Page Six

ADYV.0 CALE

Qetober 1, 193T

The Peoples Advocate
Published Weekly by the
PROLETARIAN PUBLISHING ASSN.

Boom i0, 163 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C.
Telephone: Trinity 2019

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EDITORIAL FEATURES

eressive thought herself for so long that her
first impulse when she sees the people ot Al-
berta thinking m a progre
police in for fear the bankers will get hurt.

ye way is to call the

Vancouver, B.C., Friday, October 1, 1937

_ Aunt Matilda Sees Red

OOBR old Aunt Matilda who lives across the

sway from us at the Daily Province and

who usually looks at the world through rose-
tinted glasses, has been seeing red this week.
Tt all came about through this awful fellow
Aberhart. Aunt Matilda is quite convinced
fhat he is a Communist disguised as a Social
Crediter because he doesn’t like her good
friends, the bankers. And as for Major Doug-
las, he is a foreign agitator just like those
awful CIO organizers who haunt the troubled
slumbers of her editorial sanctum because, who
knows, some day they may organize her stati!

One of the troubles is, of course, that Aunt
Matilda has two prosperous sister newspapers
in Alberta, one in Edmonton and the other 1n
Galgary. Both have Joud voices like herself
and a penchant for hypocritical gossip. And
now, the indignity of it, they must be licensed-
in order to prevent them from printing untrue
statements. :

That this is dangerous we won't deny, for
under certain conditions it would be used
against the progressive press far more viciously
than against the capitalist organs by those who
represent Aunt Matilda’s own good friends,
the bankers. There are sufficient laws govern-
ing libel and slander now to make this proposal
a dangerous incursion upon democratic prime
ples menaced enough by the reactionary Peo-
ple’s League.

But we suspect that what is troubling Aunt
Matilda even more is this jicensinge: ot her
cronies, the bankers. Whenever she thinks of
their having to part with two million dollars a
year so that the welfare of the people from
whom they squeeze 1t may better be provided
for, Aunt Matilda works herself ito a rare
old dither and fairly foams at the mouth. This
is taxation of the rich in practice—and Aunt
Matilda Southam is very wealthy herself.

Tt has been altogether too much for Aunt
Matilda. So she wrote alone editorial about
it in which she declares that while “Major
Douglas’ emissaries are undermining constitu-
tional authority in Canada as effectively as any
imported Communist could do it,” she thinks
‘measures. that haye been submitted to the
Alberta leeislatuxe are indeed Fascism
puder another name.”

Have delivered herself of this unique con-
tradiction, she adds her customary slander
about the Communists and wails “that civil
disorder may follow,’ although she doesn’t
state that this would necessarily be provoked
by some of her good friends because such a~
thought would never, never cross her clean,
independent mind.

Poor old Aunt Matilda! Tf it weren't for
her hypocrisy we could almost feel sorry for
her. After all, she’s only trying to fool the
people for her own good. She hasn’t had a pro-

Assisting Franco
SPECIAL value of Trotskyism to capital-
ist reaction is its ability to clothe counter-

revolutionary propaganda in high-sounding,
ultra-revolutionary phrases, thus sowing con-
fusion in the minds of well-meaning workers.
One ot its services to reaction 1s its support
of Franco. Posing as super-Marxists, the Trot
skyists adyise the workers of Spaim to abstam
from fighting Franco because it is a ““eapital-
ist? war, and tell them to wait for the war to

“replace capitalism by socialism.

The workers of the world are given the same
advice. The war in Spain is likened to the im-
perialist war of 1914-18. The antifascist
slogans, “They Shall Not Pass” and ‘‘Defend
Democracy Against Fascism” are bracketed
with the lying Wilson-Lloyd George slogan,
‘Nake the World Safe for Democracy.” —

Confused reformists who now depend upon
Trotskyism for a theoretical basis for their at-
tacks upon Communist parties and the people's
front were the first to rally to the banner ot
imperialism in their respective countries 10
1914: today when it again suits their capitalist
governments openly or secretly to support and
encourage the march of jnternational fascism,
they again come to their support with a policy
of a pacifist lying down betore the muzderous
assaults of fascism, while from under the bed
they bleat about what they are going to do—
some day—against capitalism.

‘As usual the pacifist opponents of all war ot
resistance to fascist ageression invoke the
teachings of Karl-Marx which they mutilate,
distort and misinterpret. But Jxarl Marx did
not regard bourgeois democracy as a “hollow
sham” as compared to feudalism, nor did he

reeard all wars as unworthy of support by

revolutionaries. ? :

His vigorous support of the Northern states
against the slave-holding aristocracy of the
South following the attack upon Fort Sumpter
is well known, as is also his support of the war
of the Polish people for independence against
Tvarist Russia, bis support of all bourgeois-
democratic wars against feudalism as well as
of wars of colonial peoples against the yoke of
imperialism. The people of Spain are fiehtine
a progressive wat which the teachings of Marx,
Engels and Lenin fully justify. All the re-
formist-Lratskyist distortion of Marx in an
effort to induce the workers and all defenders
of democracy against fascism to cease the fieht,
brings aid to Franco and the Nazi-Fascist
states whose tool he is, and must be condemned
by every opponent of fascism.

Ejecting Trotskyist Poison
OLLOWING the beneficial effects of the

expulsion of scores of Trotslyists from

ihe Socialist Party in the State of New York,

other state organizations of the S.P. began a
similar purge- :

Tn Toledo, Ohio, such well known Trotsky-

ists as Arthur Preis, Sam Pollock, Ted Selan-
der and others were thrown out. The national
executive committee withdrew the charter of
the California state organization which had
come under the control of the notorious Trot
skyist leader, James P. Cannon and his group.
The national committee has beeun the re
organization of the party in California—with
the Trotskyists on the outside.

Closely following: the California action a
oang of five Trotskyists headed by Albert Gold-
man was expelled in Chicago. This is the Gold-
man. who was editor of the Socialist Appeal
from whose pages the Federationist reprinted
articles against the united front.

The Socialist Party of the U.S.A. has been
brought to a parlous state by the presence of
Trotskyists in its ranks and in leading posi-
tions. The CCF in Canada, and especially in
B.C., has suffered trom the same counter-
revolutionary #ermis.

The S.P. has come sharply to realize the
danger and in several states performing major
surgical operations to remove the malionant
erowth which has grown and spread to such a
degree as to endanger the very existence of
the party. —

When will the CCF awaken to the similar
danger to its existence and the well-being of
the workers and oust the B.C. Goldmans and
Cannons from its ranks 4

M axton’s Dilemma

N ITS issue of Sept. 23 the Mederationist
# prints a defence of James Maxton, includ-
ing quotations from a report by Jimmy him-
self, of his support of the Trotskyist POUM
leaders who staged the counter-reyolutionary
revolt against the loyalist government in Baree
lona last May.

Maxton is pictured as incorruptible, fearless
and sincere. [He may be all of that, but at the
same time he is muddled, sentimental and con-
fused, and as such has on many occasions done
damage to the cause of the workers.

\When the POU M traitors who organized the
Bracelona counter-reyolutionary revolt were
imprisoned, Maxton was one of the British
labor leaders who had the effroutery to protest
to the loyalist government and demand theiz
release.

In the report from which the Mederationist
quotes, Maxton still refers to the imprisoned
Trotskyists as “our POUM comrades,” “our
Comrade Nin,” ete. His ereatest worry seems
to be over the likelihood of the traitors (‘our
comrades”) being shot which, he says, would
be a very bad day for the government.

By his intervention in behalt of Nin, Gorkin
and Co. Maxton earned and received the con-
demnation of the Spanish people. He seeks
fo show that he still has their respect by quot-
ine from a letter of endorsement of him by
officials of the C.N.T., the largest trade union
organization in Spain.

But the G.N.T. is the Syndicalist Trade
Union under Anarchist leadership. The rank
aud file of the C.N.T. supports the government
and are so bitterly resentful of Masxston’s so-

licitation for the jailed traitors that a letter
sioned by a tew officials does not absolve or
justity him.

There are signs in Maxton’s report, however,
which indicate that he now realizes that he
made a tragic blunder in his attitude and ac
tions toward the revolt, and perhaps now re-
erets that the name of the T.L.P.. of which he
is a leader, was indelibly stained by the action
of an T.L.P. contingent, corrupted by Trotsky-
ists, in deserting the loyalist front and joinins
the Franco-Trotskyist Barcelona putsch.

Work Or Relief

FEW days ago fifty-three ex-servicemen
were released ffom Oakalla prison aiter
serving sentences for trying to live.

In a tew days seventy-seven unemployed
single men will be released. They were all
jailed because they solicited funds on the
streets, having been denied work or reliet.

: These workers come out again to face starva-
tion or another period of umprisonment, for
neither work nor relief is provided for them.
The mayor and city council in thei cynical im-
difference refuse to do a thing for them except
use the police, courts and jails, all of which
eost the taxpayers moré than their relief.

Mass pressure must be brought to bear on the
authorities to grant immediately temporary
relief and institute a program of public works
to employ these men at the prevailing wage-

The citizens of Vancouver can no longer tol-
erate the inhuman attitude of the city couneil.
These men must be provided relief or work.
Tf not, they ean not be blamed for continuins
the struggle for existence by other methods
and means.

“Japanese troops massed thousands of Chi-
nese troops in front of the former Imperial
Palace at Peiping and commanded them at the
point of guns to applaud the announcement ‘Of
the fall of Paoting. —News Itenv.

Such popularity must be deserved !

Ignoring the long list of schools and universt-
fies destroyed by bombardment, the Japanese
command announced tt is attacking only mali-
tary objectives.”

But after all, we suppose the whole of China
is a military objective.

Il Duce recently figured in romantic me-
moirs that caused even a Parisian court to
blush.

The modern Nero doesnt waste his time
fiddling while Rome burns.

“Prom a Spanish film Ontario censors de-
leted all references to Hitler and Mussolint.
This is something like censoring a film about
hell by striking out all mention of the devil.”
__T. W. Jones, Toronto Daily Star.

Labor’s Rights

e Protected By Law

OLLOWLNG is the text of

a radio address given over
station CJOR this week by
Harold Griffin, assistant editor
of the People's A dvocate.

EXT month, in Victoria,
trade union representa-
tives from all parts of
British Columbia will meet
in a conference to drait a
provincial trade union act
guaranteeing labor 1m this
province, first, the right to
organize in unions of its own
choice and, second, the right of
collective bargaining.

This conference, initiated by
Victoria Trades and Labor Coun-
cil, follows the decisions of the
Trades and Labor Gongress of
Canada which, in February this
year, sent 2 circular letter to the
legislature of each province ure-
ing adoption of 2 trade union act
guaranteeing Jabor’s fundamental
rights. This letter pointed out
“that the right of employees to
organize or to join trade unions is
mot secured or protected by any
positive law on the subject.”

In its call to British Columbia
trade unions Victoria Trades and
Labor Council proposed that the
conference should draft a trade
union act and also elect a delega-
tion to interview the Pattullo cab-
jnet and individual members of the
legislature.

Already considerable support has
been forthcoming for this proposed
conference. Last week Vancouver
Trades and Labor Council endorsed
the proposal. The United Mine
Workers of America on Vancouver
Island has pledged its full sup-
port. The Lumber and Sawmill
Workers’ Union is also taking the
jead in pressing for this vital
legislation.

Golin Cameron, CCF MLA, in
whose election organized labor in
the constituency played an im-
portant part, has been active
among loggers and other workers
on the Island in canvassing for
signatures to a petition urging 2
provincial trade union act.

e

RGANIZED labor here, which
sees what benefits the Was-

ner Act and other progressive leg-
jslation protecting Jabor’s rights
has brought to the workers in the
United States, can be counted
upon to give every support to the
pill to be introduced in the House
at its opening session. it is becom-
ing jncreasingly aware of the dan-

gers inherent in the Situation im
Canada where Jabor’s rights are
all too indefinite and, for the most
part, where they do exist, inade-
quately protected.

The CCE bloc at Wictoria which,
in the last House attempted unsuc-
cessfully to secure the passing of
the labor bill introduced by Harold
Winch, can also be expected to put
up a strong fight for trade union
lesislation .

But what of the government it-
self? What attitude can it be ex-
pected to take on this issue which
vitally affects the rights, wages
and working conditions of hun-
dreds of thousands of wage earn-
ers throughout British Columbia,
whether at “present organized or
not?

According to Hon. George 58.
Pearson, minister of labor, in an
announcement made to the press
shortly after Victoria Trades and
Labor Council sent out its call
for a trade union conference,
Jabor’s rights in this province are
already recognized. He implies that
the present campaign being con-
ducted by the trade unions for
jegislation covering their rights is,

in the eyes of the government,
superfluous.
e
URELY, if Jabor’s rights in

this province are already rec-
ognized, then the eovernment will
not oppose the trade unions’ desire
to embedy them jin a provincial
trade union act which will defi-
nitely place them beyond dispute?

Then employees will be able to
organize in unions of their own
choosing to fight for wage scales
commensurate with a rising cost of
living without fear of losing their
jobs. They will no longer be herd-
ed into boss orgarmized and domii-
nated company unions.

But, if labors rights in this
province are recognized, why are
these phoney company unions in
Why are intim-
idation and discrimination rife in
every industry ini 6; e
where a powerful union has been
ganized to put an end to them?

Wo, it is because labor's rights
in this province are unprotected
by law and recognized only when
it appears wisest to do so, that
trade union leg slation is of such
importance to everyone.

The Zovernment, in an evasive
fashion, has already indicated its
opposition toe the proposed bill.
And, if it is to pass, not only the
trade unions but workers every-
where whose conditions will be im-
measurably improved by adoption

of such legislation, must demand
the passing of the act.

While Hon. George Pearson has
expressed the government's reluct-
ance to enact this long-overdue
labor legislation, the Shipping Fed-
eration, the Boss Loggers and
those other reactionary interests
who control the economic life of
British Golumbia, are earrying on
both an open and behind-the-
scenes fight against trade union
legislation, which would inevitably.
pring about the collapse of their
own phoney organizations through
which they are trying to divert
desire for organization in an at-

tempt to keep the workers under
control.

Ps ae eae big interests in this
province are redoubling. their
‘cries ‘for all-Canadian unions,’’
which they are always willing to
provide to order. This, of course,
is only their ambiguous way of
saying that they believe in inter-
national organization of the em-
ployers, put not of the employees.

Actually, behind it all, is their
desperate endeavor to preserve
British Columbia as an openshop
province where; along with cheap
materials and; cheap power, the

The Ruling Clawss

By REDFIELD

“With every application we are giving
pairs of pants and a eoffin.”

away two

cheapest thing of the lot will be

labor. That is, aside from the
bosses themselves?

During the past year Canada’s
bie employers of labor have watch-
ed the march of organized labor in
the East with growing alarm. De-
‘Spite all their trickery and duplic-
ity, the demogosuery of their pup-
pet, Duplessis, in Quebec, and
the ranting of their pliant tool,
Hepburn, in “Ontario, they have
Deen unable to stem the tide of

- trade union sentiment there. In

British Columbia, they are hoping:
to head off this organization and
certainly a trade union act guar-
anteeing labor’s right to organize
and barfain collectively with them
is the last thing they want to see
here.

In the reactionary anti-labor ut-
terances and acts of Hepburn and
Duplessis there is a warning which
organized labor here cannot ignore.
Rather it should act as a spur to
action, ’

Duplessis’ anti-Communist legis-
Jation is at the same time a men-—
ace to all trade unions and pro-
gressive organizations. Wis thinly-
veiled references to corporatism
are directly aimed at robbing the
trade unions of all rights and
transforming them into organiza-
tions patterned after the Fascist
model.

.)
ABOR’S rights must be guat
anteed by law, by trade union
jJegislation, such as that passed by
the Social Credit government of
Alberta and the Liberal sovern-
ment of Nova Scotia.

It may require a long and bitter

struegle for workers in an indus-

try to build up an organization to
a point where they can win a
higher living standard and better
working conditions. But it does
not take long to nullify these
gains by repressive legislation or
by an adverse ruling where labor
legislation does not exist.

This has happened time and time
again. It will continue to happen
unless there is sufficient public
support rallied behind the proposed
trade union act to suarantee its
passing. Mass support can ensure
adoption of the act.

The Communist party, which has
fought consistently for trade union
unity, for labor's rights of organ-
ization, in giving its whole support
to this bill, calls upon the working
people of this province to unite
their efforts to secure the passing
of this bill.

Had the trade unions entered
their own Candidates in the last
provincial election, as they have
done in the Ontario provincial
elections through the Labor Repre-
sentation Association, they would
be in a stronger position to press
their case where It will be fought
out in the final stage —on the

. floor of the legislature itself.

Tuacking direct representation,
the unions must rely on the CCF
bloc and on those progressive
members of both old-line parties on
whom pressure can be brought to

pear. They must rely on the
working people of this province
whose whole economic future will

be affected by acceptance or, Te-
jection of this bill and who, by
siving united support to the legis-
lation, can provide 2 mighty force
of public opinion which the SOv-
ernment will not dare to ignore.

City
Projects

Jacitor, People’s Advocate:

Dear Sir,— Doe the readers of the
PA ever stop to figure out how 2
family of five, for instance, man-
fo live on wages paid and
days spent on the city projects?

Ten days is the limit for the
head of this family, which makes
$40 a month: Allowing $15 a
month for rent, which is less than
most pay; light 31, fuel $2, leav-
ing a balance of $22 to feed five
persons for 30 days. Put aside $2
for necessary incidentals, which
leaves $20 for five people who eat
450 meals in 30 days. This works
out at a little fraction over Al,
cents per meal. Just imagine a
woman attempting to cook a meal
for five on less than 25 cents. Just

age

jmagine a man coming home after
eight hours on 4 city project job
and eating such fare.

Tro pounds of stewing beef is
at least 16 cents, 3 pounds of spuds
in the stew Stew, 3% cents, one
pound earrots 1 cent; half loaf of
bread and the limit is reached.

These are cold facts without £0-
into the question of clothing,
erowing children, household ne-
cessities. That's why. Tm for the
Workers’ Alliance which is the or-
ganization for us on the projects.

Vancouver, B.C. A-T.

————

LIFFORD ODETS. has re-

turned from Holiywood to
write “The Golden Gloves” for the
Group Theatre in New Work. its
opening on the first of November
is eagerly awaited by the theatre
world.

POD
By
OL’ BILL
Press With this issue we again
ne 1 enter upon a “drive”
TiVe! period to raise the funds
necessary for the upkeep of 2

workers’ press in Canada.

Some people who do not under-
stand the reason for “drives” of
this kind the absence of the
profit motive, and the tactics of
the big advertisers of withholding
advertisements from papers whose
editorial policies they cannot con=
trol—show a certain amount of an-
noyance at being asked so often
to dig down for the sinews of war
for the People’s Advocate and ths
Clarion. :

A little thought, howeyer on
their part, would clear away any
misunderstanding in connection
with the support of the press. They
would immediately see that the
maintenance of the papers is in
their hands and the hands of those
who think like them—and of 10
one else. Until the masses of the
Canadian people rally behind these
papers in Such numbers as to make
them self-supporting without the
help of advertisers, “drives” wilk
be necessary.

The struggle to maintain news-
papers connected with the revolu-
tionary movement has always beer
of the fiercest character. The
Neue Rheinische Zeitung, consid-
ered by Lenin to be the model of
a revolutionary paper, was only
kept alive by the greatest finan-
cial sacrifices on the part of those
who looked upon it as’ their paper.
Marx put into it, himself all the
inheritance he had receiyed from
his father, about $6000, and all
his wife’s fortune, too, even toe
pawning the family teaspoons.

A few years later, Weydemeyer
started Die Revolution in New
York. Marx, Engels and the other
members of the Communist League
promised to supply him with arti-
eles. For the first number of the
new paper Marx wrote an analy-
sis of the coup d’ etat of the im-
poster Louis Bonaparte. When
everything was ready the printer
refused to £0 on with the job till
he was first paid. Neither Wey-
demeyer nor his friends had @
nickel, but by a stroke of fortunes

- he met on the street a tailor whom
he had known in the movement
in Germany. This comrade of his
had in his pocket his whole life's
savinges—$40.

When the situation was explain-
ed to him he put up the whole $40
and the paper came out. Today

> nobody knows his name, put many
¢housands haye read The Bigh-
teenth Brumaire of Louis Bona-
parte, one of the finest pieces of
political writing 1n any jangzuage,
being equalled only by
Marx’s other essays, Class Strug-
gles in France and Civil War in
France. The ichteenth

Brae

two of |

maire was the only artcle in the -

first number of Die Revolution

and but for that Hrankfort tailor’s ©

$40 would never have seen the
light of day.

When men like Mars,
founder of our movement, and that
unknown tailor can make sacri-

the ©

fices like these, which were justi- —
fied by the results, surely we can”

let
pieces which in their collective Tré=
sults will bring equally great freq
turns,

In this column, a5 usual, I ask

those who appreciate it to send
their donations to me- Let us
show the management that OF

Bill's column is worth the space it
oceupies—if it is. That is for you
to say!

* * *

t= About forty yet rs
Without ago an American

A Doubt! preacher wrote ©
pool: about the practice of Chris-

tianity in the modern industrial
world. It was named In His
Steps. the initials being 2 play

upon the LHS. sign that decom
ates much of the church proper
ties. @ The book sold by maillions
and Sheldon became famous over
night. .

Apparently he is still alive amt
pas returned to the game of tellink
the American people what Jesu

would do if he were on Earth te
day.
In a recent copy of a near

Fascist magazine that lives on &
ploiting sentiment and sex and dé
fending elass privilege, the Res
Sheldon writes, “If Christ Camet
Washington.” Im 4 sub-title B
asks, “Would he approve of x
lief?’ He is not very sure wiht
svould be Christ's attitude on tf
question and certainly lacks th
forthright understanding of 2n fe)
working class woman to whom tt
question was put. “Of course i
would,’ she answered, “it Chri
came to Wrashington today
would be on relief himself.”

+ = =
Mos =. Duxngs tie Summ
MOSCOW ceveral shipments
Gold! gold from the USS

valued at 15 million dollars, We
Janded in England for the Britt
Pxchange equalization Accow
More is expected to follow and
is being used to keep the pound
parity with the US dollar. 4
Tory press, Lowever, appears
have forgotten its slogan for th
is not a whisper of ‘Mose
gold.”

zo of two-bit and four-bit ©