for
Socialists
Vol, 3 No, 1 July 9th, 1963
Price Fourpence
Page 1 Mr, Wilson's speech at the T.G.W,U, Conference, Page 2 The Porton Demonctration Page 3 Mr, Wilsons Dinner Dates
Deposits for the Hythe School Come In,
Miners ftrike in Spain
Danish Dockers to Boycott South African Goods
Mr. Henry Brooke on !'Extremints! Pago 4 Grippa Group Holds National Conference
Italy -China Friendship As sociation Meosts
Cuban 'Fence—Sitting!’ Indicated by Protocol, Page 5 The Now China News Agency on the Moscow Conference of Women ~~. Page 6 The Arrest of Boudiaf by the Algerian Government
Algeria Bureau to be Set Up Page T Whats Heppening in Burma Page 8 The Bconomist Worried About World Economic Situatuon
Letter to Readers
We went to press the samo day as tho press reported Harold
Wilson'a. speech at the Transport and General Workers Union
Conference at Blackpool, And so, bacauso of time and our
not having the full text of the speech, we have not been
able to make an extensive editorial comment,
In place of tkis we have reproduced the editorial in the
Financial Times commenting upon the speech, This comment,
as is usual for that paper, is quite frank and shows that -
they do not view the forthcoming Labour governmont with
trepidation but soberly :..ichup the pros and cons of Wilson's
policy, They regard his ability to get the unions to toe the i
line as a pro = they express a little doubt about him being
too vindictive in another respect,
This comment by such an organ of big business is in itself
proof of how far Wilson's policies are from socialist ones,
We shall comment fully on the speech next week, Published by: International Bookshop, Produced
4, Dano St., by
Alfred St. Central, yoluntary
Nottingham, labour
CONTENTS
25/— for one year 48 issues
a 164 WR. WILSON'S SPEECH TO THE T.G.WU. fron Pinnn:inl Tinoen July 9th
jir, Wilson's speech to the oe cc eat and mener ee Workers! Union at scarborough was a major, though rather well worn, statement of Labour's policy on economic affairs, Statements like these to one's closest backers are always important - the Conservatives! to the City, for instance, or Labour's to the trade unions, This occasion, however, was of special import— ance to ir, Wilson, This was the first occasion — barring a brief word to the National Union of Reailwaymen = that he had addressed a trade union gathoring since bocoming leader of the Lahour party. And even more important he urgently requires trade union support for Labour's concept of a planned economy, which has as an intogral part the matching of wage advance and roductivity.
The first point, which he got over successfully, was that a Socialist government is not going to be a featherbed for labour, "We cannot afford unofficial strikes," said Mr. Wilson. "We shall have to ask for restraint in tha matter of incomes," VYhat makes it possible that ha would improve on the present Government's attempts on income restraint is the basis of trust which exists between the unions and Labour. “A great adventure requiring tho fullest co-operation of every sector of the commnity,™" was how lr, Wilson put his concept of wages policy, Many trade unionists would wink an eye at this type of language, without necessarily feeling that the wholo idoa was doomed,
An incomes policy, after all, makes good sense; tho thing that is noodod is to present it to the people as an opportunity rather than a millstones. :tven then it might not work — the unions might not bo able to keep their side of the bargain, the economy might not grow at the rate at which a tolerable inorease in annual incomes could be sustained, and so on, But it is worth trying and it waa Mr, Selwyn Lloyd's mistake that the whole concept was made to look so ham—handed and disagreeable, What Labour would try to do would be to use its relationship with the unions to turn the idea into a reality. Mr. Wilson's cordial reception “at the 1.G.W.U. yesterday makos this at least into a possibility.
He was able to sugar the pill, of course, Labour would abolish Nicky, which would please the unions without doing the count horm, More dub idusly, ifr Witsoe promised to clamp down upon *Finensiet mManoeuvrings that put quick profits shead of national interest." In this connection he speo= ifically mentioned capital gains and property speculation, and it is nosét important that Labour should not be led into vindictiveness here, There is a case = indeed people in the City have urgod it - for having a uniform ~~ capital gains tax at a lower rate than the present mongrel system. There is an excellent case = suggested by a Conservative Committee — for watching tho monopoly aspect of take-over bids through the establishment of a Registrar of Monopolies; and, in property, the co-operation between the developers and local suthorities could well be strengthened, But vindicitive action against any of these fields would only harm confidence, slow down development and weaken efficiency.
With Mr. Wilson's speech...the outline of Labour's economic policy is now becoming clear, Neddy is to receive sharp promotion;...Neddy under Labour would move to the centre of policy-making machine...Mr Wilson thinks,,.that it could help to provide the engine for Government thet has been so notably missing since the collapse of the Common Market talks and the dispersal of Mr, Heath's Guropean team. Through Neddy, the unions would make their voice felt on economic and Labour would articulate its policy of economic growth,
There are still plenty of questions here,....\ould the unions bse so Keon on income restraint once a general election has boen held...,A bright pointe. is the eater relinnce Mr, Wilson is tting on the right-wincers in his Partyeeeees (all emphasis ours)
Tits OE NE Eeasatls TOW Based upon Peace News report . oe ee
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The purpose of the demonstration at Forton was to show an apath— etic public that preparations for germ warfare are being mode in this country and that these ereparations are prejudicial to the interests and safety of the people. Not least among the victories achievad was the fact that several papers began using the explicit term "Gern Warfare Centre" in place of the euphezistic "Microbiological Research Establishment." By Saturday even the BEC was doing so. The local Salisbury papers, however, went on using tie cosy local name of “Porton Camp,"
Preliminary local leafleting had taken place around Salisbury before June 29th, and a certain amount of advance publicity came when police raided the Goodwin St. offices of the Committee of 100 prior to the demonsatr— ation. Despite the threats of the Official Secrets Act, contamination and rain, about 200 people were in Salisbury at the public meeting on Saturday. The speeches came from Amesbury Rural District Councillor, Austin Underwood, from John Papworth, and from Dr. Jeffrey Boss, of the Hristol University Department of Physiology, Underwood pointed out the shocking health pracau— tions at Porton and the long history of official evasion and lies on these precentions. Fapworth brisfly put Porton in a political context and Ir. Boss attacked the idea of scientific secracy,
Owing to the vastness of the target area this was by far the most fragmentary demonstration ever. Apart from one mass invasion of the "restricted area" by about 250 of the demonstrators, most of the invasion parties were small and tactics were varied. The position was marked by a helicopter and reconnaisance plane until they were rounded up by the ground. troops, who were numerically far too week to pravent them moving on, <<“ they picked up some demonstrators and took them out of the area in trucks, They asked the remainder to leave, telling them they would be handed over to civilian pelice if they were stopped egain, Most soldiers were involved with non cooperating demonstrators and had little chance of carrying out their 'threat.'
While the various invasions were taking place, others picketed sections of the very bisy A 30 road along one side of "Porton Camp" with appr= opriate placards, People were arrested and charged for trespassing on War Department property. At the courts on Saturday nicht eight cases were dismissed, apparently on the ground that the accused had been prevented by the military from leaving the area after being warned to leave, though 29 of those in the same group were found guilty. In one of the courts the last 5 cases were adjourned until next Saturday so that military evidence on this point could be obtained. The fines were mostly £3 or £5 plus 3 or 5 guineas costs, and a binding over order for 1 year in the sum of £50 was demanded from those convicted in some courts, tut not in othors,
Several who refused to sign the undertaking were committed to prison for 3 months or until they agreed to sign it. Some of those charged had brol binding-over orders, imposed at Downham liarket in May with recogn isence up to £50, There was a half-hour adjourmont of all the courts at 7230 pels, tho emonstrators got none. During the break the crowl of relat ives, friends and would-be observers who were shouting and shoving outside the courts in their anger at the lack of the statutory provision for tha public to attend the proceedings, were given an assurances that this would be remedied after the recess,
Although the class rooms being used were qiite large, and 12 or so people could have bsen comfortably accommodated, only 5 public seats were provided in each. The assurance of more provisionquistened the crowd but was not implemented, 5 remained the maximum allowed in each court. Those who were allowed in had to give their names and addresses = a most umisual pre requisite for admission to a public court, —
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