A i
es Formerly B.C. Workers’ News a
‘ FULL No. 122 Published Weekly VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, MAY 14,1937 <== Single Copies: 5 Cents VOL. III. No. 18 oa
F oe atholie
7 and ardently
q Loyalist
: Basque
of : - region of
Spain
a : as
i fovernmeny
4 militiamen
; hear mass :
See behind the
lines during
a lull in the
i ed : fighting.
Car Drags\Rev. E. Baker Campaigns Unions To ae
| recently killed
3 2 e ‘ a2 priest
n Five Point Platform Pee
e4 assenger ] a er eee
pi 5 ee oer Buon Chis wee ee the Communist party New Westminster cam- 4 pee ee
e palgn committee was the following realistic five-point program on which Rey. Edwin
4 | | WO Blocks Baker, popular Communist candidate, will base his campaign. n ection See
aaa Increased Purchasing Power Bovina representatives of Canada’s Fifty 3 decielte children
: 1. Salary and wage increases for all ig Shots. tephen Nominated In eee
Le Failure Of Treadle Step manual, skilled and professiona] labor and A Program of Useful Work Nanaimnole eapiee
} Responsible For increased prices for the primary producers 4. The extension of public utilities, = y poly city of
q Accident on the farm. These can be won for the people schools, hospitals, recreation grounds, slum CCF Clubs Guere
of New Westminster by electing Baker. clearances and home building projects. A que Seeubls
D. BACK| The Right of Organization road building program—not into the wilder- | CCF NAMES SHEARER aa
HURTS HAND, 2. Legislation that will give all work- ness—but the rehabilitation of the Johnston see ae ee = ae ote
nae ers the right to organize into unions of highway and Pitt Meadows road to Coquit- 13a suit "tau ony be ee

_- sue.

' ywietimization by
» ment.
— keep up their time schedule to hold

Withheld from publication im
Vancouver daily papers was news
that a faulty Qak Street one-man
car was responsible for a grave ac-
cident last Friday, when the treadle
step, long boasted by the BC Elec-
tric to be fool-proof, failed to func-
tion properly.

The passenger, Albert Tide, 1536
Wrest Sixty-eighth Ave., was caught
by the hand and dragged for nearly
two blocks, sustaining injuries to
his hand and back.

Depending upon correct operation
of the treadle step which, when not
in use, automatically switches on a
red light—the signal to go—in front
of him, no blame can be attached to
the motorman. When the red light
flashed he started the streetcar, un-
aware that he was drageine Tide,
whose hand was trapped in the auto-
Matic door. ; :

Qne-man car accidents are appar-
ently hushed up. The BC Electric
profits by their continued use of these
ears at the expense of the abnormal
Strain their operation imposes on
motormen. At the same time, men
who would otherwise be employed on
a two-man street car service, are pre-
vented from working.

Organized labor, from the local
street railwaymen’s union to the
Trades and Labor Congress, has pro-
tested one-man streetcars as dan-
gerous to the public and a strain
on the operater himself pee

Appeal Court

Reverses Conviction

Award of $50 damages against the
city by the Appeal Court, last Fri-
day, to Motorman Campbell, BC
Hlectric employee, reversed a pre-
wious conviction which carried a
fine of five dollars, on the charge
that he started his interurban car
against the red light at Main and
Hastings streets.

The city court judge’s willingmess
to take the word of one policeman,
as against the evidence of three
witnesses who supported Campbell's
contention that he properly observed
the traffic signal, decided the court
in his fayor with payment of dam-
ages.

Numerous court convictions of
motormen, on the fine point of the
street car being over the property
line or not before the signal light
oes red, with a fine of $5 imposed,

have occurred in the last few
months.
Main and Hastings intersection

-is a bad place for motormen in this
connection. Complaints are made re-
Zardinge a certain policeman, who,
it is allered, has threatened “‘to get”

-a number of motormen on this is-

Division 101, street railwaymen’s
union, is considering further action
to be taken, for protection of the
membership against future injus-
tice, the public being unaware of the
the police depart-
of motormen who have to

their jobs, and at the same time be
continually on the watch against

=~ possible fines over a matter of split

seconds,

Ewen Speaks At
Logger’s Funeral

CEE PEE CER, BC, May 13.—
Death toll of the woods in British
Columbia since January 1 this year
Was brought to eight last week
When Matt Pesut, chokerman, em-
ployed at Paciife Logsing company’s
camp No. 1 here, was killed while
at work.

Funeral services were held in the
city, Lom Ewen, provincial secre-
tary of the Communist party, giving

their workers this right.

3.

their own choosing and to bargain collec-
tively; legislation that will impose penalties
upon employers who seek in any way to deny

Tax the Financiers Who Can Pay 5,
Place the burden of taxation where
it properly belongs—upon the industrial mag-
nates, millionatres, financiers, speculators.
Relieve the burden of taxation upon the poor
and middle classes and pile it on to the pro-

need of it

lam, Take advantage of the Dominion one
million dollar appropriation for provision of
opportunities for our youth.

Health Insurance

Health Insurance Act that will give
every person in British Columbia assurance
of medical and hospital attention when in

Health Insurance that will

to come under its benefits. Make the people’s
health a state responsibility.

Men Fired On
By Policeman

McBRIDE, BC, May 13.— Shots
were fired by Constable R. McKinley
at jobless men riding the freight
into Prince George in search of work
last week. :

MeKinley boarded the train the
men were riding until well out of
town and then sigmalled the en-
f@ineer to stop. Herding the men up
the road at the point of the gun,
he gave the engineer the signal to
proceed. Fearrul of being stranded,
the men ran for the train and Mce-
Kinley opened fire.

While it is believed McKinley shot
high, nevertheless a bullet might
Sasily have hit any of the two dozen
men running for the train.

Local feeling is running high
against the engineer on this sub-
division for his co-operation with

MeKinley in this affair.

Because of the great distances be-
tween towns, the freight train is
the only means of transportation for
Jobless men seeking work, or, re-
fused relief elsewhere, returning to
their home towns to register with
relief authorities.

Victoria Asks
Higher Relief

13. — Con-

VICTORIA, BC, May
tinued pressure for more relief by
the Victoria and District UWnem-
ployed Association was shown here
when 40 women, with their children,
appeared before the city council
urging larger relief allowances in

view of rising living costs. The
council, expressing sympathy, ad-
vised them to carry their pleas to
the provincial government.

The council was reminded that
while $10.000 had been deducted
from the relief appropriation,
amount for Coronation celebrations
had been increased to $6500.

Present food allowance, the Mayor
was told, had Jost buying power by
50 per cent in the last six years.

Correctly placing the onus for
their condition on the city authori-
ties, which has the machinery for
alleviation, the organization plans to
send a larger delegation with more
children to press the issue.

Union Welcomes
Spain Diplomat

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ, May 13.—
(FP)—In a moving tribute which
expressed their overwhelming sym-
pathy for the Spanish people, hun-
dreds of delegates and visitors at
the 23rd convention of the Inter-
national Garment Worxers’ Union
arose aS one at the entrance of
Fernando de los Rios, Spanish em-
bassador, and greeted him with a
tumultuous ovation. Shouts of “No
pasaran’—They shall not pass—

an address.

filled the air.

Anti-Imperialist Parades

Mark Corona

7 a iad

tion In Ireland

DUBLIN, TFS, May 13.—Not a

Union Jack waved in the Trish
Free State capital on Coronation
Day, not a celebration was held for
the first time in Ireland’s 800 years
of struggle for freedom.
- Resentment ran high following
firing by police on a parade of
members of the illegal Irish Re-
publican army, when several per-
Sons were wounded.

were anti-imperialist demonstra-
ions. Women mil] workers in Bel-
fast walked out as a protest against
placing of Union Jacks on their
machines.

In Dublin Wednesday night a
huge crowd attended a meeting
held in memory of Jim Connolly,
Labor citizen army head, and Sean
MacDermott, martyred leaders of

Both in Belfast and Dublin there

the historic Easter rising of 1916.

REV. EDWIN BAKER
“|. +» not less progressive now.’

Letter Shows
Domestics’
Problem

Spiteful, domineering methods
used by some employers show need
for strong organization amone de-
mestic servants in Vancouver, and
the following anonymous letter
fives some idea of what these ex-
ploited girls are up against. This
letter was brought to the office of
the Advocate by an official of the
Domestie Servants’ Union, local No.
91.

“Po the head of the Domestic
Workers’ Union,

“310-529 Beatty Street, City.

“Wow very glad I am that I
can do without one of your
union, lazy, dirty, impudent girls.
My dear little Jap woman is so
honest and so clean and is never
rude or impudent, and when [I
get better off, shall keep a
Chinaman. How anyone can be
plagued with a white girl is be-
yond me. I have persuaded many
to keep Jap girls instead of lazy,
dishonest, striking white girls. I
had my experiences of them . .
lazy, dishonest and so impudent.”

“Against Strikers and Their

“‘Tnions.”

In discussing the above letter, the
union official stated that employers
willing to pay reasonable wages and
eut down hours usually worked by
domestic servants are taking ad-
vantage of the employment service
established to this end. Contrary
to the above contemptible letter,
she said, many Oriental workers
demand decent conditions and re-
fuse to be browbeaten by such em-
ployers. The union makes no
Tacial distinction.

Sointula Is

Behind Baker

SOINTULA, BC, May 13.—Com-
munity of 500 souls here gave a
rousing welcome to Beckie Ewen,
Communist leader, making the most
of her week's visit by organizing a
round of meetings and socials held
under various auspices.

The sum of $71 was handed to
Mrs. Ewen for the district Commu-
nist election fund.

Qn Thursday, May 6, Mrs. Ewen
addressed a large audience at the
Finnish hall, subject: “Who are the
Enemies of the People of BC.” A
collection of $30 was taken.

On Saturday she spoke at Liberty
hall Spain, later attending a

on

women’s sewing circle on behalf of
Spanish children.
tion donated $25.

Finnish organiza-

Ratepayers
Quiz Hurry

Aggressive ratepayers of Ward 4
association last week hurled shrewd
questions at Alderman A. Hurry,
Suest speaker at its monthly meet-
ing, giving a lead for improvement
of present civic methods that simi-
lar organizatiins might well follow.

Alderman Hurry’s presence was
in answer to a resolution passed
by this community group request-
ing the city council to dispense
with the present exhibition board
and management.

Alderman Hurry stated that the
city council had no power to do
this or even to cancel the board’s
lease, which runs until 1971. Per-
sistent questioning, however, pained
the admissioin that the city council
can cancel the lease, on six months’
notice, of the exhibition board for
“cause.”

The critics were sharp. Alderman
Hurry claimed that the present
board was efficient under the presi-
dent who has occupied this office
for 27 years. Ratepayers proved
that this “efficiency” had not pro-
duced any revenue for 20 years,
despite the nominal one dollar
rental paid annually to the city.

Decision by the board te dis-

charge J. K. Matheson, under
whose seven-year management
there had been a small revenue,

drew fire from the audience, to
which the guest speaker was silent.

At this meeting, reasons for the
present anxiety of BC-Telephone to
obtain approval for their new in-
cleased rates were forthcoming.
The company will be greatly as-
sisted by city approval when ap-
pearing before the railroad com-
mission.

Ratepayers opined that the tele-
phone company intends to install
automatice phones and discharge
employees, which prompted one
lady present to tell of an instance
where one telephone company was
brought to time for charging ex-
horbitant rates, saying “ten thou-
sand women cut their phones and
hung them on the fence.”

Sash, Door
Men Parley

Principle of collective bargainine
has been accepted by Mainland
Millworkers’ Association, comprising
Sash and door and detail shop oper-
ators, which has agreed to discuss
wages and working conditions of the
trade with a committee representing

Local 2775, Lumber and Sawmill
Workers’ Union.

Hon. G. S. Pearson, minister of
labor, and Adam Bell, his deputy,

have been asked by the above con-
ference to set a date to discuss wage
adjustments, four from the employ-
and a like number from the
union, with the two ministers pres-
ent. The conference is expected to
take place next week.

Estimated that 400 employees are
in the sash and door and detail
shops in Vancouver alone, the union
is after a 100 per cent sign-up.

ers

Miners Strike
Over Coronation

LONDON, Ene, May 3.—To
members of the national fovern-
ment the Coronation was a matter

for rejoicing. To 600 Durham miners
it Was a day’s pay lopped off their
meagre wages when pits were closed
in honor of the event. Deciding that

the mine owners had more cause
for rejoicing than they had. the fol-
lowing day they went on strike to
force operators to make f£o0o0d the

day’s pay.

a deliberate attempt to split the
progressive vote here, last minute
“Labor” candidate to be nominated
Wednesday was Edward C. Mills,
deseribed by the senile British Co-
lumbian as an “independent,”” by
citizens more in touch with Royal

City affairs as “a local town
worthy.”
Mills’ entry into the field is re-

Sarded by most as an indication of
fear by anti-prozressive forces that
Public opinion might lead Blake,
CCE candidate, to stand aside in
favor of popular Rev. Edwin Baker,
Communist candidate who in 1935
on a CCF ticket won a majority
in New Westminster itself.

it was in reference to this that
Baker stated at an Edison theatre
meeting last Sunday:

“I have been endorsed by the peo-
ple of New Westminster once as a
progressive. IT am no less progres-
Sive than I was then.”

Public support for Baker is gzrow-
ing steadily. Realization by progres-
Sives that entry of the CCF can-
didate into the field can only split
the vote was reflected in last Sun-
day's meetings. Hundreds jammed
the Edison theatre to hear Tim
Buck and Baker. Only 30 attended
a meeting addressed by Mrs. Grace
MeInnes and Blake.

Among local unions which have
received Baker’s candidacy favor-
ably are the BC f#lectric, local
division, Waterfront Workers and
Shingle Weavers’ union, local 2772,
whose business agent, L. D.
Whalen, states in a letter to R. Ww.
Campbell. campaign manager:

“T have been instructed to notify
you that local 2772 has endorsed
Rev. E. Gaker on the basis that he
is the most popular Labor candi-
date and has a good chance of being
elected.

“We know that Mr. Baker will
fight for elementary rights of Labor
and we whole-heartedly endorse
him as a candidate for the workers
and will use all our influence to
help send him to Victoria.”

Meetings arranged for the comings
week are: Sunday, May 16, 8 pm,
Edison theatre. Speakers: Tim Buck.
Rev. Edwin Baker. Tuesday, May
18, 6:30 pm, Lesion hall, election
banquet and dance.

Stephen Will
Contest Nanaimo

NANAIMO, BC, May 13.—Despite
the recent ruline of the CCF pro-
vincial executive suspending him for
one year for his persistent advocacy
of unity, A .M. Stephen, writer and
will contest Alberni-Nanaimo
as a CCE candi-
date with the
unanimous back-
ing of CCE clubs
in the riding, al-

poet,

though lackine
official! blessings
of the CCI ex-
ecutive,
With Geo. Le-
strange, promi-
nent Nanaime
CCF member, as
campaisn man
A. M. STEPHEN ager and Bok

Temple as per
sonal agent, the popular provincial
president of the Canadian League
Against War and Wascism, has
launched a campaign already
fraught with considerable success.

Wednesday night a mass meeting
of working class and other progres-
Sive organizations was held under
Geo. ILestrange’s chairmanship to
endorse Stephen’s candidacy.

CCF Industrial and Employment
conference, on which many organ-
izations are represented, has already
given its endorsement of Stephen.

Meetings for the coming week
have been arranged as follows:

Friday, May 15, § pm, Richard
hall, South Wellington. Speakers:
A. M. Stephen, Sam Guthrie, CCE

candidate, Cowichan-Newcastle.
Saturday, May 16, 8 pm, Coombs.

Speaker: Tom Alsbury; Saturday,
May 16, 8 pm, FBagie’s hall, Port
Alberni, speaker, A. M. Stephen:
Sunday, May 17, 3 pm, Lantzville,
speaker, A. M. Stephen; Sunday,
May 17, § pm, Oddfellows hall, Na-
naimo, speaker, James Cox; Sunday,
May 17, 7:30 -—pm, Finnish hall.
Chase River, speaker, A. M. Ste-

phen; Tuesday, May 19, 8 pm, Odd-
fellows hall, Nanaimo, speaker, Tim
Buck.

(Continued on page 2)

Forestry Boys

Robbed Of
Vote.

That release from Oakalla jail
last week of 50 forestry camp boys,
due mainly to the efforts of the
CLDL counsel, Garfield King, and
return of approximately 2,000 men
to re-opened camps, is viewed as a
smart piece of electioneering on the
part of the Pattullo government by
many citizens, including the camp
boys themselves, is the opinion of
Secretary Cumber of the Relief
Project Workers’ union.

“Hundreds of men have been de-
prived of the franchise by the invok-
ing of Sec. 74 of Elections Act and
it is keenly resented by those forced
to live in these out-of-the-way
Places. Some 250 men have been
robbed of their vote in the Harrison
Mills district alone,” said Cumber.

Contrary to the rosy picture
painted in«the Sunday supplements,
the union official declared that while
the men demanded work and wages.
the present system of withholding
a portion of their monthly pay, to
be doled out later at the rate of $4

=

per week, must be radically
changed.
The union demands that the

camps be kept open after the elec-
tions, with an established minimum
Wage, in keeping with provincial
law now violated; abolition of the
deferred payment system and recog-
nition of the union in the camps.

Project Camp
Raps Notices

HALF MOON BAY, BC, May 13.—
Resentment has been aroused here
by Signed notices posted in the pro-

ject camp by the foreman which
deny rights to,the men.
“Meetings in bunkhouses, which

are the property of the provincial
sovernment, will not be tolerated,”
is the most obnoxious to the men
who see in this a threat to the right
to organize the Relief Project Work-
ers’ Union, for which a strong senti-
ment exists In this camp.

Another notice reads, “Individual
complaints will be heard and dealt
with, but committees will not he
rercofnized.”’

Disregard for medical certificates
possessed by unfit men here, is seen
in the placement of fit men in light
jobs to the detriment of those sick.

Revised Wage
Scales Sought

SYDNEY, Australia,
Rising living costs and
low wages, cut during depression
years and not since increased, are
reasons underlying demands of some
three-quarters of a million trade
unionists for an upward revision of
basic federal Wage scales. Efforts

May 13.—
prevailins

are being made to have the whole
guestion discussed through an
bitration court.

ar-

Sabotage In
Barcelona Is
Unsuccessful

Catalan Capital Calm
After Anarchist
Uprising

TOLEDO NEAR FALL

BARCELONA, Spain, May 13.—
With a strong People’s Front gov-
ernment in complete control of the
political scene in autonomous Gata-
lonia, the prospects for an early
large-scale offensive against the
fascists in the Huesca and Zara=
02a sectors improved steadily.

The counter-revolutionary putsch
of fascists, Trotzkyites and irre.
sponsible elements amone the anar-
chists, which threatenea to pave
the way for a renewed fascist at.
tack on Catalonia by ereating dis-
sension in the rear, was in the very
last stages of liquidation.

Responsible anarchist and anar-
cho-syndicalist leaders, backed by
the enormous majority of the Cata_
lonian people, including the anar-
chist sympathizers, acted to repress
further counter - revolutionary
activity with the most stringent
measures.

Valreio Mas, anarcho-syndicalist
Minister of Justice and Health in
the new Gatalonian government,
warned revolters to lay down their
arms at once or face the worst.

A sign of the strength of the new.
government was the decree by the
new provisional government, head-
ed by President Luis Companys,
cancelling orders to 12,000 Gatalon-
ian troops on the Teruel front to
return to the capital.

Political observers here believe
that the ultimate effect of the up-
rising, which was instigated at the
behest of the Trotzkyite POUM,
which has been waging a constant
slander campaign against the Peo-
ple’s Front, calling for ‘‘revolution
in the rear,"’ will be to bring Cata-
lonia into action as a Major and
perhaps decisive factor in winning
the war against the invading
armies of fascism.

Fascists Will

Send Reinforcements.

ROME, Italy, May 13.—Germany
and Italy will pour new shipments
of troops to Spain for another of-
fensive against Madrid to begin
In the first week of June, it was
reported here on reliable authority.

The decision was made here dur
ing the talks between Konstantin
von Weurath, German Foreign
Minister, and Premier Benito Mus-
solini.

MADRID, Spain,
dreds of heroic

May 13.—rFnin-
antilascists gaye
their lives Thursday when they
drove rebel troops from front-line
trenches outside Toledo in what is
described as one of the bloodiest
battles of the war.

Fall of the ancient city, captured
in the Fascist drive on Madrid last
fall, appeared imminent as Toyal-
ists drove the Fascists back into the
centre of the city.

Police

aa
* =

iis

Attacked Strikers

= *e

When N ews-Reel Man Ready

TAG 2 BS ea aS
SALINAS, Cal. Ma; 13—(FP)— the Salinas strike, was witnessed

“Should I let em have it now?”

“Wait a while,” the newsreel
cameraman replied. Then, a mo-
ment later:

“Let ’em have it!”

The police officer gave the signal
and the teargas barrage against
striking lettuce pickers and pack-
ers began.

This exhibition of police brutality,
put on for the benefit of a film

by Alfred Aram, attorney for the
California State Federation of La-

bor, who testified that the labor
board inquiry into the Jettuce
strike.

Aram told of hearings a special
officer state: “I get my orders from
higher up,” when the night chief of
police protested against tossing
teargas bombs into the Tabor

company September 16, 1936, during Temple.

he fi aot ig