Pafe Two PE Oe es FREER) MLE) Ses ede November The Peoples Advocate Published Weekly by the PROLETARIAN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION Room 10, 163 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, B.C. - Phone, Trin. 2019 One Year Three Months ......-...---- .00 Hale Veal owe ews - eee $1.00 Single Copy ...--------++-"- 05 Make All Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate Vancouver, B.C., Friday, November 26, 1937 The New Pattullo Bill-- Labor Must Act! [* REPLY to the widespread demand of or- ganized labor for enactment of the Trades and Labor Congress of Canada Bill 62, giving the statutory right of trade union organization an collective bargaining to all industrial workers, the Pattullo government has decided to bring down a new ‘‘Labor Bill.’’ arbitration compulsory, being called, and will forbid dispute at issue has been submitted to an arbi- This Bill is aimed at making prior to any strike action all strikes until the tration board appointed by the Government. It is also reported that the Pattullo Bill will provide new ‘‘responsibilities’’ for labor unions, in that they will have to register and file with the Govern- ment periodical reports as to their activities. The tentative provisions of this entire piece of reactionary legislation coincide almost exactly with the new constitution of the ‘Industrial Asso- ciation of BC,’’ — the latest offspring of the no- torious ‘‘Citizens’ League.”’ Thus the Pattullo government and the bosses’ organization of BC have “‘thumbed their noses’’ at Labor’s request for a democratic bill, and the representative trade union convention recently held at Victoria urging this is treated with contempt. 2 : The history of compulsory arbitration in Can- ada is one of ironical travesty of all democratic re- lations between workers and employers, with the “rbitration” machinery backing the bosses. lt has done service asa strike-breaking agency only, and that is the aim of Pattullo and the ‘‘Industrial Association of BC’”’ in the present instance. boards have decreed in favor of Labor —— and the instances are as rare as blackbirds —_ the employers have disregarded the such arbitration findings. When white Publication of the appeals of the organized fish- ermen of BC for an arbitration board in the 1936 fishermen’s strike would refresh the memory as to how those appeals for peaceful settlement were handled by the Pattullo government, through its minister of labor, George Pearson. It would serve to show that the proposed legislation of the Pat- tullo government is aimed to deal a decisive blow at the trade union movement of BC, and cripple their effectiveness in securing economic improve- ment, by hamstringing them with statutory strike- breaking restrictions. The final and ultimate arbitor of all organized labor in pursuit of its rights, No legislation can erase failed, is strike action. when all else has this dearly won possession. ee It was to establish these rights of organization and collective bargaining and eliminate unneces- sary strike action generally that brought Bill 62 of the scrupulous employers, Trades and Labor Congress into being. precipitated by un- The Pat- tullo government replies with legislation that will defeat its own alleged aim, provocation to industrial unrest. and serve only as a It is alleged that there are elements in the trade union movement consistently sabotaging Bill G2. Perhaps Pattullo is banking on these for tacit support to his If so, he is backing the wrong tration’’ infamy. horse. “‘arbi- Organized Labor must reply at once in mass meetings, trades unionists of BC. resolutions, and delegation from the Pattullo must be made aware that the insult of ““Compulsory Arbitra- tion’? will not and does not serve the needs of organized labor today. All together, fellow trade unionists: give a united reply that will rin g from every corner of BC. Our need —— Legislation that will uphold and not usurp Labor’s rights.—T. E. ONGRATULATIONS to Harold Winch, MLA, for his fighting, analytical speech to the House on the findings of the Macdonald Commission. Such handling of this question of fuel prices — all-important to thousands of BC families this winter— will hearten and mobilize progressive people around other decisive issues. Super-profits of the few, squeezed from many basic and staple products in the province, prove repeated as- sertions made by the Com- munist party that the rich should be made to bear the burden of needed public works schemes now set aside on excuses of lack of finance. Winch’s brilliant attack on big business, made in prac- tical and convincing fashion, must receive the necessary backing of the people who are suffering because of the rising cost of living and in- adequate wages. Pressure from every organization composed of working and middle class people should be brought to bear on the gov- ernment to ameliorate pres- ent intolerable conditions. REMIER DUPLESSIS’ bloodhounds continue to violate civil rights and lib- erties in Quebec. Having padlocked the premises of the French-Canadian pro- gressive weekly newspaper, Clarte, they proceeded this week to raid the Montreal of- fice of the Daily Clarion, labor - progressive morning newspaper published in To- ronto, seizing 700 copies ot the paper, other publications and documents. We cannot but wonder where are the screaming headlines of those zealous de- fenders of the liberty of the press who, only a short while ago, were utilizing the larg- est types to protest Aber- hart’s disallowed press con- trol act? Where are the champions of the constitu- tion now that the consti tution is threatened by reac- tion? For the most part they are silent or mumbling in- consequentially on inside pages between the advertise- ments. All the more reason then, for all supporters of democ- racy to unite in opposition to reaction in Quebec. William Ravenor Analyzes Results ~ Drive Shows Growth o 7HYHE next time a press drive for the People’s Advocate and Clarion Weekly is held in British Columbia the organizers will remember from the recent campaign that such places as At- lin, South Vancouver and Surrey cannot have their scores marked within the confines of any ordi- nary chart. Barly in this campaign the nor- mal procedure was followed at drive headquarters of making 2 wali chart on which to mark the seores. Score lines ran from one up to 100 per cent, but the organ- izers were sufficiently optimistic to provide surplus lines that re- corded up to as high as 130 per cent, and then to make things quite safe for super-achievements there remained another two inches of margin. But these seemingly ample spacings were treated in jocular fashion by the contestants of At- lin, mountain glaciers, and the other contestants of the wide spaces of Surrey and South Vancouver. They showed resentment at the limited confines of this chart by heaping; up scores that rapidly passed the 100 per cent limits, piled up to the 130 per cent boun- dary, and thence into the last margin space beyond, until they had finally expressed their com- plete contempt of any limitations and ended up with their figures marked on the wall paper above fhe official chart that now hangs felow them, as though embar- rassed at its own futility to retain these people within official bounds.. This chart is indicative of the zeal that animated the mass of participants in the 1937 press drive. The drive also proved the advances made by the labor press since the previous drive- The campaign showed that labor papers can now attract financial support. solely on their merits and because of their func- tion as the voice of the progres- sive people of British Columbia. This increased regard for the jJabor press is well shown in the figures of the press drive: No less than $1480 of total receipts con= Stage and Screen OW the New Film Allhance sizes the new pictures up: “STORM EN A THACUP”—In- teresting and well-produced story of a widow, unable to pay for a dog license, who is persecuted by a local politician with Fuehrer ‘tendencies. Distinctly a liberal film, worth seeing. ‘WURDER ON DIAMOND ‘ROW”—Not a very good mystery ‘story. Songs added, but it doesn’t ‘help much: ) “NAVY BLUE AND GOLD’— Annapolis is a wonderful place | that makes men out of mice, heroes out of punks and vice versa. Another recruiter to be avoided. | “EIR TY-SECOND STREET” — Elaborate musical of a proud street invaded by night clubs. There have been better. TryS LOVE r’M AFTER” — Howard and Bette Davis in a very amusing picture about actors and what is referred to as their private lives. Not very true, but good fun. GS . OLLYWOOD. — The Screen Actors’ Guild for the last time has awarded its monthly honors for best performances. Chosen among the stars was Paul Muni for “Zola”: among the supporting players, Mischa Auer in “100 Men and a Girl’? Later in the winter the 10,000 zuild members will vote in the annual academy awards, which the guild is taking over. These should now again acquire some meaning in Hollywood. . - - Mae West, who turned down 2 fabulous offer from a British syn- dicate for her life story, with the famous quip: “My life story? Why, I’m just beginning to live!” is going to write her autobiog- raphy. It will be titled, “That's My Story.” But, hold your breath! It will be privately print- ed, and for circulation among WMae’s most intimate friends only. Notes from abroad: King Vidor told reporters in Paris that on his trip over there he had conceived the idea for a great peace film. Wow the question is whether any- one in Hollywood will let him pro- duce it... . According to Ludwig Renn, the leading film producer of Spain, Perea ,is fighting as 2 common soldier in loyalist ranks. _.. Upton Sinclair’s “No Pasaran” has been translated in a score of foreign countries, and is being made into a movie Barcelona... . Word from London is that the first successful television broad- casting has been completed there, swith the images being picked up by a ship at sea. .- - Max Factor, the make-up king, who has an eye for business, submits: “It people bought less sunpowder and more face powder, the world would be a safer place to live longer in.” Unless, of course, the added face powder made the Jadies too attractive and started too many domestic disputes. .-- surrounded by the mighty . sisted of straight contributions and subscriptions. The balance of $1853 was raised by means of events such as socials, held under auspices of committees at fifty— nine localities throughout the province. And the achievement of raising this sum establishes that the progressive movement has competent leadership at even the most distant points in British Golumbia. S 4 eee total sum raised in this campaign at November 21 was $3333.50, representing 111 per cent of the original quota of $3000. The People’s Advocate and the Clarion will share 1254 of additional cir- culation derived from the sale of 627 club subscriptions, in addition fo a substantial mumber of sep- arate subscriptions received inde- pendently by both papers - Worthern British Columbia led all the province by the amount of quota exceeded. It was expected to raise $300, actually collected $502, or 167 per cent. This was made possible by the amazing achievement of Atlin, which wins the press drive banner for the third time im succession. Atlin produced $248, including a $50 donation from the miners’ union. Other outstanding contributors in the North were Quesnel, which beat all former records with $68 and PrincesRupert where $84, in- eluding a donation from the Bish- men’s Co-operative, was eollectéd. But even the small villages of the northern country showed their support with donations ranging froin Smithers at $8, to Shere at $9.50. Vancouver Island, which was expected to achieve a total of $300, just passed this mark with a 66- cent margin. ‘This success was made possible by the excellent committee at Nanaimo which more than achieved its quota by reaching $85, supported also by fine contributions of $43 from Rounds, $49 from Gumberland, and $54 from Victoria. One small committee at Victoria averaged $8 each member, to compensate for members who were either ab- sent or sick and could not aid the campaign. : c) Gee VANCOUVER, which had a total quota- of PEN Suggestion Adopted. Editor, People’s Advocate. Dear Sir: Along with several friends I awaited your speech over the radio Tuesday and heard, instead, an apology. We. suggest that your intended speech be printed in full in_ this week's Advocate. FRED FOX... Victoria, BC. Telephone Petition Editor, People’s Advocate. Dear Sir: For information to your readers who no doubt have been following the campaign against increased phone rates, a full-page statement, or rather advertisement, in the Daily Prov- Snee, October 28, from the BC Telephone Company, which states that the desk monophone rental charge has been reduced 10 cents, is quite incorrect. As a matter of fact the rate is 15 cents high- er, bringing the rent from 75 to 90 cents. This is the reason for the present complaint from the city council to the company- There are, I believe, other misrep- resentations which should be brought to public attention. The campaign committee plans to canvass signatories to the peti- tion again with the intent to or- ganize them sin order that demo- eratie expression may be given to them as a body. May I take the liberty of stat- ing that, contrary to various mali- cious rumors, I am personally out of pocket several hundred dollars, and my associates plan to organ- ize a whist drive to help reim- purse me. ‘This, I maintain, is fair and above-board. W. R. BRADBURY. Vancouver, BC. $1500, soared past this mark to reach $1967. The committee at South Vancouver came first in respect of the amount raised above original quota. Pledged to attain $175, it achieved $268, or 153 per cent. Members of this committee had the high average of $2.18 each. But even this excellent average was surpassed by members of the Hastings East committee, whose average of $S4 per member is probably a record for all Canada. Having set itself an exceptionally high quota this committee could not pass its goal with the wide margin of other districts, attain- ing 123 per cent. Gommittees in Greater Yancou- ver generally made use of the sta- tionary issued by BC Drive Com- mittee to serve as the main means of raising funds, but Grandview. committee was an exception to this, obtaining no less than 76 per eents of its total by means of events organized under excellent jeadership. Indeed, so outstand- ing was the leadership of this committee that tickets for Grand- view events were sold in all parts of the- province. Grandview was responsible for the Auditorium concert held October 3, which served to initiate the opening of the press drive in B. G. and yield- ed over $300. it topped its quota with $346. Vancouver Centre committee aimed at raising $425, actually collected $458. This committee, with 161, had the best showing in - the sale of club subscriptions. Of other places in the Greater Vancouver area, New Westmin- ster committee attained its quota by rank and file effort. Its mem- bers achieved the splendid aver- age of $3.29 each, coming second only to Hast Vancouver in the amount per member collected. Burnaby echoed its progressive traditions with a total of $64, and Worth Vancouver collected $55. The good showing made by Great- er Vancouver was boosted by 2 gate collection of Street Railway: Workers, endorsed by Division 101, which yielded $56. This was augmented by $103 donated by other members of this union. ORUM Letter From Spain Eiditor, People’s Advocate. Dear Camrode: So far I #m still in training here and well. Sunday was quite a pig day, iv being the anniversary of the formation of the International Brigade. Some important people from the US were here who spoke to the brigade and received the troops. The Brigade is giving 2 treat to fifteen hundred children here. JACK DIETRICH. Albacete, Spain. And Another Editor, People’s Advocate. Dear Gomrade: Allow me to say salud through the People’s AdVOo- eate to my friends in BC and in Worth Vancouver particularly. We Canadians in the Interna- tional Brigade are watching the struggle on the Ganadian front through the columms of the labor press, particularly the growing unity of the working people. Unity of the anti-fascists in the Frente Popular de Espagne is giv- ing us the victory over here. It cannot be different in Canada. Tt has come to our attention that some people in the British TLP are spreading the story that the International Brigades. have be- come demoralized, discontented and disillusioned. This is 2 lie! We are conscionsly and enthusi- astically building a People’s Army which will sweep Franco from Spain. Forward to unity, D. Livingston. Albacete, Spain. The Soviet Elections By ANNA LOUISE STRONG Federated Press MOSCOW. Wominations for the elections to the Supreme Soviet recently closed. The press is Now crowded with descriptions of the leading candidates. A glance down the columns in- dicates that people have followed the slogan “Choose the best of the best,” for it reads like a roster of the most famous people in all lines of activity from tractor- driving to scientific discovery, factory managements to polar flights, sugarbeet growing fo army commanding. The 23 most popular candidates, Stalin, Molotov, Lityinoy, Voroshi- loy, Krupskaya, and others, re- ceived nominations in many dis- tricts—890 meetings nominated Stalin—a problem referred to the Central Committee of the Com- munist Party which apportioned them among districts. Stalin ana Molotoy were apportioned to Mos- cow, Litvinov to Leningrad, Kaga- novich to Tashkent, etc. Many world-famous scientists, doctors, writers and actors were nominated. The polar conquest has clearly captured the imagination of the population, which nominated. not only Otto Sehmidt, scientist, and the explorer, Papanin, now mak- ing observations from an icefloe near the pole, but also many Aretie flyers. Red Almay leaders are also popular as nominees. Along with these powerful fig- ures, note 23-year-old Lisunova, girl textile worker holding rec- ords, 22-year-old Mutina, girl leader of the tractor drivers, Marie Demchenko, renowned girl sugarbeet grower, NOW = student at the agricultural college, all of whom were nominated. In short, when the Supreme Soviet assembles, it will clearly constitute a galaxy of the most brilliant figures of the Soviet Union, more representative of every variety of human productiv- ity than any other governing body- {f Press HE southern mainland of BC —excluding Vancouver — pro- duced $560. Outstanding were the efforts of the committee in Sur- rey, which collected $123—154 per cent. The Okanagan Velley pro- duced $123, led by Saimon Arm with its quota covered to reach $49. Others included Kelowna, $25, and Vernon, $20. A generous contribution of $44 came from Blubber Bay, part of this being a donation from the union. Gibson’s Landing also ex ceeded its quota with $28. Yimir donated $14; Matsqui, $17, and Mission, $13- Foreign language organizations throughout BC showed their sup: port for -the press by contribu- tions of $600. Pledged quotas were exceeded by ULETA at $244, Swedish- Finnish, $50; Russian Club, $101; Croatian Club, $71; Serbians, $45. First language group to pass its ‘quota was ICOR with $34. Even the small group of the Lettish Glub that dared not promise 2 quota larger than $6 finished the campaign with $10: An outstanding feature of this campaign is the earmest care taken by canvassers throughout the province to ensure correctness of the addresses on subscription forms. A clerical check-up show- ed that, of many hundreds of subscription forms, less than 4 dozen were difficult to decipher. This zeal for the labor press, shown by the struggle to attain and exceed quotas, proves that many hundreds of people realize that they can never do as mucn for the press as the press is al- ready doing for them. The great efforts of participants in this campaign is proof that they. realize that in this period of menacing war and threatening fascism the immediate need is organization of our people, the puilding of trade unions, and the welding of the organized people into a wider unity that can keep Ganada free from war, that can maintain our democratic institu- tions and win a better life for our Ganadian people. This press campaign is also as- surance that the voice of unity— the Glarion and People’s Advo- eate—will speak to new people and penetrate to new places. Diary By VICTORIA POST HO said you can’t get VY. women to give up their silk stockings? Was it you, mister, who scoffed when the talk about a Japanese boy- cott began making the rounds? ‘Women give up their sleek, sheer hosiery? Not a chance!’ Was it you, sister, who failed: “Of course, it’s terrible about Japan in- vading helpless China and all that—but give up our silk stock- ings? What will we buy 2” “Then visit the local depart ment stores today. Hosiery buy- ers will tell you frankly, “Oh, yes, these were especially ordered to supply the demand of the boycot- ters of Japanese silks’ ” “Gall me cChauyinistic, if you will, but it makes me surge with pride to see how women have a way of getting what they g0 after,’ Mary Mack, well known New Work columnist, writes. “Took at the records. Three weeks ago today I tried store after store, trying to get a pair of rayon stockings that were full fashioned and union made. Toa- day it’s a cinch. Bemberg puts out full fashioned rayon stock- ings of union made ‘All Amer- ican’ yarn, stamped plainly for all to see. “About three weeks ago you had a hard time finding sheer or chit- fon weight lisle hose that was union made. And nearly all the reasonably priced lisle stockings were of a drab brown color to go only with heavy woollen skirts. But go into department stores pow. Theyll show you a nice selection of various shades and weight. It’s an easy matter to please your individual taste and pocketbook. “tts all a case of supply and demand—or rather demand and supply, in this instance — you might explain. But IT interpret it in this fashion: enough women get together and demand good- looking stockings not made of Japanese silk and they got it! And when enough women get to- gether and demand peace, free- dom and bread, theyll get that too!” If they can do it in Wew York, then it ean be done in Vancouver, too, if ohly enough of us make ourselves heard. ; ———— NEXT WEEK In view of the many issues of vital concern to thousands of British Columbia people which have been raised in the legisla- ture this session, the next issue of the People’s Advocate will carry a review and analysis oi legislative proceedings ot date. SHORE JABS OL’ BILL We did all right in the Press Drive just finished, the total for the readers of this Press column being $92.72. Drive. These contributions were mostly from indi- yidual readers, but it is pleasing to note that a few were from organizations. To all who sent their addresses, a copy of the “Pageant of History’ will be sent. Others who did not may get their copy by letting me know where they want it mailed. A q =F One of MHitler’s A Land Of ‘up-to-the-minute’ Milk And——? agents—the new consul at Winni- peg—has unburdened himself to the Canadian press. “Germany is a living paradise,’ says the head- line and in the story the Nazi agent says, “Hitler has given the workers of Germany a $200 auto- mobile’ and lots of other good things. He is a little out on the price of the auto; 1500 marks should be about $375. The worker who wants one of these cars will pay a part of his wages into an “Automobile Savings Bank’; after ten years paying in, he will be allowed to take possession of the auto, the balance to be paid after he gets it Some gift to workers whose aver-— age wage is 24 marks ($6) weekly with prices almost as high as they are in Canada- : ; _True, “Germany is a living para- dise,” but only for the banking and industrial capitalists. When the banking crisis hit Germany in 1931, the Weimar government came to the aid of the bankers by buying shares in the banks with the people’s money and so sayed them from utter bankruptcy. Now the Nazis, in spite of their pro- gram which promised to put an end to “interest slavery” by na- tionalizing the banks, is handing these shares back to private specu- lators Since the banks are again making profits. First the “Deutsch Bank-Dis- conto Gessellshafit’” has been pre- sented with 50 million marks. At the beginning of October the “Com merz - und - Privatbank”’ received back 75 per cent of the shares of the bank which were the property of the German people. Ninety per cent of the shares of the 150 mil- lion marks capital of the Dres- dener Bank met the same fate and all the profit-maling finance busi- ness is again in private hands and fattening the money moguls. The Wrankfurter Zeitung, organ of the German dye industry, stated on October 17 last: “The industrial balance sheets show, 45 do the tax returns, that up to now profits are rising. .-. In this ad- vance the share of wages has re- ceeded, especially during the past two years.” The Nazi chief of the iron and steel industry, Herr Jazosch, admits that “the average productivity of labor has increased by 30 per cent, admitting fiercer exploitation, which allows Krupps, for instance, to make 165 million marks net profit during 1936, while their 100,000 employees only re- ceived 145 million in wages. A land flowing with milk and honey! But how about those who don’t own banks or industrial plants? Der Aneriff, Goebbels own paper, admits that an exami- nation of juvenile workers shows that in Munich, 9.7 per cent of boy mechanics 14 and 15 years of age; 13.7 per cent of 18-year-olds, 125 per cent juvenile locksmiths and 26 per cent young goldsmiths are suffering from functional heart diseases and that “many of ou youngsters are overworked and rundown.” Qn top of this the per capita consumption of bread has fallen from 121-27 to 96-3 kilograms—and that is bread that contains 20 per cent flour. And no butter! This is not underconsumption. It is star- vation. At Nuremberg, Hitier said, ““Ger- many belongs to us all.” But in the divide-up, the bankers get the profits and the workers get the sawdust bread. : Z cf 2h 7 Page the case now The Legal before the courts, of Mind. a man accused OF bopping 2 hard- hearted relief official on the nose in desperation at thoughts of his hungry family of 7 housed in one room. A knotty problem no doubt for the bench. A couple of weeks ago in County Court, Judge Ellis, during the trial of a man for the most abhorrent kind of criminal act that class rule in society drives men to come mit—assaulting children—had oC easion to question the infant wit- nesses about their knowledge of the hereafter. In most cases, all they knew was that they would be buried. In spite of the fact that their knowledge of the hereafter was as full and profound as that of the learned judge himself, he had to observe that “their ignorance of spiritual instruction is a sad commentaty on our educational system.” Wiad the barbs of his Solomonic wisdom been directed at the per vert in the dock it might be easier for us to believe a statement of another ‘wise’ judge, Manson, ip considering an appeal last wees that, “The courts have regard 10 the interests of society.”