Page Four B.C. WORKERS

NEWS

B.C. WoRKERS NEWS

Published Weekly by
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Vancouver, B.C., Friday, February 5, 1937

Fight Against Armaments

HWE CCF campaign against the McKenzie King “defence”

“program is very timely, and all communists and progress-
ives stand ready to sive it their support and to help broaden this
into the widest mass movement for peace. At the same time we
feel that one of the most practical ways of doing this is to mobilize
the widest support against the government’s proposed ban on Spain
and to show the people of Canada that the best guarantee for
wold peace is a victorious democratic Spain.

The $35 million war budget of Mackenzie King government
is for a program of suppression against the people of Canada;
nothing else. Government leaders have intimated on more than
one occasion that their concern was not the remote, very remote
possibility of an attack by a foreign power, but was the growing
unrest of the masses of the people against their precarious exist-
ance. Western provinces are facing repudiation ot debt obliga-
tion, our population walking the streets looking for the elusive
job, our youth herded into concentration camps, yet the federal
government seet fit to jump the war budget some $14,000,000
over that of last year, to the total amount of over $34,000,000.

In defence ?

Tn defence against whom 2

The Mackenzie King government has shown its complete align-
ment with the fascist foreign policies of the British Nationalist
Government. It fell right inte line with reaction on the Ethiopian
question, for everybody knows today that Britain’s reactionary
policy aided fully the fascist butchery of the defenceless people
of Ethiopia. It is aneing today the British National Government
policy in Spain, throwing its weight in behind the Hatler-Musso-
lini raping of the democratic Spanish people. It is contemplating
at this time legislation malang it a criminal offence for any Ca-
nadian to aid in any way the Spanish Loyalist forces.

The Mackenzie King Government is lining up more and more
with reaction. When Arthur Meighan referred to the danger from
“enbyersive’ elements, he exposed the purpose behnid the $35,-
000.000 “defence” appropriation. Tt is a wraar program a@ainst
the workers of Canada, and must be bitterly fought as such.

a aS)

Amend the Health Insurance Act

ECENT decisions of the medical profession to refuse to
work under the provisions of the Proyineial Health Insur-
ance Act, makes it more necessary than ever that a broad move
ment must be undertaken immediately to have the act amended.
Tn its present form the measure is totally inadequate. — That
does not mean, however, that health insurance legislation is not
needed. On the contrary, the controversy raised against the in-
adequate provisions ef the present bill emphasizes the urgent
need for a broad health insurance act. :

When the act was introduced into the Legislature last year,
the labor benches carried on a long and strenuous fight for amend-
ments, so that it would be a health insurance act in reality, and
not only in name. The principal of the act is correct, but its
provisions are inadequate to the point of being farcical.

Those for whom there is every need for such legislation, the
unemployed and those low-paid workers earning less than $10.00
weekly, and farm hands and domestic servants, etc., are outside
the act. Only those who have not severely suffered because of the
Jack of health insurance legislation, those who manage to foot
the bill when a doctor is needed, are covered.

The doctors complain that their remuneration under the
act is far too low. They point out also that hospital share
as at present could not begin to cope with the extra demands
which the act would necessitate.

These points were all bared by the labor members when the
bill was up for reading. Several amendments to broaden its scope
were offered, but the government saw fit to ignore the representa-
tives of the workers and foist onto the public of B.C. a measure
that would not only not work, but which cut out the majority of
those who needed it most. :

There is a danger that the government would like to throw
the act out in its entirety. The decision of the doctors must not
be allowed to become a move fowards this end. Health insurance
legislation is essential.

" Té& must not be scrapped,

This will only be done if the people
labor members in Victoria in a mighty
made to serve the needs of the people. A broad movement must
be organized; trade unions, fraternal and social organizations,
and working-class political parties, as well as the medical pro-
fession. must launch a campaign that will convince the members
of the Provincial Government that the act must not be serapped,
but must be amended.

Mural painting at Commonyealth labor college, Mena, Ark. Progres-
sives are uniting to oppose a bill outlawing the famous US school.

50 Years Of Labor
History In BC

By BILL BENNETT

(Continued from January 22)

Into the maw of thes e“entrepreneurs,” capitalist adventurers,
today goes 300 million dollars annually, ereated by B.C. workers,
less the seanty wages that are given back to them to keep them
from dying of starvation. In the past year the Coast loggers cut
21% billion feet of logs, 1000 feet per man per day, which when
milled and manufactured into lumber, sashes, doors, furniture,
shingles and plywood, realized 56 million dollars for the members
of the Lumber and Millmen’s Associations, the same who tnd
it impossible to pay the minimum wage and have to employ 25 7%
of their workers at wages below the limit of the Act. Of course,
we must remember that Erie Hamber has to be well heeled fnan-
cially for his job as Lieutenant-Governor of the Province!

In 1935 also, B-C. miners and quarrynien dug out of the
bowels of the earth $47,807,157 worth of precious and base metals ;
gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper and industrial raw materials;
coal. asbestos. cement and clay, providing the mine-owners with
{0 million dollars dividend. Austin Tayler needed the price to
buy Indian Broom for his racing stable, and nobody is so generous
as the Bridge River miners! €

Before going on the breadline last winter, the’ 17,000 B.C.

fishermen and canneryworkers, whites, Indians and Orientals,
| had made their quota to help out the hard-pressed cannery-owners
[ts contributing $15,786,172 worth of salmon, halibut, cod, pil-
chards, herrings, crabs, shimps and clams. The Bell Irvings must
shine socially! .

And undoubtedly, if the longshoremen had not been engaged
in a long and bloody struggle with the Shipping Federation they
would have handled more than 6,339,636 toms of cargo on the
Vancouver docks during the year. Eighteen hundred B.C. fac
tories produced 180 million dollars worth of wealth, nearly half
in Vancouver in 1935, and the grand total could easily have been
much larger if almost 100,000 of the population had not been shut
out of industry and compelled to exist on relief, from six to e1eht
thousand of them imprisoned in slave compounds, working at
forced, back-breaking, useless labor for twenty cents a day.

These are the real builders of Vancouver and of B.C.; the
loggers and sawmill workers; the miners, prospectors, eolliers,
and hard-rock men; the fishermen on the Fraser and the halibut
banks of the North Pacific; the surveyors and laborers who laid
out and eraded the streets and the building trades workers who
erected the buildings; the transportation workers, railroaders,
sailors, longshoremen, ¢eamsters. streetearmen; the machinists,
boilermakers, engineers and the other workers who contributed
to their comfort while they were so engaged.

How the Workers Paid.

(Continued next issue)

but aust be amended. :
of B.C. get behind the
demand that the bill be

—

TRUE STORY OF MOSCOW TRIALS

Im order to give our readers a full story of the Moscow
trials of the 17 Trotskyist counter-revolutionary plotters,
the next issue of the B.C. Workers’ News, February 12,
will contain a full page supplement. Articles and features
by leading journalists, as well as actual trial proceedings
will be carried. Agents and salesmen are requested to place
their orders now for extra copies of this [six-page issue.

ae)

Smoke the Vermin Out!

WIRTEEN of the seyenteen Trotskyists on trial last week
for conspiring to overthrow the Soviet Goyernment were

condemned to death, and the others sentenced to long terms of
imprisonment. Those eondemned to death have already paid
for their erimes.

No other verdict of the People’s Court could have been ex-
pected. As in the trials of Zinoviev and Kamaney last summer,
the accused, without exception, made no effort to deny their

‘lt. There was even an air of boastfulness in Radek’s admis-
sions of the part he played in carrying out the orders ot the
arch-conspirator Trotsky. But denial of their participation 1
the foul plotting would have availed them nothing, for in the

’ Soviet Union a man is not arrested until sufficient evidence has
been collected to prove his guilt. The conspirators were all
“caught with the goods,” and their freedom in contessing every-

es

demanded the death penalty for the conspirators.

An outstanding feature of the confessions of this trial, as
well as of the one last summer, is the fact that the Trotskyists
had absolutely no following amongst the workers, for the very
simple reason that the workers im the Sommet Union now

—

that
the present government is their government. and that all attempts
to destroy it are aimed at themselves. The Soviet Government
has the love and respect and loyalty of the workers and farmers.

i : i -] Tf they wanted to overthrow if they could do so easily, for every
S they were well aware of the enormous pile of! I : Ea O80 a ee SS)
eee eet ee eee against them. No doubt, | factory has an armoury attached and military traming 1s part

also, they had a hope that if they confessed fully the court might | of the workers’ lives. But this equipment of their's they will
be Tenient. Tf so, in this they were very disappointed. They
got their just deserts. cgee .

The verbatim account of the examination of the prisoners
by prosecutor Vichinsky, as published the the Daily Clarion ot
January 27 and subsequqent issues, makes shocking reading. The
accused admitted that in carryimg out Trotsky’s orders they
mew he was in touch with the Nazi secret service; they knew
that if Trotsky’s plans reached fulfilment the Soviet Republic
would be replaced with a capitalist state; they knew that he had
apreed to give the Nazis Soviet Ukraine for military help to
overthrow the Soviet Government, and they knew that Japan
had been promised a large slice of Siberia for her military aid.
They had no hesitation in saying they knew that Trotskyism
was part and parcel of the international fascist movement. —

One of the amazing things about the Trotskyist terrorists
was their failure to take into consideration that even it they
succeeded in doing away with Stalin and other Soviet leaders

the fruits of their revolution of 1917.

Events have proved and are proving that under the leader
ship of Stalin—the world’s greatest student and exponent of
Marxism-Leninism—socialism can be built up im one country 10
spite of the schemings of international capital, and the treachery,
depravity and degeneracy ot the Trotskyists who are working
hand in glove with world fascism to overthrow the first socialist
republic and to prevent the movement for socialism in other
eountries from deyelopine.

Tn all capitalist countries the Trotskyists play a part similar
to that of their fellow-degenerates in the Soyiet Union, namely,
the destruction of all labor organizations and the wrecking of
every militant moyement of the common people. Im the Soviet
Union they acted as the conscious agents of the German Nazis
and the Japanese militarists; in Canada and other countries they
act as the conscious or unconscious agents of the most reactionary

February 5, 1937

IMMEDIATE PROGRAM
ON

IMMEDIATE ISSUES

——

(During the past few weeks the
BC provincial executive of the
Communist party has been work-
Ing upon a program on the lines
ef that published below to meet
the immediate needs of the peo-
ple of British Columbia and be
the basis of uniting large sections
of the population in the struggle
against the Pattullo government
and reaction- Wath a provincial
election in sight the question of
such a program becoenmies a vital
one and one on which the fullest
expression from those most in-
terested—the people themselves—
should be obtained. Readers are
invited to write their opinions for
publication im this space. Such
opinions should be stated as con-
cisely and briefly as possible.
Editor’s Note).

By BECHKIE EWEN

Despite all “prosperity’’ propa-
ganda, the vast majority of the peo-
ple of this province face serious
problems. . The bread line is still
with us, the meagre relief received
is in no way adequate to supply the
elementary wants, particularly in
view of Soaring prices, which haye

deteriorated liying conditions gen-
erally.

Our “forgotten’’ youth are now
mostly in government forestry

camps. which gradually sink to the
level of the old slave camps. The
gCvernment itself denies these men
and boys the right of association,
and this same right is bitterly as-
sailed by B GC's financial oligarchy in
the present Burns strike.

Our farming population keeps
getting poorer, faces continual
threat from evictions and fore-

closures, is hamstrung by machina-—
tions of Marketing Boards, and has

no redress in face of flood and
other conditions.
Our middle class is fast losing

whatever sense Gf social security it
had, being at the complete mercy
of big business; our intellectuals
face shrinking salaries and diminish-
ing opportunities. Secial leeislation

in this provinece—such as the Health
Insurance, Mothers* Pensions and
Compensation Acts is totally imade-
quate to fulfill urgent needs of our
people.

Gur federal government has now
embarked upon a “‘defense’’ project
to the tune of thirty-five million
dollars. It does not even hide the
purpose of this which is aimed
mainly against so-called ‘“subver-
sive” elements, which means any
people who may struggle for an im-
provement of their lot.

This action of the federal govern-
ment is of great importance to

sive real assistance to
middle farmers.
It proposes adequate government

small and

grants in feed, seed. fertilizer and
other requirements necessary to
cope with floods, drouth, insect or
other plagues.

It proposes government assistance
for promotion of co-operatives and

substitution of real democratie
machinery for present marketing
legislation.

The Communist party also pro-
poses such legislation and aid for
small business men and middle

classes as will curb actions of banks
and large monopolies, and provide
adequate salaries for professionals
of all descriptions.

Social Security

(d) Social Insurance and Educa-
tion. In this realm we propose a
Provincial Unemployment Insurance
Bill to suit needs of unemployed,
and initiation by the provincial goyv-
ernment of a Dominion-wide move-
ment for federal unemployment in-
surance and for the restoration of
all relief cuts to provinces and
municipalities.

We propose to amend the present
Health Insurance Act to include all
sections of the people whose pres-
ent incomes are below the minimum
of $1500 per annum, and all those
classifications of needy people now
excluded; that the greatest burden
be placed upon the government and
employers, and that the medical
profession be adequately provided
for.

We propose also to reduce age lim-
its for old age pensions for the
blind, extension of the Workmen's
Compensation Act to cover all in-
@ustrial diseases and to democratize
its machinery,

We propose amendments to the
Mothers’ Pension Act, broadening
of its provisions and institution of
free mothers’ and children’s clinics
and nurseries. In the realm of edu-
cation we demand that democratic
school board systems be retained,
that free text books and facilities
be provided for all school children,
that ihe elementary school age be
raised and that teachers’ salary cuts
be restored.

Civil Rights

(e) Civil and Democratic Liberties.
This must include full rights of free
speech and rights of association,
restoration of democratic govern-
ment to all municipalities, restora-
tion of all civil and electoral rights
to individuals convicted for trade
union or labor activity, legislation to
prevent growth of fascist organiza-
tions, and government promotion of
public movements for peace and
against war.

British Columbia as a war base, and
doubtless meets with the unqualified
support of the Pattullo government
and the reactionaries of this prov—
ince who will play an important
Part in putting it into operation.

Security for the People
The above gives only an outline of

use only against any and all enemies who seek to rob them of

the many problems facing us. ‘The

| Communist party makes it plain to

the people of B © that if all forces
of progress were mobilized for stmig-
gle on a realistic program, even un-
der the present capitalist set-up,
many concessions could be forced
from the ruling class which would
ameliorate to a marked extent the
lot of the people today.

(a) Make the Rich Pay. The old
cry, presented to us always, ““Where
is the money comins ‘from?’’ is
answered by Mackenzie Kine when
he can find it for “defense” pur-
poses. He will, however, doubtless
try to get his 35 millions by addins
extra burdens on the poor people.
The Communist party demands
that THE RICH MUST PAY.

It proposes to reduce taxation on
small home owners and to place a
steeply graduated tax
incomes, inheritances,
Ste

It proposes refunding of proyin-
Cia] debt through the Bank of Can-
ada at one per cent interest rate
over par value of provincial bonds
and securities.

It proposes establishment of an
urban and rural credit plan where-
by small home owners and farmers
can secure eredits at low
rates to meet cost of
of homes and buildings.

on
corporations,

interest
depreciation

It proposes conseryation of na-
tural resources which shall provide
for administration of Fraser River
fishems, hydro electric power sites,
timber limits, mineral areas, to be
at the Sole disposal of the people of
British Columbia through their
democratically-elected goverment.

Real Work and Wages

(b) Work and Wages. The Com-
munist party proposes a
Shortening of the working
with no reductions in total weekly
earnings—an all-inclusive minimum
Wage and hours of labor legislation
for all men, women and youth in
industry, with heavy penalties for
al] infractions of the law; a union
scale of wages on all public works

drastic
week

based on a guaranteed 30-hour
workine week. It proposes a public
works program involving slum

clearance and the building of fifty
thousand new homes, reforestation,
highway construction, clearing river
obstructions, dyking in Fraser Val
ley and other flood areas.

An extensive program of public
parks, schools, nurseries, play-
grounds, etc., in working class areas
is also proposed, with a stipulation
that this work and wages program
shall come under rezular union
conditions and not the present “re=
lief project’’ system.

Fanning Planks
(c) For Farmers and Middle

Classes. It proposes legislation

that the workers would not stand idly by and watch Trotsky |
return triumphantly to Moscow as the head of a fascist Sov" should tolerate their presence for one minute; they should be
ernment. This shows their supreme contempt for the workers jsmoked out at once this is the vital lesson brought home to
and farmers who, from all over the country in mass meetings, | progressive forces everywhere by the Moscow Cty

elements of the capitalist class. No labor or socialist organization

against all foreclosures, evictions
or Jand sales, a moratorium on farm
debts where holdings do not exceed
six thousand dollars and enacting
of a farm @ebt adjustment plan to

(ff) Oriental and Indian Legisla-
tion. For promotion of Iegislation
that will give full democratic citi-
zen rights to Canadian-Japanese
and Chinese citizens and end, all
racial discrimination. Full honor-
ing of treaty obligations to the In-
dian tribes of BC and special re-
lief measures for amelioration of
their lot.

Farmer-Labor Progress

This is but a rough draft of the
proposed program, but it already in-
dicates that such a program for
security could brine together in
strugsle all progressive-minded ypeo-
ple.

Irrespective of our yiews as to
the ultimate aims of the Communist
and Socialist movements and their
achievement, largse mumbers of the
population can unite in a Parmer-
Labor Progressive party or bloc on
such a program.

The CCE, if it will adhere to its
federation form and include in its

personal ;

ranks trade union locals, the Com-
munist party, al] progressive organ-
jizations, ete, can become an im-
| portant basis for the building of
{such a powerful united party or
bloc. This does not mean that any
Sroup concerned shall surrender its
independence or its independent ac-
tivity. On the conirary—this right
is Suaranteed. If such unity can be
achieved before the comine= provin-

Cial elections, there is

Gypsy Life.

COD
By
OL’ BILL
2 The superiority of
Imaginary the Soviet films over
And Real all others as an art

medium, is due toe
the fact that the
Soviet producers take their inspi-
ration from life itself. This was
demonstrated at the “Little The—-
atre’ in the last. picture shown
there, “Gypsies.” Those who saw
the Soviet picture and had an op—
portunity to compare it with the
Hollywood pipedream “Gypsy
Sweetheart” are convinced of the
above truth.

In Hollywood everything con—
nected with Gypsy life is remantic;-
they sing and dance through lite-
Eating is only a secondary busi—
ness and is only indulged in when
there is nothing with more sereen
attraction on the program. This of
course is thoreughly in line with
the “Family Herald” pictures of
the Romany Rye and the beautiful
Gypsy maiden who never marries
anyone of lesser rank than @&
baronet.

The Soviet story jin which the
Gypsies’ whole life is devoted te
an inveterate struggle for some—
thing to eat and into which ro-
mance only peeps accidentally, is
the truthful one. In their wander—
ing life, hunger is always their
closest companion; the storms fron:
which they have no shelter, kilf
them off like flies. In one case I
heard of, 36 of one band were
frozen to death in one night.

When Soviet Russia
The Volga was the scene of one
Calamity, of the major natural
1920. ealamities of this cen—

tury, the drouth that
afflicted the Volga district in 1920,
causing the deaths of about five
millions of peasants, the capitalist
world press was unanimous in plac—
ing the blame for the terrible ca—
tastrophe on the Socialist form of
government obtaining in that coun—
try.

In the past two weeks, the United
States, technically, the most highly
developed country, and politically,
the supreme expression of “rugged
individualism,” has been visited by
ene of the most terrible disasters
in the country’s history. With the
bursting of its bonds by the Ohio
River, the celebrated Johnstown
Flood, long a point of departure for
historical calculations, is made to
Jook like the collapse of a child’
sidewalk dam during an April
shower. AS I write the known dead
are nearing 400; over a million have
been rendered homeless; 400 mil—
lion dollars’ worth of homes, chat—
tels and stock have gone rolling
down into the muddy waters of “Ol
Man River’; but none of the capi-
talist hacks have yet suggested that
the prevailing political system is te
blame for the disaster.”

Yet this is preciesly

The Ohio the truth of the mat-
Disaster, ter. While sympa-
1937. thetic to the full with -

the sufferers, we must
hasten to say this for the benefit
of the Citizens’ League and other
apologists of capitalism. The
cheese-paring policies of uadmini-
strative bodies that control the
Mississippi watershed, that have re-
fused to adopt proposals of compe-
tent engineers because their plans
Were too expensive, are responsible
for the damage. This extra expense
meant @ greater factor of safety,
the absence of which is the reason
for the bursting of the banks of
the Ohio and its terrible conse-
quences. Capitalism is to blame
for the loss and suffering in the
stricxen States just as surely as
for the ocean holocaust of the
“Morro Castle” a few years ago.
Socialism cannot be blamed for
the Volga misfortune of 1920 which
was entirely due to natural causes,
while at the same time the Socialist
government's whole force was en-

ial every pos-
sibility that the Pattullo govern-
ment and reactionary forces can

be defeated in this province.
Opinions Invited

The Communist party intends
With all its strength to fight for
this line. It intends to participate
actively in the provincial elections
together with the GCF and all forces
of progress as well as play an ac-
tive independent role. It has not
made final plans in regard to ac-
tual election participation, but
hopes to be able to reach an ami-
eable agreement with the CCF in
this regard.

An appeal is made to all friends,
CCE ers, trade unionists and others,
to write letters to the B.C. Workers’
Wews Open Forum and discuss these

problems, and aid in formulating a
final draft of the program by bring-
ing forward such issues and de-
mands as readers believe to be of
prime importance.

The period is fraught with grave
responsibilities to all leading forces
in the labor movement. Those who
Stand in the way of unity in this
hour, or refuse to budge from old
doctrinaire and prejudiced positions,
will stand responsible to the people
of British Columbia and Canada if
reaction is strengthened instead of
weakened. With united progressive
forces, we can break through the
power of reaction, take steps to bet-
ter the lot of our people and pave
the way for the greater strugegles—
for the final victory of Socialism.

3144 MILLIGN LABOR VOTES

PARIS, Jan. 21—(FP)—Social
Democratic parties in Scandinavia
rolled up a total of 334 million votes

in 1936 national elections. In Fin-
Jand, the Labor Party received
38.6% of the votes cast. Similar

parties received: In Norway, 42.5%;

Sweden, 45.9%; Denmark, 46.1%.

gaged in a war with all the snarling
wolves of imperialism:

Ex-Rt. Hon. “Jimmy”
Home to Thomas, labor traitor
Roost. and lickspittle par ex—
cellence, is now openly where he
properly belongs, squawking in the
pages of the WNorthcliffe-Mosely-
Franco London ‘Daily Wail.” Writ-
ing of his retirement (enforced) he
says he misses the fire of battle,
He means the battle against the
workers on whose necks he climbe:
into silk knee-britches. 4

They

=

Say =

“War is not an act of God but a
crime of man.’’—Sec. of State Cor-
dell Hull.

“America can’t exist half scab
and half free.’ — Mayor John F.
Dore, Seattle.

“Labor elected that great human-
itarian, Franklin Roosevelt, but
labor sees that if it is to get its
rights, it must act.’—Van A. Bitt-
ner, Steel Workers Organizing Com-
mittee.

“T told them that I was not only
disappointed in the refusal of Mr.
Sloan to come down here, but that
T regarded it as a very unfortunate
decision on his part.”—Pres. Frank-
lin D. Roosevelt, commenting on
General Motors’ refusal to negoti-
ate-

“Tt is a popular conception in
Fascist countries for business and
government to run the unions, but
democratic countries do net coun-
tenance such procedure.” — Chair-
man Murray Gross of the Socialist
Party New York state labor com-
mittee, denouncing Ghamber of
Commerce propaganda for “regu:
lating” labor unions.

Pili