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EXPOSED
Page Four

The Peoples Advocate

Formerly B.C. Workers’ News

SPAIN CALLS
TO B.C.

By TOM EWEN
Page Six

FULL No. 123

Published Weekly

VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, MAY 21, 1937

SS

Single Copies: 5 Cents

VOL. III. No. 19°

TORIES THREA

Market Bd.
Isa Racket
Says Writer

Public Bats Cheaper Rice
As Valley Farmers’
Potatoes Rot

RESENTMENT GROWS

By E. GC. TIBBITS.

Consumers who this year have
had to pay $2 or more a sack for
potatoes while thousands of tons
2re gcing to waste on Lulu Island
and other Walley districts, are
continuing to asl, in great mysti-
fication, what it is all about?

There are many, it is stated, who
have not been able to buy potatoes
at ali during this past year be-
cause of high prices, and thou-
Sands of others declare they have
had to cut their allowance of
humble “murphies” in half. Rice
has been cheaper, and so foreign
Srowmn products have perforce been
used by hundreds of housewifes in
Substitution for a locally grown
product.

Wow, after enduring the dictator-
ship ef an autocratic Potato Board
for two years, they are asking: “Is
it really true that there are many
potatoes going to waste in the
country while we are denied access
to them?”

Any city dweller who will take
a drive out to Lulu Island, or
Cloverdale, or Langley Prairie, or
any other agricultural district, will
hear the same story from all sides.

Qn Wo. i Road on Lulu Island,
half a mile from the writer, one
grower—a relative of the chairman
of the Potato Board—admits to
haying 25 tons of the best Netted
Gems left on his hands. He has not
been able to get a shipping tag
Since Christmas, and his loyalty
to the Board and his relative is
lagging. This instance shows that
mot even “pull,’”’ if it ever operated,
has been capable this winter of
breaking the deadlock that has re-

_sulted ever since the first of the
“year in the marxeting of spuds.

Huge Tonnage

Remains Unused

Half a mile from this grower is
another who confesses to 70 tons
unsold. This despite the fact that
he has been more successful than
others Gt is stated) in bootlegging
his potatoes past the policeman at
the bridge to his own outlets.

Another large grower (about 2
mile to the south) has a barn
Stacked to the roof with the finest
murphies, A hundred tons, he says,
will never be sold at all. This
grower has been severely penalized
throughout the whole season. Al-
ways having had a good market in
Seattle for his “earlies,’ this year
he was compelled to sell through
the Board.

His potatoes went to their usual
market in Seattle, but he got just
$40 a ton less than he would have
received had he been allowed to
Ship direct instead of through the
Board. His shipping statements
Zive conclusive proof of this.

A stack of his statements, ac-
cumulated for the past year, show
that there had been a consistent
spread of from 100 to 300 per cent.
all season between what he received
and what the consumer paid in
Vancouver.

His statements were compared
With chain store prices as published
in the Vancouver daily papers, and
they ran something like this: when
city prices were $5 per sack (for
earlies) he received $1.87; city
prices, $2 per sack, grower’s price,
57c; city price $2.30 per sack, pro-
Gucers’ price 67¢ per sack.

(Continued on page 2)

Man Driven

To Suicide

CAMP LISTER, BC, May 20.—
Tragedy struck this settlement last
week when Alex Krisby, local resi-
dent, was driven to suicide after re-
ceiving notice from the Land Set-
tlement Board to vacate his home.

Krisby, who leaves a wife and
three children, has struggled for
years under a load of debt and mort-
fages and this last blow from the
government was too much.

Barely 24 hours after Krisby’s
tragic death his family was in-
formed that the eviction order had
been rescinded by the government
through the united resistance of
Camp Lister settlers.

The 60-day notice to vacate their
homes received by many settlers
here, story of which was printed in
the Advocate some weeks ago, ce-
mented them into the newly formed
Farmers’ and Workers’ Protective
Association, which, by its militancy,
succeeded in quashing the wholesale
eviction order, after holding a mass
meeting attended by Wells Gray,
minister of lands, and F. Putnam,
MLA, when the action committee of
the local organization won this con-
cession.

ABOVE—Demonstrators, including persons of Basque descent in native
costume, picketing the German consulate in New York. BELOW——Am-
erican League Again War and Fascism pickets outside the German
embassy in Washington demand withdrawal of Nazis from Spain.

White Lunch
On Unfair
List

“All White Lunch cafeterias have
again been placed on the unfair list
by local 28, Hotel and Restaurant
Employees’ union, and the Trades
and Labor Gouncil, and we appeal
te the public to support the union
now fighting for genuine recogni-
tion and union scale of wages,”
stated Bill Stewart, local business
agent for the union, to an Advocate
reporter this week.

Patrons of the White Lunch are
under the impression that all is
well, now that the girl employee
discriminated against is back on
the job, said Stewart.

“Our local at that time consid-
ered reinstatement of this member
the most important issue,” he con-
tinued, “but the fact remains there
is a company union, officered by
branch managers ,existing in these
eafeterias and the owners refuse
to pay the scale laid down by the
legitimate union.”

Wages paid by this company
average $10 a week, whereas the
union scale calls for $12 and $14,
according to the various depart-
ments.

Go-operation of the public is
especially needed at this time, said
Stewart, because of the menace of
company unionism and to really
unionize the White Lunch em-
ployees will mean a quick sign-up
of every restaurant in Vancouver
which now await the outcome of
the present struggle.

ILA To Open
Organization

Drive In BC

District Convention Has
Endorsed Policy

Committee

SEATTLE, Wash., May 20.—
Decision to launch an organiza-
tion drive in British Columbia was
reached Wednesday by the Pacific
Coast District convention of the
International Longshoremen’s As-
sociation, now in Session here.

Important decisions made by the

eonvention include:
Sending of an ILA organizer to
BC.

Re-endorsation of the Joint Policy
Committee, BC Maritime Workers,
composed of longshoremen’s, sea-
men’s and fishermen’s organiza-
tions, Which has been functioning
for the past three months. All locals
were urged to co-operate.

Setting up of an ILA and district
council at the discretion of the dis-
trict executive board.

Taking of recommendations to the
Maritime Iederation convention to
decide on further assistance in or-
ganizing BC.

Status Clear.

These decisions clear up the ques-
tion of the status of the Joint Policy
Committee and definitely identify
the district ILA with the commit-
tee’s efforts to co-ordinate activities
of all organizations interested in

(Continued on page 2)

Threatened invasion of inter-
national waters by Japanese can-
ning interests with floating can-
meries, jeopardizing the livelihood
of BCG and US fishermen, has
alarmed the industry on both sides
of the line. Last week representa-
tives met in conterence with G. F.
Alexander, assistant commissioner
of fisheries, at Victoria, to devise
means to prevent such an invasion,
Reports that the three Japanese
floating canneries now operating in
Bering Sea will be augmented by
two more, equipped for fishing and
canning salmon, has brought the
matter to a head, as it is suspencted

they will be stationed outside Bris-

Japan Threatens Invasion
Of Canadian, US Fisheries

tol Bay, effectively blocking the
salmon run into these grounds, most
important on the American coast.

Whilst no definite decisions were
reached at the Victoria conference,
representations will be made to Ot-
tawa by both Canadian and Amer
ican fishermen.

The immediate threat against BC
fishermen is that the Japanese
ecanners by their stated viewpoint,
intend to operate within three miles
of the BC coast, blocking the usual
salmon run through Hecate Strait
and Dixon Entrance, besides ruin-
ing results of years of careful con-
servation.

Pearson On
Spot, State
Fishermen

Refuses Investigation In
Order to Assist Big
Canners

UNIONS IGNORED

Calculated to give every ad-
vantage to the big cannery op-
erators in their refusal to discuss
fish prices for the season open-
ing June 1, and practically forcing
BG fishermen to take strike
action to set a fair price for their
labor, Minister of Labor G .S.
Pearson this week in a telegram
to the Fishermen’s Joint Commit-
tee, refused its request for a
prebe of the present deadlock.

Despite the fact that the Fisher-
men’s Joint Committee represents
more than 2000 organized fishermen
and is by far the largest negotiating
body, comprising five organizations,
the big cannery operators, a sec-
tion of the Canadian Manufactur-
ers’ Association, persist in dickering
with Indian and Japanese fisher-
men, hoping thereby to cause divi-
Sion in the looming strike. Pearson,
who has been made fully aware of
the situation by the Pishermen’s
Joint Committee, is undoubtedly
playing for time and into the hands
of the big operators.

Responsibility
Is Pearson’s

Willingness of five smaller can-
nery Operators to negotiate with the
Joint Committee places responsi-
bility squarely at Pearson’s door.

Pearson’s hypocrisy on the ques-
tion of intervention by his depart-
ment in the event of a strike or
deadlock, is shown by the following
telesram to the fishermen’s strike
committee at Dawsons Landing
last year.

“Replyine your telegram eigh-
teerth I consider it unfortunate
fishermen have refused arbitration
stop. If fishermen think their case
will not stand arbitration how can
I believe fishermen’s stand justi-
fied stop Serious responsibility upon
your Shoulders as these fishermen
may be without means of support

balance of year stop If arbitration-

under Fisheries Act not accepted I
cannot support strike and must
make it possible for men. to fish
who desire to fish stop Awaiting
your early advice whether fisher-
men are prepared to return to fish-
ing at once subject to arbitration
or strike called off.”

It is clear from the above tele-
gram that Pearson will only use
arbitration or make an investiga-
tion when it suits himself and the
operators. In last year’s strike he
wanted the men to go back to
fishing at the disputed price before
he would interfere and in this case
the season was nearly over.

Camp Strike
Wins Demand

HAL? MOON BAY, BC, May 20.—
Strike action of 94 men out of the
100 in this relief project camp pre-
vented the eviction, for union ac-
tivity, of eight men, after two pro-
vincial policemen had been called in.

Trouble started when Camp Tore-
man Cairns refused to deal with the
union’s grievance committee, main-
taining that he would deal only with
individual cases, but later promised
that he would not fire anyone for
presenting complaints.

Qn Friday matters came to a head
when €ight men, including the union
chairman, secretary and three of the
grievance committee were dis-
charged.

The discharged men asked the
foreman to phone Victoria for a
board of arbitration, which he re-
fused to do. However, a notice
pasted on the board states that
Camp 901-2 will remain open til]
June 30 and that all reinstated men
and others will be kept on until fur-
ther notice.

One of the near-discharged men,
A. Davis, possesses a Navy Cross
and the Croix de Guerre.

Retail Clerks
Union Formed

Announced this week is forma-
tion of a Retail Clerks’ Union in
Vancouver, to be known as Local
279.

Bligible for membership are all
employees engaged in purchase,
sale, handling, delivery, billing and
exhibiting of merchandise. Dues and
entrance fees are low and there is
beneficial and non-beneficial mem-
bership.

Information can be obtained from
the union secretary, PO box 703,
Vancouver, BC.

week,

Roundly condemned for its piling up of the public debt,
for its handling of the Hedley affair, for its blatant pat-
ronage and for its capitulation to reactionary pressure in
many instances, the Liberals found their excuses somewhat
lame, sought around for a diversion.

They found it last week in an idea promulgated recently
by Fascist-inclined young Clive Planta, whose independence
in Peace River is more a matter of name than anything else.

Not long ago when market board questions were receiv-
ing considerable publicity, young Planta made a fiery de-

nunciation of Chinese growers which, while it served to

Warning that the Committee
for Industrial Organization was
endeavoring to get a foothold in
Burnaby, with Consequent jeop-
ardy to the industries of the
municipality, was given by Hovw-
ard Clegg, Conservative candi-
date. He was informed on
reliable authority that the GIO
which had set Detroit by its ears,
and had put 3700 workers at
Oshawa temporarily out of their
jobs, was now trying to zet or-
ganized in Burnaby plants.

Answering the question, Why
had they picked on Burnaby?
Mr. Clegg said it must be because
of the encouragement they had
got from the radicals there .. .

The time had come when these
radicals must go. Burnaby had
teo much at stake. ...

Electors should see to it that
no party with any sympathetic
leaning towards radicalism is re-
turned to power in BG. —From
News-Herald report.

may come to power in BC by
ment reacting,
benefit of the

Son revealed his hand.

induce their

organize the workers.
iron hand will swiftly

individual .. .”

province at the expense of
those who do the work. And
the CIO would be the snake in
this Hden.

Must Defeat
Reaction.—Maxwell.

Another and more polished
exponent of this newly-
acquired Conservative ‘‘de-
mocracy’ is Ald. Halford
Wilson, Conservative candi-
date in Vancouver-Burrard,
who has rosy visions of capi-
tal and labor going hand-in-
hand — presumably in the
direction desired by capital.
Once considered close to the
CCF, he has adopted an oppor-
tunistic line, is now endors-
ing the drive to prevent the
working class from attaining
a higher standard of living
through union organization,
is using radical terminology

Capt. Austin Trotter-

all progressive individuals.

arouse a good deal of prej-
udice, solved no problem,
served only to reveal young
Planta as a political opportun-
ist willing to use racial prej-
udice as a means to an end.

Now Gordon Wismer has
taken the cue from Planta.
For Vancouver yoters last
week he drew a mental picture
of BC with a Chinese pre-
mier. A colorful picture, its
lack of perspective was so
obvious as to make both
it and its political artist look
ludicrous,

Conservatives
Reveal Hand.

Meanwhile, with both the
CCF and the Conservatives
concentrating all their verbal
fire on the Liberals, there is
danger that the greater Con-

servative threat to progress will be ignored, that reaction
defeat of the Pattullo gsovern-
not to the benefit of the CCF, but to the
Conservative party.
In Mackenzie last week Conservative Leader Dr. Patter-
2 It seems that his recent appeal
for unity with the left-wing groups
isn’t seeking coalition with these
them to help him defeat the Libera] government and then
¢ adherents to vote Conservative “to see the
affairs of government placed on a sound basis” so that Brit-
ish Columbia can become a paradise for exploiters driven
westward by union organization in the Fast.

No thinking person today has any
interests intend to use the Tories, if elected, to make this
an oOpen-shop province and to

was misunderstood. He
groups. He just wants

doubt that the big

stamp out all attempts to

No thinking person doubts that the
discard its velvet glove of so-called
democracy when there is no longer any need for it.

Despite Dr. Patterson’s assertion “that the Conservative
platform is wide enough to embrace the Support of ever

What the president of the

af
it is not wide enough to embrace the CIO
which, in a short time, has done more to secur
wages and better conditions for the workers than all the
plaforms of capitalist parties in the last 50 years.

For proof progressives have the statement of Howard
Clegg, Conservative candidate in Burnaby, who last week
registered alarm because, he said, radicals ar
the CIO to come to Burnaby.
Conservative Action wants, apparently, is development of
Burnaby’s cheap waterfrontage, cheap land and, although
he didn’t mention it, cheap labor.
to make Burnaby part of the Conservative paradise where
the big interests can cash in on natural resources of the

e higher

e encouraging

In other words, he wants

“The real aim of the CIO is the
establishment of a progressively
higher standard of living. By its
recent inspiring victories it has
already won higher wages and
better conditions for thousands of
worlzers and it will continue to
fight to organize workers in in-
dustry and aid them in obtain-
ing this standard.

“Employers who resist the legi-
timate aspiration of their em-
ployees on the other hand, who
answer labor organization with
violence and who force sweat-
conditions

shop on their em-
ployees are the people who are
making dictatorship possible . . .”

—Sidney Hillman, chairman, Tex-
tile Workers’ Organizing Commit-
tee.

“The CIO has caught the im-
agination of the workman
and offers him hope for the fu-
ture... .The CiO has organized
a million and a quarter hitherto
unorganized workers.”’—John IL.
Lewis, CIO leader.

only as a means of advancing Tory—and his own—interests.

Against Wilson and White in Burrard the CCF has placed
two strong progressive candidates in Don Maxwell and
Maxwell, long considered one of the
CCF’s most capable younger leaders, has no illusions as to
reactionary aims of the Tories, is appealing for support of

“Tf the people of this province have any regard for their
present rights, of which the Conservatives would so readily
deprive them, then they must see that a strong bloc of CCF
candidates speaks for them in the next legislature. The need
for electoral unity to prevent a split vote was never more

urgent than at this time when the reactionaries are making
(Continued on page 2)

TEN LABOR’S UNION RIGHTS

Speeches Reveal
Reactionary Aims

By HAROLD GRIFFIN.

Attacked by the Conservatives for its extravagance, by
the CCF for its failure to meet the needs of working and
middle classes generally, by Social Credit for its financial
Juggling, and by the BC Constructives (when they could
make themselves heard) because it’s a popular pastime just
now, the Pattullo government found the going difficult last

r @
Communist

Party Flays
Trotskyists

Glenday, Smith, Roberts
Are Enemies of the

Working Class
STATEMENT MADE

The Corniunist party will work
for the election of CCE candi-
dates, despite official GCF op-
position to Communist support..
But the Communist party will
not support Matthew Glenday and!
Erank Roberts, nominated on 2
CCE ticket in Vancouver Centre, .
or Don Smith, CCF candidate in
Esquimalt. :

In line with its refusal to support
election of Trotsyist elenients,
Made public some weeks ago the
Communist party states that the
candidates named, as enemies of
the working class, are unworthy of
support.

In Vancouver Centre and Esqui-
malt, therefore, Communist support
will be given to social Credit candi- -
dates, not because the Gommunist —
party accepts the Social Credit pre—
gram, but because they come with—
in the category of progressive peo—
ple pledged to fight reaction.

This is the gist of a statement
released to the press this week by
the provincial executive of the-
Communist party of British Gol--
umbia, setting forth the party’s-
position in the provincial election -
towards the CCE and Trotskyists -
masquerading under the CCF ban--
ner.

Full Text
Of Statement

Full text of the statement is as
follows: <s

The Communist party ,committed
to the task of electing a progres—
Sive government, will work for the
election of CCF candidates. It will
work openly and independently for
the election of these candidates, im
Spite of official GCE opposition to
eur support. As Tim Buck has said:
“We will work to elect them in
spite. of themselves.”’

In carrying on this work, how-
ever, the CP of BC must ma*e it
erystal clear that it does not sup—
port the Trotskyist elements who
defile the working class movement
and the name of the CCF by their
anti-working class activities, their
machined nominations and wun-
printable attacks upon all efforts
to attain unity.

In Vancouver Centre ,;where Mat-
thew Glenday and Frank Roberts
are” candidates, and Esquimalt,
where Don Smith is the candidate,
the Communist party must make
exceptions.

We state outright that they are
enemies of the working class and
unworthy of support.

In these constituencies Commun-
ist votes and influence will be given:
to Social Credit candidates—not be-
cause the Communist party accepts
their program, but because they
come within the category of pre-
gressive people pledged to fight re-
action.

Quebec Labor
To Fight Act

MONTREAL, Que., May. 20.—Pre—
mier Maurice Duplessis’ government
last week launched a new attack om
the Quebec labor movement wher
legislation entitled “a law respect—
ing workers’ wages’ was passed by
the proyincial legislature.

Nature of the bill can be seem
when it is known that Rene Chak
oult lauded the new act, saying: “It
leads us directly to corporatism of
which his eminence Cardinal Vil-
leneuve recently preached as a ne—
cessity.””

The hill gives the government
power to decide wages, hours an@
working conditions in any indus—
try, Since any dispute of labor be—
tween employers and employes
is to be taken to the minister of
labor if a joint committee of the-
parties cannot come to any agree--
ment. Verdict of the minister is~
final.

In addition, violation of the de-
cision by either side is punishable
by fine or imprisonment. This will
haye the effect of outlawing alt
Strikes once the minister of labor.
decrees wages and hours.

The entire Quebec trade union
movement is expected to combat
the new legislation.

Fascist Leader
Under Arrest

PARIS, France, May 20.—Reports
have reached Paris from usually re—
liable sources that Manuel Hedilla,
leader of the Spanish Phalangists
(Fascists) was arrested some days
ago and transported to Africa for
alleged insubordination to General
Franeo. At the time of his arrest
fighting occurred between Phalan—
gists and other Franco troops.