de ee ee ee

rage.
These youth are denied

saved.

[Aw Eprrorrar]
VERY humane and decent person in Vancouver
and throughout Canada who have learned of
the imhuman and savage attack of the city police,
acting on instructions of the City Council, on the
starying, rageed unemployed youth will boil with

they do not quietly lay down and starve in the midst
of plenty they are clubbed, gassed and jailed. They
were promised work by the government.
provided lasted but a few months and is now closed
down. The wages were so low that nothing could be
They were not sufficient even to permit the
boys to buy adequate clothing.

Many of these boys have been in this province
more than two years. Most of them have been forced
to roam from proyinee to province in search of the

work or relief, and if

The work

other province.

promoting frauds.

elusive and often non-existent job, so that there is
no provinee in which they can quality for relief.

The ridiculous rule providing for lone term resi-
dence in a proyince was made for the express purpose
of evading the responsibility of sivine relief. It is
a contemptible buck-passine trick of the destroyers
ot the youth of Canada.

Proyinees are regarded by the authorities as sep-
arte countries in order to make Canadian citizens,
borm in one proyinee, aliens and foreigners in any
The unemployed vouth are quite
wight in refusing to reeoenize such palpable starvation-
C They demand work or relief no
matter what province they happen to be in.

Neither do they bite at the bait of transportation
to another provinee, when they kmow that if they
returmed they would be told the same story the Van-
eouver and J3.C. authorities tell them now—‘not lone

enough im the province.”

The boys sought to obtain an honest livelihood by
selling flowers on the streets. They were denied this
and jailed because the City Council demanded that
the penniless and hungry men procure a license. In-
stead of feeding them, they want them to pay into
the coffers of the city treasury so there will be more
money to squander. ;

Failing to intimidate them by arresting them for
selling flowers they laid plans for a reign of terror.
The cruel and unwarranted attack of the police in
the relief othce bore all the earmarks of a well-planned
program of HHuitlerist terror, accompanied by false
charges and capitalist press misrepresentation.

The unfortunate youth, whose only demand is the
privilege of living, have the sympathy of the over-
whelminge mass of the citizens of Vancouyer. Many
organizations are supporting them. Individual trade

Down With Police Terror Against The Jobless Youth

unionists Support them.

Council and the unions as organized bodies are woe-
fully inactive and complacent.

If the boys were the kind that would scab on
union men then these unions would notice them
quickly enough. Do they want the boys under pain
of starvation, and to maintain life, to raid the jobs
of employed workers at lower wages 2

If not, then it is time for all working-class or-
ganizations and parties, all humane people to bestir
themselves and put an end to the cold-blooded at-
tempts of the authorities to starve and ruin the youth.
The City Council and the provincial government are
spending more for extra police, court costs and main-
tenance of the boys behind bars than would feed them
all. The barbarous reign of terror in Vancouver must
be halted. The destroyers of the youth must not be
allowed to get away with it.

But the Trades and Labor

Your subscription has expired
if the number on your label is
below this number

Renew it NOW.

B.C. Workers NEws

Demand the release of the Youth
who are imprisoned because they
demand food, and compel the
boss class to give them relief!

VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1936

Single Copies:

5 Cenis

VOL. I., No. 46

FULL NO. 92

Published Weekly

PACIFIC COAST
MARINE UNIONS
SET DEADLINE

Challenge Commission’s
Decision to Declare
Truce

SAN FRANCISCO, Oct. 15.—Mem-
bers of the Pacific Coast maritime
unions were asked today to vote on
@ proposal to authorize a coastwise
Strike, commencing Wednesday mid-
nigsht, October 28, if no satisfaction
is reached by that time.

The negotiations commiittee of the
unions challenged the authority of
the Maritime Commission to declare
@ permanent truce in the present
worker-employer contracts.

Grave unrest has been created by
the commission, stated telesrams to
President Roosevelt and the Commis-
sion.

The ballot asks the membership
if they are in favor of giving their
representatives full authority toe call
a strike for midnight, October 28, if
no satisfactory agreement is reached.

The referendum is beine con-
ducted immediately, and union of-
ficials hope to have the poll finished
by the deadline to ascertain the un-
jon’s attitude towards a strike, in
order to hurry up the negotiations.

A union statement read: “If such
@ referendum is in the affirmative,
it will mean that representatives of
the maritime unions will haye the
authority to order its entire mem-
bership concerned to cease work at
midnight, October 28, and not to re-
sume until a satisfactory agreement
has been reached.”

Plan Pacific
Youth Meet

Delegates From Many
Countries Backing

Move

NEW YORK, N-Y., Oct. 12—
(ALP)—Action on 4a Pan-Pacific
Wouth Congress will get under way
here shortly.

The Congress, suggested by dele-
gates to the recent World Youth
Congress in Geneva, would unite
representatives from youth living
in countries bordering on the Paci-
fic.

Because communication around
the Pacific is slow the project is
set to be held some time within a
year. Delegates from India, Ghina,
Australia, New Zealand, Mexico,
Canada and the United States,
are backing the plan.

Decision to push the congress
comes from the feeling that there
are special problems of peace and
Special youth problems common to
the Pacific countries.

Foreign Ministers Meet

a

At Geneva, Alvarez del Yayo of Spain (left) and Maxim Lit-
vinov of the Soviet Union confer on the delicate international situation
created by continued armament shipments from Germany, italy
and Portugal to the Spanish Fascists in violation of the neutrality

pact.

——

(Associated Labor Press Radio)

LONDON, Eng., Oct. $—Samuel
Kagan, Soviet charge daffaires in
Great Britain, has handed to Lord
Plymouth, chairman of the com-
mittee set up on mnon-interyention
in Spanish affairs, a note to the ef-
fect that if Germany, Italy and
Portugal do not at once cease giv-
ing aid to the rebel forces in Spain
the Soviet Union will ‘‘consider it-
self free from obligations arising
out of the agreement.’

Kasan is the Soviet representa-
tive on the committee. The state-
ment makes clear the Soviet’s posi-
tion on the continuous supplies of
arms given by the three powers
and states, “The Soviet government
will under no circumstances agree
to convert the mnon-intervention
agreement into a screen covering
military aid to the insurgents from
certain participants of the agree-
ment against the lawful Spanish
government.”

The full text of the important note
is as follows:

“On instructions of the govern-
ment of the U.S.S.R., I hereby make
the following declaration:

In notes addresed September 15 to
the governments of Portugal, Italy
and Germany, the Spanish govern-
ment protested against assistance
and military munitions sent by those
countries to Spanish rebels.

“The Spanish government has
forwarded those notes also to other
participants in the non-intervention
agreement with the request that
they adopt measures to halt the
Situation. under which the legal
Spanish government has been re-
duced to actual blockade, while
rebels, without amy obstacles, are

Bakery’s Frantic Appeal
Fails To Stampede Men

Legal action has been taken by
Striking bakery salesmen against
Robertson’s Bakery to recover
Monies (approximately $1,000) col-
lected by that firm from their em-
ployees to pay off bad debts.

The strike of the salesmen is Still
Solid on the demands for a wage
Tate of $23 per week, and the right
Gf collective bargaining.

A four-page folder has been
printed addressed to the house-
Wives explaining the salesmen’s
Position prior to the strike and the
causes of it. The three large ad-
vertisements published in the daily
Papers by Robertson’s Bakery are
answered in the pamphlet.

Ihe men are quite willing to re
turn to work for a period of thirty
days on the old basis, provided the
company signs the union agree-
ment, and will submit their case to

arbitration.

Assertions are made by the sales-
men that this is not a strike be-
tween themselves and Robertson’s
Bakery, but that the whole of the
baking industry with the assistance
of the Master Bakers Association
are determined to make Wancouver
and Robertson’s Bakery the battle-
ground to keep wages down to a
subsistance level.

The bakery has been making
frantic appeals through large ad-
vertisements for the men to return
to work, promising them a steady
job and increased pay if they will
gain back 75 per cent of the busi-
ness already lost.

The strike is now five weeks old
and the men are as determined to-
day to win out as they were when
the strike was first called, Septem-
ber 19.

Soviet Union Demands
Fascist States Cease
Supporting Kebels

capone With airplanes from dif-
ferent sources.

“In his declaration to the League
of Nations, Julio Alvarez del Vayo
(Spanish delegate to the League),
raised the same question before all
the members. A lone enumeration of
the facts, representing violation of
the agreement and referring to the

latest period, was cited by the
Spanish government in its “white
paper’ as well as in additional

material published by the Spanish
government, October 3.

“It is sufficient to
following facts:

“On September 10, twenty-three
freight cars with boxes containing
unassembled parts for 14 airplanes
from Hamburg came through Por-
tugal to Seville.

“Qn September 20, twelve big

planes landed at Tetuan. MTLater
these) airplanes were used to trans-
port troops of the so-called “Foreign
Legion” trom Tetuan to Seville.

“On September 29, the Spanish
government reeeived a report that
on September 27 a load of poison
gas and military munitions of
Italian origin was sent over the
Spanish border from Lisbon.

“A number of eye-witnesses ques-
tioned by the committee in London,
under the chairmanship of Miss
Florence Rathbone (member of the
British Parliament), also many
newspaper correspondents who have
published ‘personal (observations,
confirm that the supply of arms to
the rebels via Portugal is continuing
to a large extent.

“The rebels possess tanks and
bombers of German and MItalian
erigin which were not in the pos-
Session of the Spanish army at the
beginning of the revolution.

“Among ainplanes shot down by
militia forces were nine airplanes
of German origin bearing the man-

ufacturinge stamp ‘“‘Menkel”’ The
rebel troops are transported via
Gibralter in -German and MTItalian

planes.
“The frentier region of Portuecal,
from the very beginning of the re-

(Continued on page 2)
See SOVIET UNION

Fishermen’s Trial Is
Set For November 17

Two fishermen, E. L. “Tim” Horn-
brok and Axel Anderson, arrested on
charges of intimidation arising out
of the fishermen’s strike of last sum-
mer, will come up for trial at the
Fall Assizes on November 17.

The men are alleged to have inter-
cepted the transportation of salmon
from Nelison’s camp to Namu Can-
nery. They will be defended by the
Canadian Labor Defence League.

@harges were laid by the strike-
breaker Oscar Knutsen.

recount the

DOGS BETTER
TREATED THAN
RELIEF PEOPLE

Exploiters Take Advant-
age to Hammer Wages
Down

NOTCH HILL, Oct. 10:—Since re-
registration of relief recipients in
the Salmon Arm district, a number
of the relief people west of Salmon
Arm have been forced to go to
Pritchard to \vork on the highway.
Some of the men have about forty
miles to travel, and haye to pay
their own transportation.

When they first got there they
had to rustle their own accommo-
dation. A number of the men had
to sleep in an ojd freight shed
Without a stove or bed, and there
were big eracks between the boards
in the walls: When the beds ar—
rived the men had to put them up
on their own time. Some of the
men also have to walk about three
miles from the freight sheds to
Work, on their own time.

The speed-up is terrific. One el-
derly- man, by no means a+ eripple,
Was sent home as the profit-mad
contractors want young men under
their lash.

So far the writer Knows of one
accident on account of the speed-
up; a man was sent to the hospital
with a possibly serious back injury.

There is a missuided individual
working on the road who has in-
stalled himself as a self-elected stool.
We understand he has already had
honorable mention by relief officers
in Salmon Arm.

Labor Paper
Is Suspended

“Voice of Action’? De-
clares for Unity In
Washinston

SEATTLE, Wash., Oct. 10—Sus-
pension of the ‘Voice of Action,’
militant weelly labor journal of the
Pacifie Northwest, is announced in
a statement of that publication, af-
ter over three years of continued
Service to the labor movement.

Under the heading of ‘Our last

edition’ the ‘Voice’ carries the
Statement that the ‘Washington
Commonwealth Wews’ has pur-

chased the assets and mailing lists
of the ‘Voice.’

Hor over five weeks the ‘Voice
of Action’ carried statements to
the effect that it was ready to sus-
pend publication in the interests
of unity, providing the ‘Washing-
ton Commonwealth Wews’ would
carry On in that capacity.

While the suspension does not
mean a merger of the two papers,
the ‘Voice of Action’ board has
watched the growth and the role
played by the ‘News,’ and having
Satisfied themselves that the in-
terest of unity is now being served,
the “Voice of Action’s’ last issue is
off the press.

New Schools

For Moscow

Eighty-two Kindergar-
tens Also Included
in Plan

MOSCOW, Oct. 10:—Construction
of 80 new Moscow schools, to be
ready for the beginning of the next
school year, is to begin shortly, ac-
cording to a decision of the Moscow
Soviet. Building operations are also
to begin in a few days on 82 kinder-

Sartens for the accommodation of
8,650 children.

The Moscow Soviet has already
allotted sites for these kinder-
fgartens and approved plans for

them. They will be two-storey brick
buildings, each accommodating from
100 to 125 children.

The 82 kindergartens are to be

completed by the end of the year.

S.U.P.A. State Reasons
For Refusing Trans-
port Offer

In view of the recent statements
made in the press by provincial and
civic authorities regarding the
Single unemployed at present in
Vancouver, we are compelled to
make a reply, and hope thereby to
place our position before the public.

The question of transporting the
Single unemployed men to where
they originated from, would appear
to some, in the light of statements
made by Mr. Pearson and Acting
Mayor Miller, as the solution to the
problem. On the contrary, we speak
with Knowledge of the question in
Saying that this will not solve the
problem of work or relief for these
men. The reasons are as follows:

(a) The majority of these men
have no homes to go to. Some of
them come from the British Isles.
Others left home years ago, and
have been wandering around the
country looking for such work as
might provide them with the bare
necessities of life. The parents of
most of these men are themselves
on relief, and the allowance pro-
yided single men at home ($3.75 per
month) by no means alleviates the
conditions prevalent there, but on
the contrary acts as an additional
on the family.

(b) If the few who have homes
did accept the offer of the authori-
ties, what would be their problem
on arrival at their destination? Gen-
erally speaking, it would be this—
they would be unable to receive re-
lief because of the fact that they
had been away from home and
therefore forfeited their right for
further assistance in that locality.
Surely our Minister of Labor does
not expect these youn men to goa
home and live off the small allow-
ance granted to their families

Furthermore what can we hope
to gain by going back to our las.
place of domicile? We would be told
the same story as is told to us here,
viz—that we had not been in the
provinee the full period of five con-
secutive years, and therefore could
not receive aid in any way, shape
or form.

In view of the facts stated above,
our answer to the government and
the people of British Columbia, is
as follows;

Under no condition can we accept
the ruling of civic and provincial
authorities. The full responsibility
for this problem rests on the Fed-
eral sovernment, and unless said
fovernment is prepared to aid us,
then we are going to stay here.

We resard the proposals of Vic-
toria as being merely in line with
the policy of “passing the buck.’
Should those who do not belong to
this province go elsewhere, they
would be faced with the same cir-
cumstances as they are here, yviz—
no work and no relief :
Until Ottawa is prepared to as
sume the responsibility for single
unemployed transients, we are com-
pelled to carry on the same as be-
fore.

Lastly, we wish to remind the
people of British Columbia that
fully seventy per cent of the men
With our organization have been in
B.C. for a period of two years or
over. What has Mr. Pearson done
for these men? As for those who
have not been here that longs, we
might add that we do not expect
the taxpayers of this province to
bear the expense of feeding them,

Home Owners Are
Threatened By City

ive thousand Vancouver families
Will lose their homes, such as they
are, if the city council goes through
with its proposed tax sale.

Blocked temporarily on a techni-
cality of procedure Jast Tuesday, it
is feared that the date for the sale
will be given within a few days.

In order to dispossess the present
owners and turm women and chil-
dren out on the street, the city will
spend not less than $20,000,000, it

is estimated.

Miners Donate To
Spanish Defence

CUMBERLAND, B.C., Oct. 14.
—Gumberland local of the United
Biine Workers of America has
donated $25 to the Spanish De
fence Fund, it was announced
here Monday night at a meeting
addressed by Harold Griffin.

Griffin is touring Wancouver
Island to secure support for the
fund. Well-supported meetings
have been held in Nanaimo and
Cumberland and other meetings
have been arranged for Deep Bay,
Port Alberni, Ladysmith on Sun-
day, 2nd Wictoria on Monday.

Volunteer To

Fight Rebels

1,000 Winnipeg Jobless
Ask Transportation
to Spain

WINNIPEG, Oct. 12—One thou-
Sand single unemployed men of this

city volunteered their services Sat-
urday to the Pople’s Front gsovern-
ment of Spain, and asked the Ot-
tawa government to provide them
with transportation.

Ottawa is reported as having
treated the offer-of the men lightly,
linking it up with a remark that
Was attributed to R. B. Bennett
when he said that the government
was willing to pay transportation
costs to those who desired to go
to Russia.

A two-fold purpose is seen in the
offer of the men, one is that since
they are to some extent denied re-
hef in Canada, victims of a vicious
system of buck-passinge by the au-
thorities who always ask ‘why don’t
you g0 back to where you came
from,’ the other reason is that the
men know full well that if Spain
falls to the fascists then conditions
in this country will be immeasur-
ably worse.

AMERICAN WORKERS
ASSIST LOYALISTS

NEW YORK, Oct. 12.—(ALP)—
Emphasizing that the urgent call of
the hard-pressed defenders of de-
mocracy in Spain for aid cannot go
unanswered by any freedom-loving
person, Max Bedacht, general sec-
retary of the International Workers’
Order, announced yesterday that
$5,000 had been given to David
Dubinsky, who heads a committee
raising $100,000 for the Spanish
Popular Front fighters.

A total of $9,000 has been con-
tributed by the I.W.Q. membership.

but as stated above, we do expect
that the Federal government will
take the responsibility of looking
after them.
Jack Patterson,
Seeretary-treasurer, Single Un-
employed Protective Association.

Mass Arrest Of Ill-Clad
Hungry Youths Fill City —
Police Cells To Capacity

12 Charged With Riot-
ing After Hamilton .

Hall Attack

Vancouver's city police cells, na-
torious for their imprisonment of
workers, are taxed to Capacity as a
result of the reign of terror prac—
ticed by police and civic authorities:
against the ill-clad, hungry, home—
less youth.

Well over 150 youth have been ar—
rested as a result of the terrorism:
which started by arresting these-
youth who took to selling flowers-
on the streets in an honest effort.
to earn a livelihood, On Tuesday
the climax was reached by the sud—
den attack on them at Hamilton.
Hall.

Delegation Attacked =

Twelve men were arrested and
twelve injured Tuesday morning
when police stormed the Hamilton
Hall with tear gas bombs, and:
clubbed the men, who a short time
before, went there in support of 2
delegation demanding relief.

The 300 single unemployed men
were met at the door by two door—
Keepers, whom the men charge
barred their way and resorted ta
the use of clubs.

A. S. Thompson, relief admini—
strator, called the police while the
delegation was phoning the au-
thorities in Victoria. Grange, one
of the delegates, had mounted 2
table and was about to report to
the men when the police, under
Col. W. W. Foster, arrived and
placed him under arrest.

More Clubs and Gas

Evacuation of the relief staff
took place shortly before detective
Lefler hurled the gas bombs into
the building, among the men, who
With tears streaming down their
faces, crashed through windows
and doors in an effort to escape the
effects of the gas.

Outside, the ‘police waited for
them with drawn clubs, which they
wielded lustily as the blinded men
dashed into them. More were ar-
rested in the skirmish.

The Single Unemployed Protec-

tive Association through Jack Pat-
terson asserts that no warning was
Sliven by the police to leave the
building before the bombs exploded
in their midst. f

Some furniture in Hamilton Hall
was broken in the confusion caused
by the police attack which forced
the men to seek something with
which to defend themselves:

Prohibitive Bail

Wednesday morning the men
Were marshalled into court before
Magistrate MacKenzie Mathieson
by Inspector Rod Munro, who
barked in true military manner at
the men charged with “rioting.”
To the others he dropped his mili-
tary mannerism.

Those charged with rioting are
Fred Grange and Harry Molland,
Bail has been set at $3,000, as the
charges aaginst these two are of 2
more serious nature and will be

(Continued on page 2)
See UNEMPLOYED

Grandview Women Launch
Fight Against High Prices

About 100 women met in a Tea
Conference Wednesday, October 7,
at the Swedish Community Hall, to
discuss what steps to take to com-
bat the high cost of living. Among
the organizations represented were
CCE elubs, Women’s Labor Leasue,

Women’s Trade Union Auxiliaries,
Communist Party, and many in-
dividual women.

The chairman was Mrs. Kinlock
and the speakers Mrs. B. Bwen of
the Communist Party, and Miss
Gutteridge of the CG, who eave
interesting talks showing how the

Marketing Board, the Milline Com-
panies and the big monopolies were
responsible for the tremendous rise
in prices.

A lively discussion took place dur-

ing which many proposals were
made for mass activity to combat
high food prices, to investigate the
chain stores, and to organize all
wromen throughout the city of Van-
couver for active struggle against
the high cost of living.

Present in the audience was Mr.
Peterson of the Marketing Board,
who was very much upset by the
strong criticism directed at that
body’s monopoly of potatces. He
asked the women to send a dele-
gation to the Marketing Board to
see how the board carried on its ac-
tivities. His
the Conference, which elected a
committee of 17 and decided to take
steps to organize a Women’s Con-
sSumers’ League and another and
larger mass meeting.

offer was accepted by —