation land
-sffdc- Saskatchewan on
paper, it was. but there is
catch in the matter.
While the program OF the So
cialists calls for the government
TO take over the banks, insur-
ancc companies, railways and
certain heavy industries in the
province. the constitution re-
quires that all acts of the pro-
vincial parliament must be APP
proved by the national parlia-
ment. As the national body is
in other hands, no legislation
will be attempted.
Yet the CCF, riding on the
unexpected crest OF that wave,
won increased power in On
tario. and is now challenging IN
Alberta where a full slate of
candidates has been presented.
1T IS the new thing here. In
Il most other ways, Canada S
problems are ours 49, strikes,
debts. wage scales, prices, etc.
The cost of food, rent. and
clothing seem to be about half
Washington'S. Coffee and but
ter are rationed, but few other
foods. Steaks are generally
available, as are all other meats.
The best restaurant In Que
bee, for instance, has top price
of Sis for a five course dinner.
Full course meals are available
in average restaurants for 30
cents. Yet luxuries are higher
than ours. Cigarets, for ex-
ample, are 33 cents for pack
age of IL.
THERE is no draft, either
L military or civilian. The
basic gasoline ration is 80 per
cent greater than ours. The
debts are not as great. While
earnest, full help has been
given Britain, l think one emf
nent observer here presented
the contrast of our situation and
Canada's fully when he told me:
Canada Is not trying to feed
the world"
Yet socialism, pure socialism,
is the rising political opposition.
The wage scale, like our own.
now is the highest in all history.
There is practically no unem-
Pleyment.
Why then would an opposition
movement to overthrow capital
ism become so popular at the
height of the war when the peo-
pie have more money from cap
italism in their pay envelopes
than ever?
The only answer apparently
is that there is indefinable,
vague dissatisfaction and I'M
rest among the people. We have
the same symptoms at home,
but in our case. they are more
clearly defined and have taken
the opposite trend toward IN
creased popularity for the Re-
publican party.
Here II has worked its way
into numerous local issues and
preludiceS not worth mention
ing and found its outlet in the
CCF. incidentally, communism
does not exist here except as a
sort of half underground move
ment among a very few people
and there is no Communist
party.
SOCIALISM just does not fit
~ in as a remedy TO a success
full capitallstic system. The idea
that the worker will get more
if the profits are eliminated is
TO me simple fallacy.
The volume of production of
business. any business. depends
as much upon the ingenuity and
energy of the management
stimulated by eagerness for
profits-as upon the skill Of the
worker.
| think. under socialism, a
nation will do less business than
under capitalism. Only if capt.
talism fails. If il is wrecked on
financial rocks, will socialism
come.
Thus, Canada. in my opinion,
is just as far away from actual
socialism today as il ever was.
The CCF has merely become
the left wing in position some
what like our Communists. 1
would say socialism is at least
as far away here as we are
from communism.
Seeing this, Prime Minister
Mackenzie King probably will
call a general election in the
fall. and. if he does, the act in
Itself will be a rather sure indi-
cation that he expects to win.