Mi i Hh i! iit YM yt th ji hy A yey é f BRT deity) MeL , j i | fi ad dal We ea eh ce fa Ey cben Pae ne te HIDARe steal Ritsiacadl btm cnn We PRAT Vol. 9, No. 1 Vancouver, British Columbia, January 6, ae ‘ 1950 ek ae +7 ge "Price Paes Cente Layoffs mounting HUNGRY THIRTIES BACK FOR 00,000 B.C. JOBLESS 1881 William Bennett 1949 ITH the dawn of the last day of 1949, the Canadian labor movement suffered a grievous loss in the death of William Bennett, intimately and lovingly known to countless thousands of workers as “Ol’ Bill.” One of the founders of the Communist Party of Canada, and later the Labor-Progressive party, Ol’ Bill served for many years on the national and provincial committees of both organiza- tions. For many years prior to the formation of the Communist party, Ol’ Bill was one of the most active workers in the British labor and socialist movement, and later in the Socialist Party of Can- ada. A leader in the “left wing’ of the SPC, Ol’ Bill emerged as one of the most brilliant Marxist exponents of his generation, and led in the fight against social democracy and for affiliation to the Communist International in the early twenties. Continued on Page 8—See WILLIAM BENNETT Dozens of lumber mills are shutting down throughout B.C. because of the cold weather and heavy snows, throwing thousands of men out of work. Unemployment in B.C. is estimated to have jumped during the past week from 35,000 to nearly 50,000. Some plants will reopen as soon as the weather breaks but many will remain closed for some time. Nearly 1000 millworkers in New Westminster have applied for unemployment insurance this week; in Vancouver no figures were re- leased but between 5000 and 6000 loggers are “‘stranded’’ in town by the snowstorm. Several North Shore mills have closed down; along the Fraser most operations have come to a halt; all Mission mills are closed; New Westminster mills are nearly all ad and plants i in Vancouver are shutting down daily. Although extreme weather conditions are responsible for the dras- tic increase in jobless lines this week, the fact that unemployment is steadily increasing, not only in B.C. but across Canada, 1 is not some- thing that can be blamed on the weather. The fact is that Canada is sliding into a deepening economic crisis. In Ottawa the Trades and Labor Congress and the Canadian Congress of Labor charged this week that the government is deliberate- ly suppressing facts and figures dealing with Canada’s unemployment. In a joint letter to St. Laurent and the cabinet, TLC President Percy Bengough and CCL President A. R. Mosher declared that reports on the number of claims for unemployment benefits have been withheld for the past three months. ‘We have been repeatedly informed by the government that it has carefully laid plans for taking care of any substantial increases in unemployment,” the union letter said. ‘“We believe the time has e come, if it is not in fact overdue, F uner al service for when these plans should be put | s@pl peqgs into effect and if they are not ol Bill on Satur day sufficient to meet the situation Funeral services for Wil- then: further steps should be tak- | liam Bennett will be held in en. The Canadian labor move- Pender Auditorium, 339 West ment is determined not to’ permit Pender, at 2 p.m., Saturday, a repetition of the hungry 30’s.” | January 7. Speakers will be Tom McEwen, Charles Stew- The TLC-CCL heads blunted art and Nigel Morgan. their demands by joining in the re- Following ib: pemaieee Ges actionary cry that Communists procession will start from the are “endeavoring to exploit’’ the | auditorium and turn south on. unemployed situation by helping | Homer Street to Robson, then the unemployed to organize. They | east to Cambie Bridge, turn- were forced to admit, however, | ing south on Cambie to 25th that attacking Communists did | Avenue. From there the pro- not in any way lessen the serious- | cession will follow through to ness of the jobless situation, or } Kingsway and then to Ocean justify any attempt to minimize it. View Cemetery. ‘ Parking space will be avail- A mass meeting of unemployed able on the north side of will be held in Vancouver this Fendee. Bivkelt ds it ee Friday, January 6, at 2 p.m. in Di ahi -atiseriies Pewanias deere the Fishermen’s Hall, 138 East | between Georgia and Pender Cordova. The meeting is sponsor- on both sides of the street. ed by the Unemployed Action Anyone requiring transport- Association, which is conducting | ation to the cemetery should a membership campaign around | contact the funeral parade the slogan of “‘work or cash re- | marshals who will be proper- hef.”” ly identified and will be sta- é tioned outside Pender Audi- Executive members of Vancou- Sid. GAR aeitacs “ony ae ver Trades and Labor Council, ; a : x able to take additional pas- leaders of the ‘Canadian ‘Legion’ | neers are requested to re- and local MP’s will hold a sec- | port to the marshals, Continued on Page /2