The existence of trade unionism in B.C. is threatened by lumber recognize Support the Loggers! barons’ refusal to union. B.C Workers News if Your subscription has expired the number on your label is below this number Renew it NOW! VOL. II. No. 18 VANCOUVER, B.C. FRIDAY, MAY 15, 1936 Single Copies: 5 Cents —— FULL NO. 70 Published Weekly NO ONE KNOWS; NO ONE CARES Relief Camp Boys Must Steal or Go to Jail Put on the trail of J. WH. McVety, superintendent of the B.C. Employ- ment Service, as probably one per- Son who would consider the plight of the blacklisted relief camp boys, the Mothers’ Council interviewed that official Wednesday afternoon. MeVety denied any responsibility for the situation, and refused to ac- cept any. Pressed for his reasons for not being interested, he said the boys were not deserving of assist- ance, as they had been-known to steal, He would not enlarge on this, but the women presumed he referred to the camp clothes which the boys had on their back when they left camp. Following the interview with Mr. McVety, the Mothers journeyed to the city hall, but Acting Mayor W. W. Smith refused to be inter- viewed. Then to the police station to find Chief Foster was out, So goes the question of the blacklisted camp boys. Refused admittance to camp, refused relief, forced to bee on the streets, arrested and jailed for three weeks; still refused relief, forced to bee some more, and again jailed. NO RELIEF FOR DESTITUTE FISHERS SECHELT, May 12.—Statineg that fishermen can at no time be classed as unemployed, the Relief Adminis- trator at Victoria, Griffiths, has re- fused relief to unemployed fisher- men. The administrator claims that fishermen can carry on throughout the year. Fishermen point out-that this is impessible, as the majority of boats are equipped for sill net fishing, and in order to carry on cod fishing would have to equip their boats with live fish boxes. Both the Victoria and the local office is playing a well prepared plan of “‘passinge the buck,’’ they claim. There is a strong feeling, that Kerby is influencing the WVic- teria administrator against the fish- -ermen, and then placing the onus on Victoria. Kerby is known here as stronely anti-labor. Learning The Business Jobless Girl Better Off Without Work Victoria, B.C. Editor, B.C. Workers’ News: Im answer to an advertisement in a local paper here, an unemployed firl applied recently for a job at Cameron's Malted Milk Shop, on Broad Street. After giving her the once over the boss decided that she would fill the bil, He then began to outline the duties of the job which consisted of looking after the shop, waiting on customers, clean- ing up the place, keeping the books, etc., which amounted to a combined salesgirl, bookkeeper and janitoress. Then, so that she wouldn’t get into mischief during her spare time, he informed her that she would be expected te also act as a maid and housekeeper at his pri- yate home. By this time she was getting kind of grozey, and ventured to inquire as to what the wages would be, whereupon the shopkeeper ap- peared horrified. He hastened to in- form her that she couldn’t very well expect to receive wages while she was “learning the business.” When she asked how long it would take to learn the business, she was teld about five or six months. She promised to think the propo- Sition over and let him Know later. Within a day or so she received a phone call asking her if she had made up her mind yet, and that she. had better make a decision, as there were several girls that wanted the job. She decided that she would re- main unemployed. CE 24 Relief Camp Boys Jailed Twice In Month CHILDREN’S GROUP TO PURCHASE CAMP Decision was arrived at Jast night to arrange for the purchase of a camp site at Coombe for a children’s summec camp, by the Children’s Council. To raise the necessary finances fer the purchase, the trade unions are being visited to enlist their support, the-tity has been divided into large blocks to carry out a canvass of storelkeepers who would be willmg to support the under- takine of providing children with two weeks* fresh air holiday at camp. This camp is open during the months of July to August to all children between the ages of 8 and 15. Several social affairs will be held by the committee as a means of obtainine their objective for the benefit of the children who would not otherwise have the op- portunity of someg to camp. NEW GOVERNMENT TO QUIT OLYMPICS PARIS, France, May 10—(ALP) —The French cabinet refused to agree to France’s participation in the Olympic games, leaving the whole question to the incoming Sovernment. Political observers said they be- lieved it extremely doubtful the new People’s Front chamber and goy- ernment would agree to credits necessury to send a team to Ger- many. ' $ Authorities Refuse Aid; Proffer Imprisonment As Their Solution Released from Oakalla Jail after serving a term of three weeks for “obstructing police in the execu- tion of duty,’’ twenty-four relief camp workers were once more ar- rested on the same charge when they solicited funds on the streets of Vancouver. These men had left the camp and were denied re-admission. They were further denied relief in Van- “couver and in the face of this, had no recourse but to solicit funds from passers-by on the streets. At the first trial the magistrate, Mr. Mackenzie Matheson, stated “While my views may be different, I have to follow the law and T sefh- tence you to three weeks in Oakalla Prison Farm.’ He did not question what would happen when the boys left jail. Waturally, the only course JIeft open was to repeat the former pro- cedure, or become criminals by looting the stores, robbing houses, ete, Because of this, the boys are once more facing trial. Appearins on Tuesday, May 12, the twenty-four were remanded till Thursday, May 14, on their recognizance. The C.L.D.L. is handling the defence through its counsel, Mr. Gordon Grant. AS we go to press the cases of the 24 boys who appeared Thurs- day were remanded to this morning. Two more loggers’ pickets were ar rested Thursday, making six in all. All are out on $2,000 bail. Ontario C.C.F. Expulsions Raise Storm Of Protest Oust Leaders and Clubs Sympathetic to United Front TORONTO, Ont., May 11.—{ALP) —Expulsion of three C.C_F. leaders, the reprimanding of another, and the expulsion of four C.C.F. organ- izations was ordered on Saturday afterncon by the Ontario Provincial Council of the Co-operative Com- monweaith Federation. Expelled leaders are: Rev. Ben H. Spence, chairman of the Toronto Regional Council of the C.C.F. and candidate for the party in the last Federal election. Mrs. Jean Laing, member of the Toronto Trades and Labor Council. James M. Conner, secretary of the Independent Labor Party, former secretary of the Ontario labor Party and for many years one of the most active labor men in the province. Clubs ordered expelled are: Bast York Workers’ Association, the largest and most militant of all C.C.F. organizations in the proyince. Lakeview C.C.F. Club. Eariscourt €.C FE. Club. New Dawn C.C.Y.M. unit. Expulsion of the East York Work- ers’ Association automatically ex- pells its leader, Arthur Willams, Reeve of East York and leader of the strike last winter of the unem- ployed of that township, also Mrs. Blizabeth “Morton, former member of the Ontario Provincial Couneil of the C.C.F. The foregoing leaders and clubs were expelled for taking part in the joint May Day celebrations, against the decsion of the Ontario Provin- cial Conventon. Fish Repudiates Expulsion Move Fred Fish, former member of the Provincial Council of the C.C-F. and candidate in West York in the last federal elections, issued a statement tonzht on the expulsion on Satur- day of Toronto G.G.F. units and leaders. “The action of the C.C.i&. Proyin- cial Council in expelling those asso- ciated with the May Day celebration is very tragic,’’ he’said, “It is parti- cularly serious in the matter of Ar- thur Wiliams and the Past York workers. It seems to be the inten- tion of certain elements within the C.G.F. and behind the scenes to pre- vent the movement becoming a Street Carmen’ s Union Chase Strikebreakers Organized Labor on Waich for Strikebreak- ing Longshoremen At a recent meeting of the Street Railwaymen’s Union, Division 101, two employees, carmen of the B.C. Plectric, were ousted from their jobs. The reason—scabbery. These two men, it developed, had acted as sirike-breakers during the longshoremen’s strike last Summer, and upon learning the circumstances the union demanded their dismissal. Other similar cases are under in- vestigation, and if charges are proven, the same course will follow. Recently the: Shipping Federation cireularized all large employees of labor in this city, asking them to absorb in the surplus strike- breakers. The letter explained that many of the men who had proved faithful to them during the strike, had proven unsuitable for “arduous”? work of longshoremen, but would make good loyal em- ployees at less arduous work. At- tached to the letter was a full page, closely typed, three column tabula- tion of the various occupations that could be filled by the culled-out strike-breakers; everything from A te Z Armed with this recommenda- tion, these scabs and gun-men are endeavoring to worm their way into the major organizations of this city, undoubtedly to be used by the em- ployers to undermine the union. It has been reported that several of these men are amongst the latest recruits of the fire-fighters. The union, with the co-operation of the Vancouver and District Waterfront Workers’ Association, is investigat- ing, and if such is the case, the Same action will be taken there as was taken by the street railwaymen. All labor organizations are asked to be on the lookout. Before taking a member into your union, it is ad- visable to find out where he has the | been during the last twelve months. mass organization for Socialism.’ “Tt is up to all the progressive elements to rally around those dis- missed and those who haye been ousted for sincere and loyal co- operation with all in the labor move- ment in vital issues are not dis- Posed of.’ Dr. Rose Henderson declared that She was “astounded” at the action of the Provincial Council. She de- clared that the reprimand - passed upon her by the Council will not bring about her resignation. A.C. C. OF L. IN MAY DAY PARADE In our story of the May Day parade and meeting, as reported in the issue of May 8, we omitted mention of the participation of the A.€.C. of I. unions and the Nation- al Council. The National Council was represented with a float, and the Boilermakers’ Union, and the Amalgamated Building workers both had banners. At the meeting in Stanley Park, «Brother A. Filett, Local No. 3 Engineers, made an able plea for trade union unity. He spoke in the name of the Vaneou- ver National Council of the A.C.C. of L. We extremely resret haying omit- ted this report in our last issue. FOR RELIEF TENANT ONLY Landlady Not Affected by Jubilee Rent- Raising Bug By way of diversity from the gen- eral run of relief occurences, one. of WVaneouvers home owners has favored those on: relief. This landlady, herself sympathe- tic to the cause of labor, shows that she is fully conscious of the hard- ship being wreaked on the unem- ployed and wage earners alike by the artificial boosting of rents brought about by the Jubilee bally- hoo. To tell you the story: Last week a Hastings townsite tenant, on relief, received notice of an increase in rent. This man is one of the Jlongshoremen who, through the engineering of Mayor MeGeer and the Shipping Federa- tion was locked out for six months last year, and then blacklisted. For the first time in his life he has been unable to pay full rent. Anyhow, luckily, one of the first of one of our suburban papers, hot off the press, came into his hands. In it a “house for rent’? advertise- ment, with the information, “‘relief tenant preferred.”’ With a speed that would make Malcolm Campbell envious, off he darted. He was first, and got the house, but in the few minutes that it took to exchange introductions and settle terms, a veritable parade of home-seekers were rapping at the doors, both back and front. One lady, well dressed and of prosperous appear- ance, pleaded that her husband was working and she would pay much more than what a relief recipient Was allowed, in fact twice as much, or more. “No,” said the landlady, “You can afford a house with high rent. My house is for someone who can only pay low Trent.” Pretty good eh! PACIFIC TERMINALS REWARDS “FINKS”’ NEW WESTMINSTER, May 12. —Relegated to the relief lists with their jobs taken by longshoremen, is the story of the men here who formerly did the maintenance work on the docks of the Pacific Coast Terminals. iuately these men have been em- ployed at 45 cents per hour laying rails. The basic longshore rate is 85c. Owing to the casual nature of long- shoring the hourly wages are set accordingly. It was always a recog- nized principle among longshoremen that they would not “chisel”? in on the jobs of other workers, when there were slack perfods of long- shoring, but that principle does not hold now among the strike breakers. The secretary of the strike- breakers’ union, who was instru- mental in supplying “‘scabs’’ to the Terminals during the lJongshore Strike, now has the privilege of supplying rail-layers. This is con- Sidered in the nature of a reward for services rendered. MOSCOW, U-S:S-R., May 7.—So- viet airways have now attained sec- ond place to the United States ac- cording to figures on air lines, pas- senger transportation and freight loadings published here recently. 2000 Loggers And Millworkers Strike Against Discrimination, For Increase In Wage Scale [LA CONVENTION STILL IN SESSION B.C: Charters to be Dis- cussed Towards End of Meet SAN PEDRO, May 12.—The In- ternational Longshoremen’s Asso- ciation convention, which opened here May 4, is still in session, and expects to continue this week. The question of chartering the Bc. locals will come up for debate to- wards the end of the session. It is practically assured that charters will be issued. The debate will centre around conditions, under which charters will be issued, and ways and means of hastening organiza- tion in B-C. ports. ** * * = NEW WESTMINSTER, May 12. —S. Blake, New Westminster dele- gate to the 1.4.A. convention, wired today that the Convention’s Orgun- izational Committee recommended today that New Westminster local S HARRY BRIDGES Militant leader of the Pacific Coast longshoremen, who is playing an im- portant role in the San Pedro con- vention. be issued a charter on the same basis as Wancouver. Lhe question will come before the convention for disposal later. Alberta And B.C. Miiners To Amalgamate Forces Conference Paves Way *for Trade Union Unity By T. A. EWEN : CALGARY, May 12—United by a unanimous yote on the issue of merging all existing miners’ unions within the United Mine Workers of America the all-in miners’ confer- ence called by the Alberta Feder- ation of Labor closed its two day session today. More than 70 delegates represent- ing 35 miners’ locals of the U.M.Ww. of A., M-W.U. of C., and Independ- ent unions from Alberta and Hast- erm British Columbia, met in the Labor Temple on Monday and by noon all credentials had been passed and the delegates seated. Fred J. White, president of the Alberta Federation of Tabor, in openings the conference stated he was gratified at the response to the conference call. He asked the dele- gates to forset past differences and get down to the task before them to attain unity. Tom Ewen, who has been touring the country assisting in effecting trade union unity with the Ameri- can Wederation of Labor spoke at the opening and conclusion of the conference and made a strong plea for the unification of all the existing unions under the banner of the United Mine Workers of America and was heartily welcomed by the delezates, A joint statement prepared by the executive boards of the United Mine Workers and the Mine Work- ers’ Union of Canada, containing Give The Press Drive A Boost —_—_____ Winging Towards Goal. ‘ i | Y PN A 500 1 000 1500 Linimiil nmol 000 a 2 2500 By ARTHUR EVANS The Clarion and B.C. Workers’ News are YOUR newspapers. There are none like them in Canada, newspapers in which you may express yourself, tell your story, learn the facts about the conditions under, and through their columns receive assistance and guidance to combat and im- preve those conditions. By June Ist the Joint Press Maintenance Drive will end. On that date our quota of 52,500.00 must be reached, bundle orders considerably increased, as well as hundreds of new subs obtained. The May Day mass distribution of the Clarion and B.C. Workers’ News brought these newspapers to the attention for the first time to many hundreds of B.C. citi- zens. They have been enthusiastically re- ceived by all who read them. This distri- bution should be followed by a house-to- house canyass in all parts of B.C. Our circulation figures are rising, new subs are being obtained. BUT THE RATE OF PROGRESS IS NOT FAST ENOUGH! And this is a great danger. For we must pay the printer, the en- in order CONTINUE TO AGI- TATE, EDUCATE AND ORGANIZE OUR CLASS. WE DARE NOT SLOW DOWN. graver, cold cash PAPERS MAY Here are some facts. Prince Rupert’s challenge to the whole district was not an idle one. They head the list with 122%. They have again increased their bundle orders to the Weekly Clarion and B.C. Workers’ News and are busily you live engaged in organizing paper routes. Prince Rupert is out to win. Smithers enters the campaign for the first time, attempting a quota of $5.00 for maintenance fund and $20.00 in subs and a bundle order of 50 Clarions. quota for maintenance fund of $15.00 means $3.00 each for their press commit- Quesnel’s : tees of five. They have established a paper route and ordered 200 copies of the Weekly Clarion and 50 B.C. Workers’ News to cover this newly established route. New subs are being canvassed. Prince George is just getting under way. They assure us that as in the past they will oversubscribe their quota. a day or two. that OUR in to date 60% 50% and Press Committee No. 1, 30%. Here is some of the reverse side which needs brightening up. Press Committees Nos. 8, 11, 12 and 15 are lagging behind, not haying as yet made any returns to the Drive Committe. WHICH ONE OF THESE LAGGARDS WILL GO ON THE HONOR LIST NEXT WEEK? On going to press, Committee No. 14 has been heard from with a check for $9.50, being 30% of their quota. Sixteen days Ieor has not advanced above the 64% it had raised before the Drive really Started. We expect to hear from them in The U.L.F.T.A. has turned ; the Polish Workers’ Club only remain for our Drive. ARE WE TO GO OVER THE TOP? If so, Operation in we must be on our toes and make every day count. Let us have your reports and partial quota payments at once. Your co- this matter, Comrades, is needed to spell SUCCESS. five points was read out to the as- sembled delegates atid discussed and accepted with the exception of point number one. Point number one reads as follows: That all Local Units of the Mine Workers’ Union of Canada and in- dependent Miners’ Locals and all individual members thereof will be granted membership in the United Mine Workers of America, giving them all the rights, privileges and protection subject to the law of the United Mine Workers of America, as set forth in the International Constitution. Bob, Livett, president of the UM, W.A. left for Washington immedi- ately after the conference to confer with John LL. Lewis and secure a wider interpretation of this point. This conference represents the forging of an important link in the chain of a unified trade union move- ment. It opens a new chapter in the history of miners’ struggles which will bring a higher standard of life and greater organization into the mining camps of Alberta and Brit- ish Columbia. Restoration of district autonomy Was agreed to by the delegates and the International office will he petitioned to restore the charter granting this. A referendum vote will be taken by-all locals not later than June 15, and Should the vote show a major- ity in favor of unity then on and after July i all locals will apply for ao charter and pay dues to the United Mine Workers of America. Immediately after the referendum vote is carried through the respon- sibility of taking care of the strik- ing miners of Corbin will be assumed by the UMW. of A. Other details which -will inevit- ably follow will be referred to the joint executive of their respective unions for adjustment until the ref- erendum vote is completed. The sessions were presided over by Fred J. White, president of the Alberta Federation of Labor, while Carl Berg, secretary of the same body, took the minutes of the con- ference. No Flag But Red Flag Say Oxford Students OXFORD, Eng., May 8—(ALP)— Scoring Great Britain’s treatment of India and Africa and criticizing the “selfsh patriotism” for which the Union Jack stood, Oxford students, by a majority of ten votes approved a motion that “‘this house recognizes no flag but the red flag.” Minister of Labor Says Miners Have no Right to Organize .- STRIKE SPREADING Despite the fact that twelve camps and twelve mills are closed and 2000 men are out on strike be- cause of discrimination, with the strike spreading, threatening to dis- locate the entire lumber industry of B.C., the Minister of Labor, Honor- able G. S. Pearson, is still playing hide and seek. In March two loggers of Camp 10, Victoria Lumber and Manufacturing Co., Lake Cowichan, were fired for union activities. Im- mediately the camp vyoted, almost unanimously, to. strike, with the de- mand that the two men be reinstat- ed. The company, a Waeurhauser (U.S.) concern, refused. Qn March igth the loggers struck; and a few days later Camp § of the same com- pany followed in sympathy. For over a month all resources of the loggers’ union and of the Trades and Labor Council were used to un- earth a method whereby the union’ could get under the adamant refusal of the company and open negotia— tions. The company refused to dis- cuss. | Mr. Perey Bengough, secretary of the Vancouver and New West- minster Trades and Labor Council (A.F.of L.) interviewed the Minister of Labor, Honorable G. S. Pearson. On March 19th Mr. Bengough wrote to Mr. Pearson, explaning the Cow- ichan Lake situation. He explained that the loggers of B.C. were then engaged in balloting on the ques— tion of going over to the A. of L. For taking an active part in the preparation of this balloting, the two men were fired. Mr. Benzough appealed to the Minister of Labor to intervene. His letter, explaining in detail the circumstances sur= rounding the strike, closed as fol- lows: “Tf you could help in any way to bring about some satisfactory settlement of this matter, I can assure you that it will be very much appreciated and I believe would be in the best interests of all concerned. “Kind regards, “Yours sincerely, “PERCY R. BENGOUGH, “General Sec.-Treas.” To this communication, Mr. Pear- Son replied as follows: “2st March, 1936. “Perey R. Bengough, BEsq., General Secretary-Treasurer, Trades and Labor Council, Room 200, 529-31 Beatty St., Vancouver, B.C. “Dear Sir: “Replying to your letter of Mar. 19th with reference to the sitna- tion at the Victoria Lumber and Manutacturing Company’s logging camps; immediately our attention Was drawn to this strike we sent Deputy Minster Bell and Mr. Charles Pearse, of the Labour De- partment, into that area to inquire into conditions and we then toolx the matter up with the manage- ment of the company, urging upon them that they make an etfort to bring this dispute to a conclusion. So far we have been unable to persuade the conipany that they are justified in re-em- ploying the two men discharged, They claim that these men were acting detrimentally to the inter- ests of the company and refuse work to men who openly work against the interests of the com- pany. “As you are quite aware, I am fully in sympathy with the desire of the men to organize a bona fide trades union, and am pre- pared to give every reasonable as- sistance to this. In this case the company contends that this is not a question of organization on 2 bona fide basis of trade unionism, and at the moment I find myself in a position where I apparently cannot be of very much help, though we shall continue to try (Continued on page 3) Landlord Chiselled In On City Jubilee Racketeers Baby Takes Sick Afies o the problem of seeking ‘“‘slum’’ the Doors and Windows Removed Taking advantage of the absence of the father, the owner of a house in the east end of Vancouver cut off the light and removed the doors and windows from a home in which the mother and baby and several other children. The family were not tenants but were buying the property. The owner had taken no legal proceed- ings to oust the family, but had conceived the idea of making the house so unuseable as to drive the eccupants out. As a result the baby has since taken sick, This is only one of the many such cases facing the unemployed of Vancouver today. With rents sky-rocketing as a result of the “Jubilee’ ballyhoo, thousands of were tenants and home buyers are faced quarters with the range of meagre rent allowance allowed by the city and provincial relief author- ities. Already, it is reported 3000 families face the same problem. This case hit the lime-light when Alderman McDonald brought it be- fore the council Monday, and stated that a warrant was to be issued for the owner’s arrest, on a charge of theft. Certainly the action of this owner, to say the least, was despicable. But out of the maze of the Jubilee ballyhoo, with rent raising intended to fleece the suckers that should be enticed here, with money that should be used to relieve the rent burden of the unemployed being squandered on such things as tne proposed fountain, with pay in- creases and gifts to the already over-aid chief of police there comes the conviction that the despicable home owner should not be facing the courts alone.