MONOPOLY INDICTED

Grey River Argus, 12 August 1944, Page 7

MONOPOLY INDICTED

Charges against the Canadian aluminium industry which indirectly also involve the aluminium industry of this country have been made in the Canadian House of Commons by M J. Coldwell, national leader of the C.C.F’. (Canada’s Labour Party).

In his report Mr. Coldwell stated that the Canadian aluminium group was part of an International cartel. Aluminium, Ltd., the Canadian holding company,' owns 28 per cent, of the share capital of the Alliance Aluminium. Corporation of Basle, Switzerland; the other share-holders are the aluminium producers of Great Britain, Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland. Mr. Coldwell further alleged that the Alliance extracted agreements from it members to limit production, and that the Alliance established world minimum prices at which it would buy any stocks of aluminium offered. He added that the Alliance Corporation is not dead, but merely sleeping during the war and . . - that the German producer is still a member in good standing. Mr. Coldwell further stated that the Canadian aluminium group was a monopoly which charged exorbitant prices and was amassing huge profits out of the war. ' -These are most serious charges in which not only Canadians ought to

be interested. If Mr. Coldwell’s allegations can be substantiated —and knowing his record' we do not doubt for one moment that he would not have made such statements without very good reasons —British aluminium producers are no less indicted than their Canadian colleagues. “TRIBUNE”