Marxism is the theory of the movement of the proletariat for Jiberation.—LENIN. — OR Help put the Workers’ Press into thousands of working- class homes in 1936! EWS VOL. I Published Weekly VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 27, 1935 ———_ Single Cepies: 5 Cenis a No. 50: Government Decrees Corbin Miners Will Lose Services M.D. s Will Have Serious Con- [NG XMAS SPIRIT sequences in Isolated Mining Camp —__ PROTEST TO GOVT. Miners on Sirike Eleven Months Grateful For Solidarity The Corbin strike is now in its eleventh month and although the miners and their families are facine freater hardships due to the severe- ness of the weather, their morale and solidarity have not weakened in the least. The sovernment still Brant relief in Cerbin. We fully appreciate and extend our heartiest thanks for the senerous donations of money, clothing and foodstuffs that have been forthcom- ins. Wee are confronted with a serious and vital question that involves the welfare of approximately 400 men, women and children, i.e, our doctor, who had been receiving a grant of $i” per month from the B.C. Goyv- ernment, has been notified that his Srant wall cease after December 31, and, owing to this action by the gov- ernment, the doctor has packed all his belongings in readiness to leave tewn. He is willme to remain in this town providing he is siyen his former rant and has the rent of his house paid. It is impossible for us to raise this money to retain his Services aS we have a relief and de- fence fund to maintain. A resolu- tion is beins drawn up by us protest- ine this inhuman action by the Sov-— ernment, to be circulated to all or- Sanizations for endorsement throughout Canada. Please rush this protest to the B.C. Government on the Corbin doctor’s question: PROTEST AGAINST THE FORCED REMOVAL OF DR. ELLIOTT FROM CORBIN, B.C. Yo the Minister of Health, Parliament Buildings, Victoria, B.C. Whereas: The Provincial Govern- ment of British Columbia has notified Dr. Elliott that his monthly allowance will be discontinued on December 31, 1935, a step calculat- ed to drive him from the village of Corbin, and thus deprive its people of medical services, and Whereas: The removal of the doctor will have serious and prob- ably tragic consequences, especi- ally at this season of the year, when Corbin is often cut off from the nearest town, 25 miles away, for weelis at a time; Therefore: I strongly protest against the government’s action, and urgently request that Dr. El- liott’s allowance be continued in order that his services may re- main at the disposal of the Corbin people whom he has attended so faithfully for the past seventeen years. (Siemed) "Name. 22 -.> =.=. 3s: refuses to IN SLAVE CAMPS CAMP 316, Deadman Creek, Dec. 21,— The following is a copy of the notice that Was posted at this camp: “Owing to the fact that no pro- vision has been made for Christ- mas Day dinner, it is thought ad- visable for those remaining in camp to give donations for the purchasing of turkeys and other extras. Donations to be handed in to the office.’ HAIRDRESSERS FACE MONOPOLY Association Invokes Dis- crimination in Permits To Work Holiday Season Excerpts from a letter sent out by the secretary of the Hairdressers’ Association, Mr. Geo. Matthews, to the members of the trade shows to what extent the government is as- sisting in denying members the right to belon= to a union of their own choice. Eyidentiy no one can work without a permit, no matter how much experience, unless they are members of the Association. RENEWAL APPLICATION Dec. 7, 1935. To the Menibers of the Hairdressers’ Association, Dear Member,—Enclosed please find renewal application form. The Examinins Board is still re- ceiving requests to issue temporary permits to allow applicants to work until they pass their examination. Will you please make it very clear to anyone who may be inquiring froni you, that positively no permit will be issued to anyone who is not a member of the Hairdressers’ Association, without first Success- fully passing ihe examination, re- gardiess of their experience. Please remember too that an amendment to our Act this year sets out that a penalty of $2.00 is now required from those who fail to renew their certificate at the proper time. ... COMMUNISTS OPEN OFFICE IN WINNIPEG WINNIPEG, Dec. 17—The Mani- toba District Committee of the Com- munist Party of Canada will open an office early in the new year in the down-toyn area of Winnipes. Be- hind this brief announcement lies the story of the elorious fight against reaction Conducted by the C.P.@. in which it has aroused the Sympathy and admiration of rapidly inereasin= thousands of working people and other progressives. The new office will be the first opened by the C.P.C. in this province Since the arrest of its eight leaders in 1931. WINNIPEG LABOR LEADS FIGHT FOR BOYCOTT OF NAZI OLYMPICS Trades Council Calls for Non-Support of ’Peg- Port Arthur Hockey Game WINNIPEG, Dec. 20.—Opposition to the staging of the Olympic games in Germany increases daily in this city. Following the recent decision of the City Council to refuse a money grant to the Olympic Committee, the Trades and Labor Council haye called for the boycott of a hockey fame between Port Arthur and Win- nipes, intended to raise money for the Olympics. “Don't desecrate this festival by buying toys and other things made in present-day Nazi-Germany,’’ heads a printed appeal circulated amons local trade unionists by the MNon- Sectarian Anti-Nazi League to Cham- pion Human Rights. The appeal de- seribes the Nazi ‘‘national policy of racial and religious hatred as a mockery of the teachings of Peace and Goodwill.” This appeal is being handled locally by the Trades and Labor Council. Anti-Fascist League Active The Manitaba Leasue Against War and Fascism are preparing for wide- spread distribution of a leaflet cal- Jing for the boycott of the local hockey game and for the shifting of the Olympics from Germany. Sand- wich boards which are to be carried amone the heayy throne of Christ- mas shoppers pictorially portray Wazi anti-semitism and reaction. Resentment, locally, is so high that the boycott campaisn has crashed into the front pages of the dailies, and it is reliably learned that the local German consulate has been Subjected to the need of much ‘em- barrassing explanation.” SINGLE MEN CALL WIDE CONFERENCE Tnitiatine a campaign for higher relief the Sinele Men’s Action Com- mitte are calling a conference of all workers’ organizations to be held at 61 Cordoya Street West on January 5th. Many working class organizations have already endorsed the demands and haye voiced approval of joint action. Qne of the chief tasks of the conference will be preparing for a further much broader conference in order to draw up demands of all sections of the unemployed and to work out 4 plan of action to be fol- lowed in order to gain these de- mands. Camp Boys Feted By Mothers’ Council On Dec. 23rd The Mothers Goun- eil of Vancouver entertained seven- ty black-listed camp workers in the O’Brien Hall: The boys sat down to a big supper which was enjoyed by all. With Mrs. Happy in the chair, a series of dancing and singing numbers followed with a short sketch by Mr. Buckley portraying the true life in many workers’ homes in Canada today, followed by a short speech by Comrade Em- mett of the blacklisted men, who elosed by calling for a vote of thanks to the Mothers’ Council for the great support they had given in helping the case in the past and for the entertainment that night. Then followed mass singing, with a light lunch afterwards. The rest of the evening was spent in danc- ing until nearly midnight. Mean Ruse To Fire Gang Snooping Boss Turns Sleuth on Relief Workers NEW WESTMINSTER, Dee. 20.— Relief men workin= on the Queen’s Park job here stand to lose from one to three days’ pay. through the actions of the foreman, who fired the entire sane because missing electric light elobes had been found in two of the men’s lunch kits. The light slobes were being taken by some individuals and this so en- raged the park foreman that yester- day after the lunch hour he made a cour of Snooping in the lunch kits with the result that two of the kits yielded a light globe each valued at 15 cents. It is not known whether the globes were planted in the men’s boxes or not. Rather than take action against the men in whose kits the Globes were found, the foreman fired the whole fang. The men who are victimized by the foreman’s vengeance deed, plan to brine pressure to bear on the Council for the wagsés due them and reinstatement on the job. Commiission Of 3 Arrives Will Investigate Relief Camps, Report and Recommend to King VICTORIA, Dec. 26—-The Com- mission of Three, set up by the ing government to bring in pro- posals for dealing with Unemploy- ment in Ganada has arrived here to confer with Brig. Gen. D. J. Mac- Donald, commanding officer of Re- lief Camps in this district. The CommissSion is composed of Humphrey Mitchelle former MP. for Hamilton) East; R. A. Rigs, Supt. of the Employment Service of Canada; and Dr. Baldwin, presi- dent of the Frontier College, To- ronto. They will also confer with Hon. G. S. Pearson, Minister of Labor in the Provincial Government. It is also reported that they will investi- gate the conditions in the relief camps in order to make necessary recommendations to the Dept. of Labor which if to take over con- trol of the camps from the Dept. of Wational Defence. Wo mention has been made by the Commission to the effect that they will arrange any interviews with any labor organization nor with organized Campboys either in camps or in town. Mounting Protests Against War In Ethiopia Stirs World; Emperor Selassie Defines Peace Terms MASS MEETING |PRoPoseD mercer ARRANGED FOR | vnesrecc on om. e STEWART SMITH SSeS toba will decide at a convention Was Delegate to 7th Slated for January 11, on a C.C.F. proposal that the LL.P. change Congress Communist International its present affiliation to the C.C. F. to a complete organic merger. As presented, the merger will en- tail TE.P. loss of identity and future elections would be fought on a €.C.F. platform, according to information obtained from re- liable though unofficial sources. ISLAND DOCKERS SCORE VICTORY U.S. A. Ships’ Crews Support Striking Stewart Smith, brilliant youthful leader of the Communist Party of Canada delesation to the Seventh Congress of the Communist Interna- tional held at Moscow, U-S.S.R., last July, will be in Vancouver in Janu- ary and will speak at a mass meet- ing in the Auditorium on January 24 at 8 p.m. Tickets are now on sale through- out Vancouver at 25 cents each. It is planned to allow 300 only unem- Ployed in at the doors at 10 cents each. FREED ist row: Nygren, Goodmz«, Roden (attorneys for the defence), Grozier. 2nd row: Diboff, Beavert, Peterson, Anderson, Datoff, Gicvanetti, Rennie. 3rd rew: Agoff, Correll, Saren, Dzaloff, Daroff, Ball, Larson, Warner, Matthews, Graner. The defendants omitted from the picture are Farlin, Ellors, Sumara, Romer, Engberg and Hobal:. Longshoremen ON CHARGES OF RIOTING ~ VICTORIA, Dec. 26. — Victoria Riggers & Transport Workers, one of the affiliated unions of the Longs Shoremen and Water Transport Worlxers of Ganada, which has been on strike since last June, won a Signal victory here last Saturday when the crew of the American Mail Liner S'S. “President Jeffer- Son”’ refused to provide steam for seab longshoremen, whom the bosses organized into the Canadian Water- front Workers Association. With the crew adamant in their refusal to provide steam for scabs, a hasty conference was arranged betwen the striking jongsshoremen and shipping officials, and eventu- ally Capt. Fromberg, Port Captain of Seattle, for the shipowners, en- gaged the members of the Riggers and Transport Workers Union to unload the cargo. This action broke the deadlock “President Jackson,” a sister ship of the “President Jefferson,” re- fusing to provide steam for scabs here last week. ifALY BUYS MORE ALASKA STRIKERS FREED; GREAT VICTORY FOR ORGANIZED LABOR 25 Miners and Long- shoremen Found ‘‘Not Guilty’’ JUNEAU, Alaska, Dee. 16—The trial of 25 union miners and long- shoremen on charges of riot con- eluded last Priday with a complete victory for the defence. During the course of the trial, which lasted ap- proximately one month, the defence, conducted by Irvin Goodman, Inter- national Labor Defence attorney from Portland, Q@regzan, drove home its reef of framed charges, its facts pointing to the prejudice of the court, its exposure of the lies sworn te by witnesses for the prosecution. On December 13 the case went to the jury, which promptly returned a verdict of “Not Guilty” for all 25 of the defendents. The trial developed out of the strike of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, Ioeal 203, against the lone hours and unsafe conditions in the Aljaska- Juneau gold mines. The Alaska-Ju- neau Gold Mining Go. attempted to reopen the mine early in June, send- ing its company men through the picket line. The strikers, on this occasion, resisted with bare fists the unprovoked attack with guns, clubs and fire hoses. Subsequently, about fifty known union men were ar rested. The grand jury indicted 16 of them, setting bail at from $500 to $3000. All were released on bond. On *the eve of the trials the number of indictments was raised to 33. Twenty-five workers were eventually brought to trial. May the New Year Be One of Outstanding Progress Towards f The defence was organized by the Aljaska Miners’ Defence Committee under the chairmanship of E R. Sehulz of Juneau. This committee appealed immediately to its brother unionists throughout Alaska and the States for support. Organized labor responded with a flood of protest resolutions, and with funds to sup- port the defence. The International Labor Defence has issued the followine statment at the successful conclusion of the trials: “The International Labor De- fence congratulates the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, Local 203, and the Alaska Miners’ Defence Committee on this tremendous victory for labor. Only the united support of orsanized jJabor in the United States and Alaska could have won the freedom of these workers and given the consequent impetus to unionization in Alaska.’ XMAS TREAT FOR JOBLESS KIDDIES NEW WESTMINSTER, Dec. 22.— Unemployed workers’ children were assured of a treat on Christmas Day through the efforts of the Relief Wrorkers’ Union here, when they col- lected about $90:00 yesterday in their tag day to give the kiddies a Christ- mas Tree. All veterans’ organizations allowed the taggers cans to be placed in their club rooms and halls, with the exception of the Army and Navy. Mr. Jack, secretary of that organi- zation, refused to have the cans in the club and gaye no reason for his actions. U.S. STEEL SCRAP Suicide Or Starvation NEW YORIX, N-Y., Dec. 19 —Bank credits to the amount of $1,300,000 have been established in New York by Italian interests and will be used for the purchase of more than 100,000 fons of steel scrap on a cash basis. VICTORIA, Christmas Day. — plans, that existed due to the crew of the PROPOSED MERGER Trun Recognition of Ethi- opian Rights Are Asked By Emperor THEIR LINES FIRM Defender Says 500 Were Slain in Attack On Italian Flank “Peace on Earth, Goodwill To- wards Men’’ became a hollow mock- ery throughout the capitalist world this Xmas as mounting protests reached London, Paris, Rome and other capitals against the “plunder pact” formulated between “Britain and France upon the Ethiopian peo- ple who are fighting for their very existence against tremendous odds. That the pact had to be aban— -doned, and Sir Samuel Hoare had to resign his post, is declared throughout Britain as one of the most amazing reverses ever suf— fered by a government in Great Britain. The tremendous solidarity of La- bor throughout the world is no doubt responsible for he recent declaration made by Haile Selassie: when he said: “If the Italians seelz peace, we would not be able to refuse, but the. evacuation of our territory, recog— nition of our territorial and inteeri- ty and political independence, and immediate regulation of frontier questions will be fundamental con— ditions for such conyersations,” Asked if he was proceeding to the: front, the Emperor said: “In our position as supreme com— mander of the Hthiopian forces, we: are directing the campaign on all fronts. Our visits to the front will’ be determined by circumstances. There was no military development taday of sufficient importance to cause modification of our original although we do not preclude a change in these plans should military necessity require.’ Haile Selassie denied reports there had been desertions from his troops. “Our troops will continue to obey our orders as they have done heretofore,” he said, He refused to discuss his plans for a possible offensive with the remark, “This is not the moment to divulge our military plans.’ Private sources here reported to- day that more than 500 had been killed on both sides in a three-day battle at the Takazze River. Most of the dead were Italians, the advices said, and included an unusualy large ‘percentaze of whites, in contrast to earlier en- gagements in which most of the victims were Italian native troops. Sing Chong Lou, a Chinese, and father of ten children, attempted to commit suicide by hanging. The eord broke, and in police court he was acquitted on a charge of “at- tempting to commit suicide’ by Magistrate Jay. The family received $3.70 per week in relief, and it was brought out in the court that the milk al iowance had been reduced by the relief authorities. The worker left a letter asking that his children be cared for. The League for Social Justice is assisting in attempts to get more relief for the family. Three Hundred Ships Tied Up Despite Police Terror The following delayed account, dated Noveniber 25, of the strile of Japanese seamen has been re- ceived by the B.C. Workers’ News from the Press Service of the In- ternational Seamen and Harbor Workers office at Rouen, France. No Xmas Hampers For Winnipeg Jobless According to press messages from Tokio the seamen of the Kawasaki- Kazenkaisia Line on November 20th came out on strike for higher wages. This strike is the most important one in recent years because 7,500 seamen answered the call of the re- cently organizd seamen's organiza- tion, the Sin Nichon Kajin Kumiai, and left their ships. Three hundred ships are tied up, representing a ton- nage of two million. Despite the at- tempts of thé shipowners and of the reactionary leadership of the yellow union, the Nichon Kajin Kumiai, who tried to prevent this strike and who were helped in this by the Min- ister of Transport, the Red union not only got out the men of the chiefly affected company but also the crews of ten smaller vessels with home port of Osaka. The management of the affected company, acting with the approval of the Transport minister, declared a lockout. To this the reachionary leadership of the union also agreed. But the strike goes on despite po- lice terror and the most provoking activity against the strikers. The union leadership supports the police and acts as scab herders. Crews of Several Japanese Ships in Foreign Ports Have Jomed the Strike. Press reports indicate that exten- Sion of the strike to over 400 ships is to be expected. Workers and other employees of the radio station in Kobe haye come out in sympathy With the seamen. WINNIPEG, Dec. 21. — Unem- ployed families on relief in this city did not receive Xmas hampers from the city. The unemployment relief committee voted down a motion for their provision made by Alderman Penner, Communist, last week. At a previous meeting the com- mittee had voted favorably. A spe- cial sub-committee had been struck off to enquire as the costs for their provision through the Central Coun- eil of Social Agencies. The reported cost was approximately $3,500. Pen- ner moved that the hampers be given and that a special meeting of Council be called to yote the money. Rice-Jones made an amendment that the report be filed. e @ Fy z = = * = nit O ra. Or if @ @ - This strike of the Japanese sea- mj) men is led by a new seamen’s or- ganization, called the “‘New Union of Seamen” (Sin WNichon This organization Japanese Kajin Kaimiai). SEVENTY-FIVE HUNDRED JAPANESE SEAMEN STRIKE FOR HIGHER WAGES r came into being on May 20 of this year in Kobe after a split in the old Seamen’s union. The split was caused by the reactionary and dicta— torial policy of the bureaucrats in the old union. What Japanese Seamen are On Strike For. Immediate enforcement of the agreement signed between the Union and the three major shipping companies; paid vacation; shorter working hours; a minimum manning scale; introduction or in- crease respectively of a premium to be paid on signing-off ship; half-yearly increase of wages; bet- ter food and better quarters; in- crease of the minimum wage rates. The old bureaucrats agreed to these, demands, using their compli- ance 4S a manoeuvre to retain the leadership in the union. But after the congress the bureaucrats carried through a continuous drive against the rank and file and especially against known militants which at last led to the split, out of which the new seamen’s organization was organized. It is to be hoped that the Japa-— nese seamen and the leadership of the new union will, in the course of the present fisht, arrive at united action of the two seamen’s organiza— tions. This united action will not only help the Japanese seamen to Win but will also help to re-establish trade union unity. This is the object the militant elements in both or-— ganizations must strive for. AUTHORITY AND — ARROGANCE GIBSON’S LANDING, Dec. 23.— “The Government doesn’t intend to ‘wet nurse’ fishermen,” stated the relief officer here to a fisherman. Such are the insults piled onto re- lief recipients by high-salaried offi- cials of a government that always is watchine over the interests of the cannery Owners, and always devis- ing new methods of cutting down government expenses by slashing relief or throwing penniless worlk_ ers off the relief rolls.