; | i ‘ We uw . : oe or” 3 my Gy WON] Vol. 7, No. 22 Vancouver, B.C., Friday, May 28, 1948 Five Cents Defend NANAIMO, B.C.—Nanaimo coal miner Mar- ko Vitkovich has been arrested on charges of defamotory libel on instructions of Attorney- General Gordon Wismer as Nanaimo workers turned out some 700 strong in a great rally to answer Mayor Muir’s union-busting con- spiracy. ‘ These events make Nanaimo once again a focal point of labor’s battle to defend democratic rights. : The rally’ called on Nanaimo Joint Labor Council to set up a “Defend Nanaimo Labor Committee” to rally popular support in a test of democracy that is assuming province-wide Vitkovich was picked up Friday last week and refused bail till he appeared in court next morning and his counsel, Miss Elspeth Munro: secured a remand. He will appear again in court May 28. His alleged crime is the issuing of a leaflet branding Dr. Guinio Zorkin as a traitor to his country on grounds of a link-up with groups forming part of Hitler’s anti-Comintern Axis during the war. (See full text of charge page five. iatiootnn Vitkovich’s court appearance, Magistrate Lionel Beever-Potts set bail at the high figure of $1,000, a sum that was immediate- anaimo labor ly subscribed by friends. Beever-Potts also warned counsel he would not permit a long remand. The government is apparently order- ing the case to go ahead at full speed. The tiny Nanaimo courtroom, scene of many historic labor trials, was packed with workers. Arrest of Vitkovich is looked on by Nanai- mo labor as a straight case of anti-labor perse- cution, as part of the Island-wide red-baiting and union-busting campaign of which Nanaimo’s Mayor Muir is the figurehead, but behind which stand powerful figures of government and in- dustry. Continued on page 12 — SEE NANAIMO significance. OODWORKERS SPURN UNION-BUSTING OFFER “Jewish blood on our hands’ says Wallace a profit unless producing for war should be nationalized.” A gigantic Wallace rally broke political records in Seattle last weekend as 7,000 citizens paid $1 to hear the third party candidate for president, while Republican Tom Dewey could only draw 2,000 to a free rally the same night.. Total receipts Were $15,000. A tremendous ovation greeted Wallace’s open- ing statement, “I propose the nationalization of the aircraft industry.” Speaking in relation to the bitter strike at the Seattle Boeing plant Wallace said, “Any industry which_cannot show Theme of the Wallace speech was that Ameri- cans have Jewish, Greek and Chinese blood on their hands—a statement that applies equally to Canada as an American satellite. In respect to the Jewish state of Irael’s fight for life he said, “Men with oil on their minds have put blood on our hands.” eS Picture showe Henry Wallace on the Chrysler picket line in Detroit. The District Negotiating Committee of the IWA has rejected as ‘‘completely unacceptable”’ and “qa gun at our heads” a wage offer of 10 cents or eight percent across the board made by 194 Coast lumber operators through Stuart Research Service. The union backed its rejection by moving to submit the wage offer to a referendum vote of all IWA members affected, and has asked that nego- tiations for the 1948-49 contract be recessed while the ballot is being taken. The negotiating committee is asking every Continued on page 12 — SEE TWA Labor initiates drive to aid flood victims - At press time devastating floods, caused by a combination of abnormal weather conditions and reck- less logging off of watersheds, and accentuated by an inadequate flood control program, were sweeping upon the Fraser Valley, Kootenays, Okanagan and Skeena Valley. The B.C. Federation of Labor has called on the Vancouver Sun to publicize and receive contributions to a flood relief fund, backing its proposal with an initial check for $500. An effort is being made to have such a fund administered jointly by the CCL, AFL, CMA and The Sun. Harold Pritchett, B.C. Federation of Labor secretary, has been authorized to pledge the full assistance of that body’s 60,000 members in aid- ing those homes and farms stricken by flood. The labor group is prepared to send top officials to the flood areas to help administer relief. Experts are scanning reports in fear of a major disaster. The need is urgent for government mobiliza- tion of citizens at full ratés of pay, as well as the, military forces, to tackle the threat of the raging waters.