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Page Two

B.C. WORKERS’ NEWS

Wovember 20, 1936

Canadian Textile Industry
Pay Miserably Low Wages

Workers Paid $7 Week;

Company Heads Reap
; Millions

OTTAWA.—{(EFP)—Shockinge labor
‘<eonditions in the textile industry

~vwhich have come to light through
the hearings of the Turgeon com-
mnission continue to create a great
ampression throughout Canada.

The royal commission, investigat-
in= complaints that the textile in-
dustry lacks adequate tariff protec-
tion, learned that the Dominion
‘Textile Go., formed by a merger in
1905, bezan to pay cash dividends
of 50 per cent in 1908. Successively
the’ dividend rate was raised to 55
per cent, 60) per cent, 100 per cent,
and i120 per cent in 1922.

Though this example was only one
of many, wages in the industry
range from $7 to $17 per week, with
hours running to 60 and more.

The commission heard- charges
made by President Albert Cote of
the Federation Catholic du Nation-
ale du Textile that the Sherbrooke
Mills have been hiring girls as ap-
prentices for 5 and 6 months and
then firings them when the time
eame to put them on the payrolls.

Further revelations showed that
Canadian Cottons Ltd. had a con-
eealed inventory reserve of $2,277,-
208 not shown in the balance sheet
and upon which no taxes had been
paid. President A. O. Dawson of the
Gompany, admitted that though
this money was made during the
war, no special war taxes had been
paid on it.

MOSCOW (FP)—The gross out-
put of industry during the first ten
months of 1936 totaled almost 45
billion rubles, or 32.2 per cent more
than in the same period of 1935.

| Anti-Jewish Rallies

Hide Food Shortage

EARLSRUHS, Germany—(FP)—
Anti-Jewish rallies are being held
throughout Germany to distract at-
tention from the food shortage.
Julius Streicher, No. 1 Jew-baiter
fold a Kerisruhe audience: “The
only decent Jew I ever knew was
so decent he committed suicide. i
would not mind if all Jews were as

decent.” An increasing number of
residents of Germany, Jewish and
Gentile, are appealing to friends

and relatives in the Soviet Union to

send them food packages.
'

9000 Celanese
Workers Quit

Demands for 15 Percent
Wage Increase
Closes Plant

CUMBERLAND, Md. — (FP) —
Workers at the Celanese Corp. here
struck following refusal of the man-
agement to grant a 15 per cent wage
jnerease requested by representa-
tives of the United Textile Workers.

Over 9,000 workers are out at the
plant whieh is the largest manu-
facturer of artificial silk and rayon
in the country. Recently the plant
was organized by the U/T.W. and
an agreement appointing the union
sole representative of the workers
Was signed by the Hnglish controlled
management.

The plant was shut down com-
pletely, the management refusing to
resume operations until the strike

was settled.

Continued CIO Suspension
Seen Likely As AFL Opens

Isobel de Palencia Not
Permitted to Address
Convention

TAMPA, Hla—(FP)—The Ameri-
ean Federation of Labor’s 56th an-
nual convention opened with little
prospect that storm clouds would
elear, and with speculation eentred
on whether the convention, with
Committee for Industrial Organiza-
#ion unions unrepresented, would
authorize continuance of the pres-
ent suspension order or would for-
mally expel the C.J.O. bloc. Sus-
pension seemed more likely.

President William Green of the
A FLof L. expected that a week would
pass before the issue wuld be re-
Solved and continued to express
hope that peace might be negotiated
iby sub-committees of the disputing:
‘groups: Meanwhile, the convention
“was faced with a metal trades de-
-partment resolution that outright
<expulsion be resorted to. it could
-also survey the council’s action in
mejecting 2 proposal by President
“George Berry of the International
Printing Pressmen’s Union to arbi-
“trate the dispute, When interview-
sed, President W. D. Hutcheson of
“the United Brtherhood of Carpen-
‘ters, who last year came to blows
with John IL. Lewis, present C.1.0.
Jeader, intimated that he considered
-the suspended unions already out of
“the A.F.of L., with expulsion hardly
necessary.

Boycott Threats.

Bitterness brewed anew with the
‘metal trades department’s decision
to boycott the printing trades label
in an attempt to‘compel President
‘Charles P. Howard of the Interna-
Union to drop

pore

Facts

Hear

Se
On Spain
Four Broadcasts Over
CJOR
EVERY THURSDAY
7:30 p.m.

Auspices Spanish Defence
Committee

Complete

Laundry Service..-

Phone:
FAIR.

Freedom Of Press
is Not Curtailed

WASHINGTON. {FP)—At hear-
ings before the National Labor Re-
lations Board on the cases of two
American Newspaper Guild mem-
bers fired by Hearst’s Seattle Post-
Intelligencer, the guilad’s president,
Heywood Broun, told of the intense
pressure under
men work, their extremely low
wages and the rapid turnover of
employees with each new Hearst
editor. Sir Wilmot Lewis, London
Times correspondent, testified that
in Britain the existence of the Na-
tional Union of Journalists does not
curtail ‘freedom of the press,” but
raises wages and betters working
conditions.

MOSCOW. — (@P)—Anm issue of
Izvestia has been set up by printers
in Syverdlov, 200 miles from Moscow,
by means of television. Soviet au-
thorities are taking steps to make
this service a regular one.

his C1.0. connections. President
John P. Frey of the department
also expected to challenge the cre-
dentials of President Max Zaritsky
of the United Matters, Cap and Mil-
linery Workers’ Union. Zaritsky
was quoted as saying that any at-
tempt to boycott the hatters’ label
‘would not contribute to peace and
unity so sorely needed.” Just before
the convention opened, Green told
the executive council that the AT.
ofl. and not Lewis’ “vaporous
jdealism” was the force which would
organize the unorganized.

In opening the convention, Green
re-echoed unity pleas, advocating
surrender by the C.1.0. Referring
to Lewis without naming him, Green
said: ‘What should we say to him
who seeks to drive discord and bit-
terness into the heart of the Amer-
jcan labor movement with a knife
and a wedge and divide it?” He
pledged <A.F of i. support to a
shorter work week, the ehild labor
amendment, higher wages and bet-
ter working conditions.

Tsobel de Palencia, Spanish min-
ister-designate to Sweden, who told
the WGritish trade union consress
recently of the labor movement's
struggle against fa cism in Spain,
was denied permission to address
the convention “because the execu-
tive council in view of the situa-
tion in Spain decided it would be
inadvisable.”

Woward was not present at the
convention opening and was report-
ed staying away. The American

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PLANS LAID FOR| Seattle Dockers Prepared
For Long Strike Struggle

INCREASED 1.0.
ACTIVITY AT MEET

Two Large Unions Join,
Bringing Affiliation
To Fifteen

PITTSBURGH —GNs)—In-
creased organizing activities were
decided upon by the Committee for
Industrial Organization at a two-day
session in Pittsburgh, held jointly
with the Steel Workers @rganizing
Commiittee.

Two more unions, the
Electrical & Radio Workers, 33,000
members, and the Industrial Union
of Marine & Shipbuilding Workers,
10,000 members, were accepted into
membership, bringing the number
of unions represented in the C.1.0.
to 15, with a total membership of
about 1,500,000. ,

“The Committee for Industrial
Organization is conscious of the
improved position and augmented
power of labor in industry since
the re-election of President Roose-
velt,’ said a statement adopted by
the Committee. ‘In this campaign
labor has demonstrated its political
cohesion and power.

The Committee is gratified by the
substantial progress made by its
agencies in steel, rubber, auto-
motive, glass, electrical manufactur-
ing, shipbuilding and other indus-
tries.”

Chairman John L. Lewis was au-
thorized by the GC.1.O. to deal with
President William Green of the
American Federation of Labor, in
preference to negotiation between
Subcommittees, as proposed by the
executive council.

The Committee voted full support
to the Federation of Flat Glass
Workers in their strike against the
Pittsburgh Plate Glass €o.

United

CATHOLICS BACK
C.1.0. AS BULWARK
AGAINST FASCISM

CGHIGAGO.—{FP) — Catholics
should support the Committee for

Industrial Organization, says the
Chicago unit of The Catholic
Worker, Roman Catholic labor

monthly, “because the worker in the
United States may escape the fate
of the worker in Germany, Italy
and Spain if a well-organized and
well-informed labor movement is
built.”

RON. STEWART
OPENS SPAIN'S
LONDON OFFICE

Former B.C. Worker Is
Head of Publicity

Department

LONDON. — (By mail) — Ronald
Stewart, militant worker who was
deported from SBritish Columbia,
Ganada, for appealing to the militia
at Esquimalt, not to shoot the un-
employed should they come out in 2
demonstration, and for which he
served a two year sentence in the
B.C. penitentiary, has opened a pro-
paganda office here for the Catalon-
jan government.

Formerly with the English section
of propaganda in Barcelona, and en-

gazed in broadcasting for the gov—-
ernment and the Unified Socialist
Party’, Stewart's services were rec-
ognized to be more valuable in Eng-
Jand, and was sent here recently.

The propagandist has plenty to do
in carrying out the work of the
autonomous Catalonian government
for the cause of Spain. Lhe London
office is selling propaganda stamps
and sets of photographs (six to a set)
AS a means of spreading the truth
and raising funds for the mainten-
ance of the office which they are
trying to have self-supporting.

Stewart was one of the central
fisures and organizers of the Peo-
ple’s Olympiad in Barcelona which
had to be cancelled, after many sport
delegates had arrived there, because
of the fascist revolt.

Wm. Green Is

Member Of

‘Musicians

Not Initiated, Obligated,
or Votes; Pays No
Dues

CHICAGO—({FP)—President Wm.
Green of the American Pederation
of Labor, whose union standing in
the United Mine Workers is under
a cloud after a lifetime as a mem-—
ber, has been accepted as an honor-
ary member by the Chicago Federa-

tion of Musicians, an A..F. of TL.
Jocal in good standing.
‘Wr. Green has been made an

honorary member,’ Secretary FAS
Benkert of the musicians local told
Pederated Press. “He has 00 rigeht
to vote and pays no dues or jinitia-
fion. He was not initiated or obli-

gated but we mailed him a card
about three months ago.”
Tt is understood that similar

courtesies in the cooks and waiters
have been accorded to the A.P. of L.
chief.

MOoOScow. — (FP)—One hundred
new restaurants will be opened in
Moscow during the coming year to
relieve crowded conditions.

Field Kitchen Establish-
ed To Feed Water-
front Pickets.

SEATTLE, Nov. 15. — Striking
maritime groups here “dug in” this
morning in the third week of their
fight against the refusal of ship-
owners to meet union demands for
recognition of the unien hiring hall,
shorter hours and wage increases.

Establishment of a field kitchen,
with first-class food for all strikers,
raised the morale on the waterfront
picket lime. Strike leaders here
estimate that they can hold out all
winter, if necessary.

The Northwest Joint Strike Com-
mittee today released 175 reindeer
carcasses on the strike-bound steam-
er Victoria. The action of the com—
mittee was defined as an exception,
and does not form a policy on per-
ishable cargo.

There is virtually no other perish-
able cargo in the Seattle harbor.
The new wage scale asked by the
maritime groups, for workmen in-
volved in the cargo’s removal, was
agreed on. Several longshoremen,
and a tug to supply steam for
winches of the Victoria, were re-
quired. «

The 48-hour dock truce, and the
removal of the reindeer cargo, leaves
the Seattle waterfront with but one
problem —that of shipowners and
unions agreeing to a workable con-
tract. “We have set our house in
order,’ said a spokesman’ for the
striking groups, ‘‘and it is now the
shipowners turn.”’

SAN FRANCISCO. —(FP)—First
vietory in the San Francisco optical
workers’ strike came when two
shops agreed to wage and hour de-
mands. Strikers seek a $42.50 weekly
wage.

Delegates Vote To
Continue Affiliation

TORONTO.—_(FP)—The National
Labor Council, meeting at Toronto
with 50 delezates present, voted un-
animously to recommend that
unions affiliated with the All-Can-
adian Congress of Labor continue
their affiliations. The action was
considered a rebuke to the newly-

formed Canadian Federation of
Luabor. The A.C CL. and the pro-
jected G.F. of L. are trade union

centres for non-American Federa-
tion of Labor organizations.

New Cameras

Boon To Boss

Yardstick to M 2 asure
Your Working Ef-

fectiveness

ROCHESTER. — (FP) — Are you
working fast enough Wour boss
wants to know, so he puts you into
the movies. The Pastman Kodak
Research Laboratories, in connection
With the International Bedoux Co.
have developed a motion picture
camera which can take from 1,000
to 4,000 pictures per minute. This
permits the “photographing of the
element of time in human labor for
the first time in the history of mo-
tion pictures.”

By REDFIELD

9 Aes per

go to your head!”

a

a eA free

io

“We're giving you a dollar raise, but don’t let success

The president of the Bedoux -Co-
declared that it would be of great
value to industry because it would
establish a “yardstick ... to meas-
ure working effectiveness.’ This
would lead to the elimination of
waste motion by the worker and re-
sult in increased production. And
labor wants to know, will it also
result in increased pay?

Executive Council Reports

On CIO And Other Matters

Split Ranks Lowest Since
1917 if Green Is
Victorious

By CARL HAESSLER (E-P-)

One-fifth of the 163’ pages of the
report made by the executive coun-
cil to the 56th annual convention of
the American Federation of Labor,
in Tampa, is devoted to the strug-
gle with the Committee for Indus-
trial Organization. The council
holds that the CiI.0. made itself
“dual to the A.Fiof L.” and that
by refusing to dissolve it at com-
mand the member unions “‘auto-
matically severed their relationship
with the A.F.of Iu; on Sept. 5, 1936.”

The reported membership of the

A.F.of L. was 3,422,398 Aug. 31, the
highest mark since 1921. If the
membership of the €.LO. interna-
tionals, reported at 1,017,300, is de-
ducted the membership falls to the
lowest point since 1917, when it
was 2,371,434.

Of the 111 international and na-
tional unions, 456 reported gains,
including three newly chartered
unions; 34 reported no chance since
last year, and 21 reported losses in
membership. The new internation-
als are the United Rubber Workers
of America and the American News-
paper Guild, both with CIO. con-
nections, and the Brotherhood
of Sleeping Car Porters. The piano
and organ workers dissolved.

The A.F.of lL. general fund on the
same date had $58,782.13 of which
$50,000 had been diverted from the
federal labor unions’ defence fund.
Pres. Wm. Green's Salary was re-
ported as $12,000, with traveling ex-
pense of $7,347.61. Secy.-Treas.
Frank Morrison’s salary was $10,-
000 with traveling expenses of $1,-
235,92.

Twenty-three legislative gains are
reported, among them, winning of
prevailing (union) wages on all
3vork under government contract
and on relief work; prohibition of
transporting scabs; better condi-
tions for 2overnment employees;
and the LaFoliette Senate investiga-
tion into labor espionage. The rail-
way employees department reports
marked progress in displacing com-
pany unions and winning a dis-
missal-wage agreement. The social
security act is accepted as a step
forward, and a constitutional
amendment suggested in case the
Supreme Court throws it out. Qn
Spain, the report declares that “the
free labor movement finds itself
joined with communists and re-
publieans, fighting landed gentry,
monarchists and special interests.”

Good Stuff
Held Over

We are in receipt of many valu-
able contributions this week. Lack
of space, however, prevents us
printing them.

Much of this material has to do
with our reply to the Federationist
attack on the People’s Front gov-
ernment of France, also criticism
of W. W. Lefeaux’s slandering of
the Soviet Union where, in his bour-
geois doctrinaire Marxist way, he
says state capitalism prevails, and
his blindness to the deplorable
conditions in Germany and Japan.

We hope to have space enough
next week to print at least ex

Roosevelt Gives
Stand On Labor

WASHINGTON.|_(EP)—In a mes-
sage to. the third national eonfer-
ence on labor legislation President
Roosevelt voiced his stand in favor
of ‘decent working conditions, in-
cluding safe and healthful places of
work, adequate care and support
when incapacitated by reason of ac—
cident, industrial disease, unemploy-
ment, or old age, reasonably shorter
hours, adequate annual incomes,
proper housing and elimination of
ehild labor.”’ The federal govern-
ment is willing to do its part by
supplementing state efforts, he said.
He failed to advocate a constitu-
tional amendment giving Congress
power to pass social legislation. The
conference, however, urged such an
amendment.

MORE ON THE
MILK QUESTION

Editor, B-C. Workers News:
Dear Sir: I want to express My
appreciation of a letter that recent-
ly appeared in your paper from a
Matsqui farmer. The things he-says
are very true and worthy of serious
consideration.

The EF.V.M.P.A. may have
faults, aS many a union has,
it is our union and we run it.

Those farmers outside our union
are scabs! They ride on our backs
by using unfair means to grab the
largest portion of the fluid milk
market in Vancouver. This means
that our union, the I¥.V.M.P.A.
(3000 members strong), has to make
our mill into butter, cheese, tinned

its
but

milk, etc. for which naturally the
price is lower. These scabs know
perfectly well that without our

union we would all be trying to get
our individual milk on the streets
in Vancouver. This would mean
chacs. Knowing this, they still re-
fuse to join up because, as it is, they
fet a few paltry cents more for
their milk than we do.
Our union is not crooked as our
enemies like to represent. We can
=o in at any time and see every
thine: books, auditor’s reports—any-
jhine! Tt is ours and whatever the
management does it does at Our
biddines.
These “independent” farmers or
scabs, or whatever they like to call
tifemselves. are being formed into a
union by a man called Basil Gardon.
This union is very similar to a2
company union. Gardon has been
heard to say that the only solution
to the milk problem is to squeeze out
the small farmer.
A man who will make a state-
ment of that sort is not fit to form
any union whatsoever. I would like
to ask him where he gets his money
to circularize the valley with
pamphlets that contain nothing but
mis-statements about the F.V.M-.P.
A. We spends hundreds of dollars on
this every month.
Bie interests no doubt are be-
ind him in order to break our
union so that they can come in here
and eploit us. If they did succeed
in doing this we should be reduced
to the state of New Work farmers
who have to take whatever the
dealers give them or else have their
milk refused. We at least can com—
Plain and haye our complaints

thoroughly looked into.
: DATRY FARMER.

CHICA GO—(FP)—Social Service
Employees Union 20335 has been
chartered by the American Pedera-
tion of Labor to take in social work-

The New Pictures

How the New Film Alliance sizes
them up!

AS YOU LIKE TT: Shakespeare
wrote his share of potboilers too,
and this is one of them. A thin love
story, 2 charming actress (Blizabeth
Bergner), and a pleasant production
by the English.

GIRL ON THE FRONT PAGE:
Fairly good variant in the cycle of
newspaper films. New twists and
laughs. Edmund Lowe, hardboiled
editor, doesn’t believe that society
dames can run a newspaper even
if they inherit one. Gloria Stuart
fights it out with him.

A WOMAN REBELS: Katherine
Wepburn puts life into the hack-
neyed role of a Victorian miss
struggle against a strict father.
POLO JOE: Story of man who
gets hay fever from horses, but
plays polo anyway to win girl’s
heart. Poor vehicle for Joe E.
Brown and his mouth.

OUR RELATIONS: Laurel and
Hardy split and become twins, one
set moral and married, one gay and
unmarried. Mixup over cabaret
sirls, but not very funny. :
RECOMMENDED: Big Broadcast
of 1937, Charge of the Light Brigade,
Devil is a Sissy, Legion of Terror,
Luibeled Lady, President’s Mystery,

MADISON, Wis.—(@P)—Jobs in
Wisconsin were up to 95.2 per cent
of normal in September but payrolls
were only 82 per cent of normal, the
state industrial commission reports.

Pat a ae :

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LOGGERS

cerpts from these letters. Ed.

ers in private agencies.

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if the number on your Address Label is below it,
then your subscription has expired. Renew it now!

Go with the ceawal 6 he

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