URGENT CALL

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 83, 9 April 1942, Page 7

URGENT CALL

CANADIAN METALS

Aluminium And Nickel Needed For U.S. Production United Press Association.—Copyright. Rec. 2 p.m. WASHINGTON, April 8. The United States war production authorities have been notified by the Canadian Government that the United States, which is pleading for more aluminium from Canada, must choose between increased aluminium shipments and a smaller supply of newsprint. The New York Times correspondent at Washington says: "The trouble is that there is not enough available hvdro-electric power for both. Canada is the chief source of supply of newsprint, which American newspapers consume in huge quantities. Canada is also producing 43 per cent of all the aluminium manufactured on the American Continent. At the same time Canada is expanding the nickel mining industry in order to meet the needs of the United States steel industry, which is crying out for more nickel for alloys. The extent to which Canada is contributing to the production of war materials for the United States use has not been broadly publicised, but it is considerable. An example is the large orders for military planes for the United States recently placed in Canada. One order called for the manufacture of 1000 navy bombers by a Canadian car company. American Labour Unites Pittsburgh is beginning a joint drive for maximum war production. American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organisation leaders, representing 10,000,000 organised workers, united in an impressive demonstration of labour solidarity at a mass meeting of over 5000 members of both organisations. Mr. Philip Murray, president of the C.1.0., and Mr. Wm. Green, president of the A.F.L., pledged Labour's undivided support in the war effort, based on a programme of no strikes and the greatest possible output. It is the first time since the split in the ranks of organised Labour in 1935 that the leaders of the two groups have appeared together on a public platform. The event is regarded as historically significant in its contribution to victory, as well as the possibility to the eventual joining of the two organisations. Equality of Demand A war conference of United Automobile Workers' delegates decided with a unanimous voice to vote for the victory programme of the executive board of the Congress of Industrial Organisations, waiving double pay rates for week-end ana holiday work for the duration of the war, and also urging President Roosevelt and Congress to ban all war profiteering.

The vote followed a boisterous session which lasted all day in which the rank and file and leaders of United Automobile Workers repeatedly voiced reluctance to waive premium pay until employers were compelled to make equal sacrifices. The president of the conference, Mr. R. J. Thomas, and other union leaders, who were frankly fearful of the mounting anti-Labour sentiment in Congress, warned delegates that the whole question of maintaining the 40-hour week hinged on United Automobile Workers' acceptance of President Roosevelt's request for the suspension of double-time wage payments.