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B.C. WorkKErRS NEws

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

FULL NO. 97

Published Weekly

VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 1936

Single Copies: 5 Cents

=

VOL. II., No. 45

Pressure Wins Unemployed Relief

Madrid’s Loyal Defenders
Rally In Brilliant Moves

K
Artillery, Tanks, Troops
Rushed from Valencia,
Barcelona.

MADRID.—_(FP)—Just when the
hour. seemed blackest for Madrid,
events are taking a more encourag-
ing turn, due to a supreme burst
of energy on the part of the capital’s
defenders, coupled With several
strategic coups and the brilliant re-
inforcement lent by Catalonian
troops and International Volunteers.
“With picked men from the
Guadarrama front, hardened to long
shelifire, secretly transferred to key
Positions alongs the Manzanares,
with 1,000 insurgents reported
trapped in their desperate sortie into
the city and with Generals Julio and
Mangada and Francisco Galan—the
latter the brother of the Jaca
martyr of the 1930 republican up-
rising—carrying out brilliant man-
oeuvres, hope was rising that Gen-
eral Franeo and bis mercenaries
would dash themselves to pieces
against a stone wall of defense.

Seasoned Troops Arrive

This hope was increased by the
arrival of quantities of modern ar-
tillsry and tanks, which the govern-
ment in the past has so sadly
Jacked, and with the arrival of well-
armed and Seasoned troops from
Catalonia and Valencia. Among:
those coming to the defense of Mad-
rid are the troops headed by Gen-
eral Durruti, syndicalist chief, hero
of the Zaragoza front. In a recent
dispatch to Pederated Press, Pierre
van Paassen told of witnessing the
trial of 211 prisoners captured by-
Durruti’s forces near the yillage of
Pina.

“Some of the youngsters,” Van
Paassen relates, “wanted to execute
the prisoners in revenge for the
Badajoz bloodbath. They were al-
ready lined against the wall, when
Durrut? appeared on the scene and
dismissed the firing squad with the
words: ‘We are not barbarians?’ A
violent quarrel broke out. These
men, it was said by the militiamen,
have assassinated our comrades in
Zaragoza. “Have you?’ cried Durruti
with! a hoarse yoice at the trembling
fascists. “Did you kill heipless
Women and children?’ The rebels
huns their heads, expecting the
final salvo any minute. ‘Off with
you to Barcelona!’ said the chief,
‘and don’t think this is weakness.
This is streneth, see! We spare your
lives because we think you are just

damned suckers, who have been
duped by Franco and Mola’. :
Tater accounts from the Madrid

battlefront hear new witness to the
bravery of Spain’s remarkable
Women, like Marsarita Nelken, the
Socialist deputy, and Dolores Irri-
buri (la Pasionaria), the Commu-
nist, who are to be found in the
thick of the fire exhorting and en-
eourasine the troops.

Local Fascist
In Libel Suit

Tom MacInnes, Labor
Hater, Named in
Action

Am application of Birt Showler,
Bakery Salesmen’s secretary, for an
interim injunction afainst Tom Mac-
imnes, rabid labor bater of 790
Howe Street, to restrain the latter
from radio broadcasting in respec.
to the complainant, was withdrawn
Monday in Supreme Court Chambers.

Mr. A. #. Taeas, counsel for Mr.
Showler, informed Mr. Justice
Murphy that the application was be-
ing withdrawn because of an an-
Houncement by MacInnes that he
would make no further radio broad-
casts.

Showler’s action against MacInnes
te recover damages for libel and
Slander will go to trial, announced
Mr. Lucas. When asked about the
date of the trial Mr. Showler was
at a loss to know.

Cause for the libel action lay in
Pronouncements by MaciInnes on
Wovember 5 over radio station
CEHGC, in which he bitterly attack-
ed the union leader for his part in
the strike of the Bakery Salesmeu

Aids Spain

Dr. Norman Bethune, former
chief of chest surgery at Mont-
real’s Sacred Heart Hospital, now
with a relief unit in Spain. Medical
and other supplies 2re urgently
needed.

Spanish Defence Committee of-
fice is Room 22, 615 W. Hastings
Street, Vancouver.

GLASS STRIKERS.
PLEDGED SUPPORT

TARENTUM, Pa—(FP)—FEncour-
aged by promises of the support of
the full resources of the Committee
for Industrial Organization, 7,000
members of the Federation of Flat
Glass Workers are pushing their
Strike against the Pittsburgh Plate
Glass Go. with renewed vigor.

Class Hatred Sentences To Unemployed Leaders

WAGEBOOST AND
ELECTION GAINS
SPURS UNIONISM

Employee Representa-
tives Refuse to Sign
Agreements

PITTSBURGH. — (UNS)—Heart-
ened by tangible evidence of the
progress of its drive, in the form
of the companies’ wage concession,
an enrollment of 82,315 workers and
the election swing-over to Roose-
velt in all steel towns, the Steel
Workers Organizing Committee met
in Pittsburgh and completed plans
for speeding up the campaign.

The committee was swamped with
reports of dissatisfaction with the
asreement to which the companies
attempted to bind the steel workers,
in announcing the averaze 10 per
eent wage increase. Most of the
employee representatives were re-
fusing to sign the employers’ agree-
ment, and emphasizing the inade-
quaecy of the wage boost.

One of the most unpopular feat-
ures of the agreement is the pro-
posal to freeze the level of steel
wages by tying them to the cost
of living index of July 15, 1936.

John iL. Lewis, chairman of the
Committee for Industrial Organiza-

tion, pointed out that this would
“bind the worker to the wheel of
economic circumstances’? and ‘‘cre-

ate a sub-normal Class of citizens,”

preyentinge: any improvement in
Status.
“It would arrogate to stock-

holders all the benefits of increased
productivity,’ he said.

Shippers’ Effort To Break
Maritime Strike By U. S.
Court Order Frustrated

at Robertson's Bakery, which was
im progress.

Employers’ Labor-Bait-
ing Tactics Told;
Probe Requested

(By Maritime News Service)

SAN FRANCISCO, Noy. 16—As
the nation-wide maritime strike
moved into its third week with
more than 400 ships tied up by
unionists’ just demands shippers
Sought unsuccessfully to break the
tie-up by Federal Court interven-
tion. :

The attempt was made in the
court of Federal Judge Paul J. Mc-
Cormick in Los Angeles, who acqui-
esced in their demands and or-
dered U.S. Marshal Robert Clark
to remove 4,216 stems of bananas
from the Panama-Pacific liner
“California” at San Pedro.

Just before this effort to break
the union’s strength, joint policy
committees at the ports of Seattle,
Portland and San Francisco ap-
proved the removal of perishables
from the struck ships, But they
immediately reversed their stand
Wath a decision to remove NO per-
ishables anywhere until the Federal
Court action was withdrawn.

Washington Acts.

The hand of the administration
in Washington entered the crisis
at this point. Attorney-General
Homer Cummings instructed his
Subordinate in Los Angeles not to
proceed with enforcement of the or-
der immediately.

Hear of bloodshed if Clark at-
tempted to take off the bananas,
Stored under other cargo in the
ship’s hold, was expressed by deputy.
United States marshals.

The stubbormness of shipping
officials to concede any of the
points of the unions became of
Such nz2tional importance during
the week that the strike was made
a subject of the President’s cabinet
meeting in Washington.

At its conclusion Secretary of
Labor Madam Perkins and Secre-
tary of Commerce Daniel C. Roper
announced prospects for settlement
appeared bright.

They referred to Possibility of

(Continued on Page 3)
See SHIPPERS EEFFORT

Corporation Dividends

Standards Of

Up;

Living Down

OTTAWA. @P)—Canadian cor.
borate dividends up 17.6 per cent for
the first 8 months of 1936 as com-
bared with the same period in 1935.
Employment up only 4.3 per cent.
improved conditions enjoyed by bie
USINeSS, while re-employment lags
ind standards of living drop. These
iré the facts revealed by the latest
iPUres. :

The standard of living, according
OG retail purchasers of food, cloth-
BS, and other consumer goods is de-
lining; Though the physical volume

x

£E7f

of business was up per cent
building permits issued agurine that
period were down 22.7 per cent and
contracts down 5.8 per cent.

The rate of increase in the
amount of dividends was twice the
rate in the physical increase in
business and 4 times the rate in
employment. Financial circles esti-
mate that the total amount of divi-
dends for the year will be only 9
per cent short of the figure for the
peak year of 1930.

3 BASIC DEMANDS
- IN COAST STRIKE

FRANCISCO.—GAINS)—Only
three basic demands are involved
in the Maritime Unions present
Strike of 39,000 West Coast seamen
and longshoremen.

1. Continuation of the prefer-
ential employment method.

2. Payment of ofertime in cash
and not in time off.

3. The eight-hour day for
members in every department oj
the ship’s crew.

Regarding the first issue, the
Joint Negotiating Committee for the
unions state:

“This can work NO hardship on
the employers for it is merely the
continuation of the practices now
in effect.”

On the matter of Payine for over-
time in cash and not time off, the
committee arzued:

“This will n0t cost the shipown-
ers anything as the present award
prvides for overtime and _ this
merely covers the method of pay-
ment. In no other industry of
which we have knowledge is over-
time paid in any manner than by.
cash. There is absolutely no basis
for the argument that worlx per-
formed should not be paid for.”

SAN

Bread Prices
Soar Higher

Workers’ Wages Not
Keeping Pace With
Food Costs

Bread prices in the City of Van-*
couver were boosted up another cent
on Monday, makine the cost of
bread to the consumer 8 cents from
the retail stores and 814 cents from
the bakery wagon salesman.

This is the third increase in the
price of this staple food in less than
two years. Increasing cost of in-
sredients together with the im-
proved wages and working condi-
tion of the bakery workers is given
as the cause of the adyance in price.

Bakery salesmen and bakers’
Wages and working conditions have
only recently been improved, one
plant in particular strenuously op-
posed any increase in the miserable
wages of their workers, and only
Save in after a Prolonged strike
paralyzed their business.

Wages of workers throughout the
whole baking industry are lone over
due for an increase to Keep pace
with the steadily advancine price of
bread. Bakery drivers who are sales-
men as well as delivery men are
usually paid a minimum Wage and
are paid commisison on the bread
they sell, and with the cut-throat
competition of the bakeries the
Salesman usually has a large route
to cover. ;

CITY PERMEATED
WITH FILTH AS
ELECTION NEARS

Citizens Taking Keen In-
terest in Tucker
Probe

There is hell to\pay and nothing
to pay it with—that, in brief, sums
up the reaction to the investigation
conducted by W. A. Tucker, clerk-
accountant, ostensibly fired for un-
earthing an abominable situation in
the administration of the Vancouver
police department.

The whole affair is rotten to the
core, stinks, and is nauseating to
the nostrils of all citizens.

Charges are contained in the re-
port that graft, fambling, bootles-
gins and dens of vice are
flourishing on a Yarge scale under
the very noses of the police com-—
mission and the city council, and are
contributing to a pay-off system un-
der protection.

Daily papers have been careful
not to mention names of the vice
joints and filth with which the city
reeks, but it is common knowledge
that Con Jones with thre establish-
ments is one of the largest gambling
Joints in this city, one of them eper-
ating under the shadow of the tem-
porary city hall. Other places are
located at 612 West Hastings and
another on Granville Streets

To gain entrance to these Sam-
bling sanectums a “membership
eard,”” costing 10 cents, is necessary
which serves in lieu of a password.
The joint near the city hall is where
uniformed police officers in the pay
of the city have been on duty as
bouncers—this fact was made known
in the July 3rd issue of this paper,
followinge a disturbance there.

Amother place mentioned in the
report where “big shots’? are-inter-
ested and have protection is on West
Cordova Street. Business men in
the vicinity of one hootlessine joint
there have repeatedly complained to
police about the continual all-night
noise ereated, but apparently
nothing was done about it, for the
business flourished and the noise
Kept on disturbing the neighbors’
sleep.

W. A. MacDonald, ex-judgse and
Liberal party stooge, has been ap-
pointed by the city to investizate
the charges contained in the Tucker
report, not bein= satisfied with the
work done by the man who was hired
to do it and fired when it was done.

Where there is smoke there is fire
and even the policeman's union
know that conditions around the po-
lice station are rotten. At a meet-
ing they concurred in their execu-
tive's stand charging that favorit-
ism is shown in promotion.

A big kick of the police is that
many new men taken on the force
have come from Alberta and re-
ceived promotion over constables
who haye been on the beat for a
lone time and now have to take
orders from these new men.

Many of these new additions to
the police force were enrolled dur-
ing the strike of the Camp Boys
prior to their trek endine& in Re-
Zina and to cope with the water-
front strike of last summer.

The coming civie elections prom-
ised to be just another election, but
now the Tucker report and Mac-
Donald’s investigation provides the
vehicle for a real lively campaign
for the election of a mayor and
aldermen to clean up the city and
keep it clean.

Seviet Commissar
Again Pleads For
Full Disarmament

MOSCOW (FP)—Maxim Litvin-
off, Soviet Foreign Commissar,
again suggests general disarma-
ment on the occasion of his presen-
tation with the Order of Lenin.
“We offered peace to the nations
at a time (1927) when that proposal
could be interpreted as a weakness.
We have repeated it at every op-
portunity and we repeat it now,
despite the fact that the growth of
our armed forces, of our military
industry and of our military poten-
tialities gives us supremacy over
any possible enemy or even a pos-
sible combination of enemies.”

Spanish Delegates
Micet Soviet And
Gther Unionists

MOSCOW (FP)—A Spanish dele-
gation was present at 4 meeting of
the Central Trades Union Commit-
tee of the U.S.S.R. as well as dele-
ations from Britain, Sweden, Nor-
way, France, and Szechoslovalia.
They discussed the work of Soviet
trade unions and the problem of
bringing about international trade
union unity, Particularly jin rela-
tion to assistance for Spain. Aid
te the Spanish people by Soviet
workers continues. Many employes
are now Siving a percentage of their
wages until the Fascists are de-
feated.

Savagery of Courts Seen
In Prison Terms Meted Out
To Grange and Molland

Daily Parades Forced
Labor Minister to
Decision

Single unemployed men in Van-
couver won a signal victory in their
Strugele for work or relief Wednes-
day, when the Hon. Norman Mc.
Rogers, federal minister of labor,
granted relief to all single men who
haye been in this province since
November 15 of this year, pending
the outcome of government plans
which were not announced.

Mr. Rogers admitted that the farm
Scheme to absorb the unemployed
Was not suitable to British Colum-
bia, and dispatched wires to the
Victoria and Ottawa governments

|informing them of his decision to

Srant the men relief.

A delegation of the unemployed
in conference with Chief MFoster
informing him that unless some-
thing was done immediately for
them they were prepared to £0 on
the streets Thursday to solicit funds
for their own maintenance, or so to
jail.

Chief Foster expressed concern
over the growth and refularity of
the domonstrations and Parades hela
daily by the men. Further talks
were interrupted with the arrival
of a car sent by Mr. Rogers with a
request that he wished to meet
the delegation.

A parade late Tuesday night of
250 unemployed men had consider-
able bearine on the minister’s deci-
Sion to grant relief. The men par
aded around the down-town section
of the city signing and shouting
their demands for the release of
Grange and Molland.

]

Jobless Victims
FRED.
GRANGE

victim of the
state’s

yvenegance
in ‘(Assize
Court
Monday,
Nov. 16.

who along

with Grange
was sent
down for
two years.

SOVIET MERCHANT
MARINE INCREASES

MOSCOW (FP)—The Soviet Un-
ion can now transport more than
half of its exports by Soviet merch-
ant marine. Leningrad will be ice-
locked in another month, and then
goods will be sent by Murmansk
and Black Sea ports. It is esti-
Imated that travel by Murmansk
this year will be 30 per cent greater
than last year.

Upper River Fishermen’s Associa-
tion raised $40 at a dance at Fort
Langley.

Associated Press Agency
Admits Fascist Threats Do
Influence News Handling

Writers Are Murdered | CIVIC ELECTION

for Failure to Distort
Stories

NEW YORE .FP)—The Associ-
ated Press, largest news-gatherine
agency in America, has admitted
that it alters its manner of hand-
ling news from Spain because of
the threats of fascist insurrection-—
ary generals!

Reading between the lines of a
letter from Exec. Asst. John Evans
of A-P’s foreign service to Miss
Jessie Lloyd O'Connor, a member
of the North American Committee
to Aid Spanish Democracy; one can
evaluate for himself the extent to
which Fascist intimidation colors
at the source the news the people
of the U.S., Canada and much of the
rest of the world get about Spain’s
struggle for liberty.

Though Evans limits himself to
the cautious admission that A.P.
does not use the word “rebel” for
fear of reprisals, and that it fails
to use the term “loyalists,” his let-
ter, taken in the additional light of

Alaska Food
Stocks High

Newspaper Fairy Tales
Of Shortage Are
Debunked

SEATTLE. — Q@INs) — Alaska is
facing no food shortage as a result
of the maritime strike, leaders as-
serted here as purchasers during
September and October were re-
ported to haye increased $2,512,992
over the same months last year.

During September goods valued at
$3,623,206 were shipped from here to
Alaska, the Custom service reported

In October the value was $4,067,-
642 against $2,358,580 a year aso.
Surveys showed

Alaska warehouses
were filled with enough soods to last
through the winter. These buys
were made in anticipation of the
strike. The government railroad
will be operated from Seward to
Fairbanks weekly to provide weekly
service for passengers and mail.

LOS ANGELES —(FP)—Declarine
he won’t coddle unemployed workers
in comfortable jails any longer,
Police Chief James 1. Davis of Los
Angeles plans to run a concentra-
tion camp—he ealls it a prison camp
—for homeless men who want to
share California’s sunshine with the
idle rich.

MANAGER JAILED

EDMONTON, Alta —(PP)—James
A. McPherson, civic election ¢am-
paign manager for the United Peo-
ple’s Leasue, was Ziven a 3-month
jail sentence~ for refusing to work
on highway construction at 40¢ an
hour. He refused because it was be-
low the union scale. McPherson was
taken from relief rolls some time
ago for refusine to work on the
highway. On appeal he Was returned
to the rolls until after election. After
election he was sentenced for ‘fya-
srancy.”’

actual handling accorded to Spanish
News, is of sensational import,
Reporters Murdered.

It comes on the heels of reports
that Fascists murdered Guy de
Traversay of Paris Intransigeant,
George Sedoul of L’'Humanite, Guy
de Maziere and other correspond-
ents for failing to send out mis-
leading reports. It comes as the
North American Committee re
leases facts ignored by A.P. about
the slaughter of members of religi-
ous minonrities by the Fascists.

Mrs. ©’Connor, reply to A.P.,
Said: “I do not charge that the
A-P. deliberately lies about Spain.
i have simply observed that the ma-
jority of people who depend on
A-P. for their information have no
idea that it was a liberal democratic
s0vernment against which the gen-
erals rebelled, nor that any beliey—
Ing Catholics were ever in the goy-
ernment. If you don't want to call
that suppressing the truth, you
don’t need to, but you will admit
that you omit to mention these
things. And that omission allows
the Fascists to put their propa-
ganda across that the issue is be

(Continued on Page 3)
See ASSOCIATED

Canadian Labor Defence
League Appealing
Sentences

Despite the recommendation of the
jury to amend the conditions re-
Sponsible for the Efamilton Hall riot
@ Savage sentence of two years in
the penitentiary was imposed on
Bred Grange and Harry Molland by
Mr. Justice Manson in Assize Court,
midnight Monday.

Suspended sentences were Siven
Harry O'Neil, Clifford Smith, Doug-
las Rockey, and Stanley WNovar,.
They were bound over cn their own
recognizance to keep the peace for
one year and report monthly to the
Provincial Police.

David Simpson, Pat Sheridan and
Jack Patterson, Single Unemployed
Protective Association secretary,
were acquitted.

The jury of four women and eight
men, after deliberating for nearly.
six hours, added a rider to their ver-
dict of guilty in the cases of six of
the nine men charged, which read:

Jury Recommends

“We, the members of the jury,
deplore the conditions that brought
about the Hamilton Hall riot and
recommend that pressure be
brought to bear on federal, pro-
vincial and civic authorities to
amend such conditions.”

Prosecution of the accused dur-
ing the seven-day trial was conduct-
ed by J. A. Russell and Harry Col-.

gan, while Gordon Grant, counsel for-

the Canadian Labor Defence League,
defended eight of the accused,
Grange acted in his own defence. .

The Canadian Tabor Defence
League vill immediately appeal the
Savage sentences dealt to Grange
and Molland, and will hold a protest
Meetine in the Orange Hall, Fri-
day, at 8 p.m.

Approximately 250 Single unem-
ployed men marched around the
court house on Georzia Street, sing-
ing “Hold the Wort” and carryine
banners demanding the release of
their comrades on trial. One ban-
ner carried by the marchers de-
manded ‘Work and Wages, Not
Oakalla Gages”’

Short speeches were made on the
Steps of the court house and then
they marched alone the sidewalks
downtown.

Sidewallk parades have been a
daily feature of the Single men in
their efforts to win Support of their
demands for work or relief,

Canada Joins

In Arms Race

Taxpayers Saddled With
Maintaining War
Machine

OTTAWA, Nov. 13.—Ganada’s na-
val strength will be increased early
in 1937 with the addition of two new
destroyers to replace the Champlain
and the Vancouver, two smaller yes-
sels loaned to the Canadian g£overn-
ment in 1928 by Great Britain.

The war yessels which the gov-
ernment will buy from Great Britain
are sister ships of the SKeena and
Saguenay. Each of the new vessels
are of 1400-ton displacement, with a
Speed of 35 knots, and Carries an
armament of four 4.7-inch Suns;
Six torpedo tubes, and two quad-
ruple torpedo tubes, and a comple-
ment of 155 each.

No threats haye been made on
Canada in the past hundred years,
So it is difficult to understand what
Canada needs an increased navy for.
The ships will float around the
coastline until they become obsolete,
a bill of expense to taxpayers.

Additions to the air force were
announced recently by Hon. Ian
MacKenzie, minister of national de-
fence, while in Victoria, B.C. At
that time seven fighting planes and
four air bases were on Canada’s war
agenda. Truly Canada is in the
armament race.

MacPhail, M.

By Visit To

P., Impressed

Soviet Union

OLErPA WA, — (FP) — “In Russia
spotty development is seen every—
where, but through it all I felt the
upsurging energy of a people sup-
Pressed for centuries, fiehtine their
way through inefficiency and ignor-
ance to meet the challenge of
Lenin’s upfluns arm.’*

Thus Miss Aenes MacPhail, farm-
erette M.P. and the first woman to
win election in the Canadian House
of Commons, summarizes impres-
Sions of her recent visit to the So-
viet Wnion.

Miss MacPhail declares that the
Soviet’s policy of making the de-
velopment of heayy industry of first
importance seemed to meet with the
approval of the people despite the
temporary hardship it imposed upon
them.

The consequences, she adds, are
that Russians haye plenty of money
but little they can buy with it ex
cept food, books, travel, and amuse-
ments. She was amazed at the num-
ber of people that crowded railway
Stations seéekine= a chance to travel,

vet

Pr a