See
“BURY THE DEAD”
-at Empress Theatre

The Peoples Advocate ©

Formerly B.C. Workers’ News

FULL No. 119

Published Weekly

VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, APRIL 23, 1937 ==>

Single Copies: 5 Cents

VOL. III, No. 15

| Friday — Saturday

~ |

Stories of the
INTERNATIONAL

BRIGADE
(with Map)-
.-. Page Three...

ITE LUNCH

a

E filer tn

Favor Of

Fishermen’s Unions
Advance New

Prosram
Tim Buck, national leader of

the Communist party, will be in
Vancouver the first week in May,
it was learned Thursday. Buck
will aid in the vigorous campaign
to elect Rey. Edwin Baker, Coni-
munist candidate for New West--
minster, and plans to Participate
in the general campaign wher-
ever he can advance the interests
of unity of progressive forces.

NEW £WESTMINS?TER,
April 22.—That Rey. Edwin Baker,
Communist candidate for New
Westminster is no idealist seekine=
a distant millenium .but a political
realist keenly aware of the needs
of the working classes, was demon-
Strated this week when. in an
terview with an Advocate reporter,
he unhesitatinesls endorsed a pro-
wincial legislative program for the
fishing industry.

Salmon Purse Seiners’ union of
the Pacific and Pacific Coast Fish-
ermen’s union are advancing the
program.

“Workers in the fishing industry
are demanding the “right to join
the union of their choice,” Baker
Stated. “They are asking the right
to bargain collectively throush their
trade union as the sole bargaining
agency. Can anyone fairly deny
them these demands, already recos-
mized by law in other countries?
Gan anyone deny that the enact-
ment of Bill 62 which suarantees
workers the right to organize with-
out discrimination will bring
considerable benefits to all classes
ef workers?”

Long a champion of farmers and
Workers alike, Baker, who recently
came to the Communist party from
the CCE under whose banner he
Came within a few votes of winning
New Westminster in the last fed-
eral elections, highly approves the
conservation plan put forward by
ftishermen’s unions.

This plan calls for control and
administration of BC fisheries by
the provincial Sovernment, for re-
establishment of salmon hatcheries,
elimination of fish-traps, employ-
ment of fishermen at union rates
for purpose of clearing salmon
Streams of obstructions to make
them easily accessible to spawning
Salmon.

Other sections of the
Program cover minimum
eight-hour day, child labor,
and relief.

Labor has already responded to
Baker's championing of their cause.
This week the Workers’ Protective
association unanimously endorsed
his candidature.

An election Committee, with sub-
committees on finance, hall, publi-
city and social, has been set up and
Campaign Manager R. W. Campbell
has opened an energetic campaicn,

Sunday last speakers at a mass
meeting held in the Edison theatre
here were Malcolm Bruce and Rev.
Edwin Baker.

proposed
wages,
health

Popular Play
At ‘Empress’

“Bury the Dead,’* dramatic anti-
War Dlay produced with considerable
Success by the Progressive Arts
Players at the Little Theatre two
weeks ago, is being presented again
at the Empress Theatre this Wriday
and Saturday, April 23 and 24, at
8:30 p.m.

Tickets at 50, 35 and 25 cents are
obtainable at the M. A. kelly Piano
Company, Granville street.

BC,

in- ,

BOTTOM, LEFT—Reo

LEFT—A scene at General Motors’ Oshawa
affiliate, scored its first great victory

signs with the union, too.

plant where yesterday United Auto Workers of America, CIO
in Eastern Canada, affecting 3.700 strikers.
TOP, RIGHT—Strikers at Ford’s Detroit plant are unimpressed by “idealism” of the autc magnate,

Labor Council
Will Support
Domestics

Organized labor is behind Domes-
tic Workers’ Union in its fight for
minimum wages and hours, stated
Secretary Perex Bengough at the
Trades and Labor Council meeting,
Tuesday.

Delegate from the union reported
a courteous hearing by Alderman
P. Pettipiece, who Stated he had re-
Ceived many complaints from ex-
ploited domestic servants.

Efforts will be made to restrain
city and government employment
agencies from forcine women to
accept house work without any wage
or hour Suarantees, and a commit-
tee has been appointed to meet Re-
lief Officer Bone with this in yiew.

Phone ealls for domestic servants
through their union local No. 91
are coming in regularly, state union
officials at Beatty Street headquar-
ters, and these employers are will-
ing to work their help less hours
and pay more.

This fledgling union, too poor to
establish its own headquarters,
Shares the office of the Building
Trades Council, to which enquiries
are sent.

Alert union leaders have compiled
a brief, setting forth minimum needs
ef domestic servants and will can-
Vass all provincial candidates as to
their stand on the plight of these
“forgotten workers.”

Strikers Picketing
Public Works Yard

FERNIP, BC, April 22 —Strikine
relief workers here are picketing
the public works yard, Stopping all
work, to enforce demand for in-

creased relief.

Miners Win

Men Barricade Themselves In

BS

S trike In New

First Stay-In

= =

Mine Tunnel

ste we

South Wales

—_—_____.

SYDNEY, Australia,
After barricadinge themselves for 36
hours in a mine tunnel 180 feet
underground behind pit props and
barbed wire, 30 miners at North
Wallarah coal mine have won the
first stay-in strike in New South
Wales’ history.

Miners’ grievances centred around
the question of output following in-
troduction of an electric drilline
machine. Colliery owners instituted
@& speed-up system opposed by the
men and when miners refused own-

April 22. — 4

ers’ terms they were told there was
no work for them.

Immediately the men went down

the mine and barricaded themselves
in, notifving the management they
Were prepared to stay there until
a satisfactory settlement was made.
Large forces of police were rushed
to the pithead to prevent miners’
wives from taking food, but threots
of a march of miners, coupled with
discussion of a general strike, forced
owners to come to terms.

The striking miners were cheer-
ed by hundreds linine the streets as
they rode through Swansea on
bicycles after Jeaving the mine.

Thousands to ‘
May

Many Unions Will Enter
Floats In Big
Parade

With some 8000 men, women
and children marching and thou-
sands more lining the streets,
Vancouver’s May Day parade this
year is expected to he the largest
and the most colorful in the city’s
history.

“We are sparing no efforts to
make this celebration an outstand-

an official of the

this week.

ing one,” stated
committee in charge

“There are more floats than ever,”
he added, “and we expect keen com-
petition among the various sections
for recoznition by judges. Honorable
mention will be made «for the best
floats and for the best organized
section. Then, too, there will
cash prizes for the largest children’s
groups taking part.’’

be

A. challenge to labor in itself, this
“Unite For Democ-
eaught the imagination

year's
racy!"

has
of the thousands who will be repre-

Supportin=
Various Gon-

sented in the parade.
banners will head the
tingents participatine.
competition and numerous
present a difficult task for
the judges, Barry Mather, news
editor of The Wederationist, and
Harold Griffin, assistant editor of
The People’s Advacate.
Children Taline Part.
Distmbution next week of
May Day leaflets is planned with
5000 special leaflets for children.

Iseen
entries

May Day falling on a Satur-
day, hundreds of senool children will
be free to march. They will form
a special contingent on Central

School greunds at 1 p.m. and swine

into the main parade at a Siven
sisnal.

Games and entertainment will be
organized both on the school
Sreunds and at Stanley Park to
make if a memorable day for the
youns feneration.

Labor song sheets will also be
distributed and, aided by loud
speaker equipment, lively choruses

will give swine to the parade as it
proceeds alone Hastings. Burrard
and Georgia Streets to Lumberman’s
Arch.
Mayor G.
vited to open

Miller
the

has been in-
celebration and
representatives of trade unions,
political parties, church, youth and
unemployed will speak, amone them
Ald. Helena Gutteridee, CCE: Dr.
Willard Brewing; Sam Shearer,
Trades and Labor Council, AF of L:
Malcolm Bruce, CP, and Maurice
Rush, YC. Delegates fram the US
have intimated their intention of
attending.

St. John’s Ambulance Brigade has

been asked to patrol parade route.

arch in |

Day Parade Here

“Scabby!” That's the way the
US progressive newspapers de-
scribe Ontario’s red - baiting,
labor-hating Premier Hepburn.

Labor Unity
Urged Here

Deploring present relations
tween the AF of L and the Commit-

be-

tee for Industrial Organization and
urging unity in the labor movement,
ution Was endorsed unani-
7 at Tuesday's meetine of the
Trades and Laber Council here.
The olution, sent to all AF of L
affiliates by Tochester, New York,
Prades and Labor Council. urged
that the two factions come tozeether,

45 in any ordinary labor dispute,
with TIS Secretary of Labor Perkins
Sitting in with conduct
arbitration proceedings.

Secretary Bengougsh was in
favor of the lution, but saw no
advantage in the presence of 2 third
party.

power to

Rupert Relief
Strike Ended

PRINCE RUPERT, BC, April 22.
—Termination of the six-week re-
lief strike here was decided at Fz
special meetine af uneniployed, who
have won the right to cut wood
where available to Close haula
Asreement on this right We
reached when the strike committee
met City Treasurer D. J. Matheson
this weelz.

Bvidence of wide Support
to unemployed in this town has
been shown by representation at
joint conferences from the Minis-
terial association, Trades and Labor

ay

2iven

council, Canadian Legion, CCE.
Tongshoremen’s association, Fish-
ermen’Ss union. Women’s Labor

league and the Cooperative associa-
tion.

Trades Council Leaves
Participation To

Unions
Decision to have an official
spokesman from Trades and Labor
Council at May Day demonstration

of unions
was made

the right
parade,

and to endorse
to join in the
Tuesday.

Trade union banners will be prom-

inent in the march frem Cambie
srounds, according 10 reports from
Various delegsates, who stated their

unions were behind this celebration.

Among unions participating will
be: ILA, float and banner; Meat Cut-
ters and Packing House Workers;
Inland Boatmen’s Union; Engineers’

Union, two locals, float and banner;
Pishermen. float: Amalgsamated
Building Workers; Hotel and Res-

taurant EXmployvees’ Union, cars and

Streamers; Lumber and Sawmill
Workers’ Union, banners; Jam,
Fruit and Cannery Workers; Relief
Project Workers’ Union. float ane
banners.

N EW WESTMINSTER, ESC},
April 22.—The Industrial, Agricul-
tural and Employment conference
here, will join in the Vancouver May
Day parade and will hold a sports
rally later on in the day at New
Westminster.

Trucks will be on hand at Front
land Beebie streets to convey and
| bring back workers at a modest
charge of 15 cents. Burnaby will
Join in at Kingsway at 10:30 am.

May Day tags will be sold to this
section to defray expenses of the.
sports.

Cannery Workers
Win Higher Wage

DEBP BAY, BG, April
ond agreement in the last few weeks

to be Signed with Deep Bay Pack
ing Company, workers in oyster
picking and cannine industry have
gained a wage increase of seven and
a half cents an hour.

Demand originally was for ten

but
rate
an hour

with acceptance
women will re-
and men

cents iner
of the present

ceive

se,

London Fascists

Riot In East End

LONDON, England, April 22. —
One hundred British Fascists last
week repeated their deliberate pro-

vocation of some months ago when
they marched through London’s
east end, throwing flaming torches
in and about Whitechapel, in the
Jewish quarters, Riot squads of
foot police and some mounted of-
Ticers broke up the melee.

———————_

Demand Recognition Of
Union, Higher Wages

Working Class Patrons Urged to Aid Early Victory

As All White Lunch

Cafeterias Placed

On Trades Council’s Unfair List

White Lunch employees at

65 Hast Hastings Street are

on strike and the three other company restaurants have been
put on the unfair list, Business Agent W. Stewart of the
Hotel and Restaurant Employees Union, Local 28, told an

Advocate reporter, Thursday,

as pickets walked up and down

outside the cafeteria, surrounded by a large crowd of sym-

pathizers,

City PO Turns
Down Spain
Parcel

Phe Canadian post-office depart-
ment Is accepting only letters and
is refusing parcels for Spain, ac-
cording to information given the
People’s Advocate Thursday. A
parcel containing Cigarettes sent
by a man Whose son is fighting
for Spanish democracy and free-
dom in the International Brigade,
was this week returned by Yan-
couver post-office “on instructions
from Ottawa.”

While no official announcenient
has been made, strong public pro-
test is expected against this ac-
tion as further indication of the
reattionary policy pursued by the
Kiing government here in its re-

lations with the friendly, demio-
cratically-elected eovernment of
Spain.

Court Frees
Burns Scab

Resentment is expressed by
Burns strikers at the dismissal, in
Judge Matheson'’s court, Tuesday,
of John Taylor, strikebreaker,
charged wtih carrying an offensive
weapon, to wit, a rubber hose, 26
inches long, containing an iron bar,
locked each end by a nut.

Taylor’s counsel permitted Dy
Judge Matheson to introduce the
name of D. Bryce, Burns Striker, re-
leased on $1,000 bail, prejudicing his
case which comes up for trial next
Thursday.

Other strikebreakers mame d
Young, Campbell and Forbes, who
followed a striker to his home, are
charged with assault. besetting and
damage, were remanded till Wednes-
day.

Strikers are critical, awaiting the
outcome of these eases which typify
class interests in the present strug-
gle. *

Bryce will be defended by Eddie
Lucas for the Canadian Labor De-
fence lease.

Yale Indians
Rap Relief

YALE, BC, April 22.— Stories of
bitter privation are told here by
Indians existing on the reservation
on inadequate relief allowances.

Relief given by the Indian depart-

ment to the average family is $3
to $5. This will buy 24 Ibs. su
1 ib: tea, 3 Ibs. lard, 10 Ibs. rice,
yeast, bakine powde but no meat
or butter. Nor is provision made for
clothing.

Indian department doctor visits
only when called.

TAXPAYERS STRIKE?
Tax-weary Vancouver.
Proposings: a strike against payment
of the higher taxation imposed by
the recently passed city budget.

citizens are

~ Demands of strikers are:

Rein-
Statement of an employee dismissed
early this week, union scale of
Wages, and recognition of their
union. :

Quick victory is anticipated by
strikers and union officials by vir-
tue of the fact that working peo-
ple Who are main patrons of these
eating places have first hand knowle
edge of the need for a union among
over-\worked employees.

Employees state that average
wage paid by the White Lunch is
$9.50 a week. Union scale demanded

is as follows: Steam table girls, pie’

counter girls, cashiers, porters, $14
a week; bus boys and girls, supply
boys, $12 a week.

Organization began two months
ago until 80 per cent were in the
union, but tactics of the manage-

ment drove it underground until one

@irl was fired this week for uniom
activities by Manager T. Soronson,
who stated,

“. . . if I didn’t fire her, she
would have the entire staff in the
union.”

Other

unfair restaurants owned

| by White Lunch are: No. 1, 124 W,

Hastings; No. 2, 439 Granville St;
No. 4, 806 Granville St.

2,000 Ask For

Bus Services

Presenting 2000 signatures to baci
up petition to Civic Utilities Come
mittee, for improved transportation
services in Hast Vancouver, a dele
gate from that district was this
week promised a hearing before the
BC Electric Company by Alderman
Wilson.

Headed by R. Lealess, Commun-
ist leader, who read from a pre-
pared brief, a delegation to the city
hall discussed with aldermen salient
Points of demands, chief of which
are need for east and west bug
services.

Committee was unanimous on the
need for a conference of street raife
Way officials and citizens of Vancote
ver East district.

Labor Backs
Health Act

Approval of the BC Health Insur-
ance Bill was enthusiastically re-
affirmed at the Trades and Tabor
Couneil meeting, Tuesday, and the
executive was urged to make full
use of radio and other publicity to

guide yoters in the plebiscite on
health insurance to be taken elec-
tion day. s

In proposing a thorough canvass
of all unions, fears were expressed
by some delesates that the public
will be confused on this question by
those politicians opposed to the bill.

UMW A Charter

. For Nanaimo
NANA IMO, BC, April 22— Na-
naimo miners lifted their heads

again after being for twenty years
at the merey of Canadian Collieries,
when they decided to establish a
local UMWA at a mass meeting
here Jast week. :

In the chair-at the meeting was
W. Atkinson, president Cumber-
land local, with Bob Livett. district
president, UMWA, as main speaker.

Coronation Only Hard Work

sk a a

Set To

No Limit

Nabe: Of Elo W orked

To London Shop Assistants

LONDON, England, April 22.— 6
The Coronation, which will bring
millions of yisitors to London to

Swell profits of hotels, restaurants
and stores, will mean only additional
hardships to already overworked
and underpaid workers, officials of
the Shop Assistants’ union declare
bitterly.

“There are tens of thousands of
workers who spend their entire
lives serving out food—and who

have never known what it is to
have enough food for themselves
and their families,” assert union
officials.

Food prices have been rising
steadily and the Coronation is ex=
pected to send them Soaring still
higher. ~

For shop assistants over 18 years
of age there is no limit set by law
to the number of hours worked.
At Christmas time clerks in many
multiple stores work from 60 to
70 hours a week—an ayerage of 12
hours a day without a break.

“That is what the Coronation
will mean to these workers,” union
officials comment. “They will be
driven like slaves.’

’

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