FIRST NEWS SECTION he Peoples Advocate Western Canada’s Leading Progressive Newspaper FIRST NEWS SECTION ===> Published Weekly VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 1937 Single Copies: 5 Cents VOL. Til. No. 49 | FULL No. 153. JAP A 0 PERCENT ‘Chinese Will Win _ Struggle’ Nanking Govt Official In City This Week Is Confident Of Final Victory. FRIENDLY VISIT By WM. PURVIS Important visitor in Van- couver this week is Liu Wei Chih, prominent member of the Chinese government, whose purpose is to contact his countrymen in the capa- city of official representative of Nanking, aecquainting them With the present situation in China and mobilizing support. in good Emeglish, Liu Wei Chih told me in an interview that Japan Was inflicting terrible losses on the Ghinese army and people predict the probabel fall of Nanking. “What else can we do but re- treat in orderly fashion before the highly mechanized Japanese | treops?” Liu Wei Chih asked me. “The whole world knows that | China, historically speaking is a > uation which stands for peace and that of necessity its fight is one of defense against aggressor.” Tin Wei Chih confidently be- ~ lieves that time is on the side of China. He told me of a now des- perate financial situation in Japan \ which is being forced to send con- ) siderabe shipments of gold to Bri- * tain and the. United States in order to obtain needed war supplies. While this Chinese patriot ap- peared gratified by the general friendliness of occidental nations © towards his country, he expressed » surprise that more positive assist- ance was not forthcoming from © them to a country which will be | “inevitably victorious” in the pres- » ent struggle. Short-Sighted Policy In other words, Liu Wei Chih be- lieves that Canada, from a busi- " ness point of view alone, is pur- © suing a short -sighted policy when the Zovernment permits the large | shipments of concentrates and scrap iron now being sent to feed the Japanese war machine. China ' will be an immense market to ' friendly nations when Japan is ' swept from the country, he said. This member of tue Chinese cen- ) tral government admitted he felt ) keenly the present discrimination % against his people, when he drew | attention to the fact that Canada’s © doors were closed when it came to | establishing a yearly quota for | Ghinese immigrants, while permis- | sion was granted to allow 300 Japa- ) nese into the country each year. “Ghina buys quantities of goods from CGanada—wheat, flour, wool, »>newsprint, and the principle of reciprocity should operate betwen the two friendly countries. Our people are law-abiding and make Sood citizens anywhere. At least the privileges given Japan should also be extended to China,” Liu " Wei Chih warmly stated. As an accredited government of- » ficial, Liu Wei Chih is careful in ) formulating statements to the ' press and in interviews. He | stressed this while repudiating | press statements attributed to him, which deseribed Chinese Com- , munists as “bandits.” Praises 3th Route Army Communists in China are loyal Supporters of the central govern- ment, he maintained, also stated that Communist forces—now the Sth Route Army—in the national army of liberation were “assist- ing greatly” in the defense of the country. This continued mis-quoting by Some sections of the press, Liu Wei Chih declared, fitted in with the false claims made by Japan, 'which declares that the war is a campaign against Communism in China. “Communism is a convenient Boycott Japanese Goods Urge Constitional Guard Of Liberties Flouted In Quebec MONTREAL, Que., Dec. 16——With the same arrogance displayed in his use of the Quebec padlock law, Premier Maurice Duplessis interrupted A. B. Purvis, head of the National Unemployment Commission during a banqeut speech here Thursday, declaring that “direct relief must end,” and asserting that he also spoke for Ontario and Mari- time provinces. : “We in this province, and in Ontario and in the Maritime provinces have decided that we will not be run for the Western provinces,” he said. “‘We are tired of it.” “The province of Quebec cannot go further in direct re- lief, and we are in the way of concluding an alliance by which we are not going to be run by Ottawa,” he continued. But suggestion of an alliance met quick denial from two Maritime premiers, Angus L. MacDonald, Nova Scotia, and Allison Dysart, of New Brunswick, who both declared. they knew “nothing whatever about it.” Duplessis commented several times during A. B. Purvis’ address, interjecting at one period, “We will have no national unemployment offices in Quebec.” Premier Duplessis’ statement came three days after his zonference in Montreal with Premier Hepburn of Ontario, at which the two leaders were reported to have agreed on a joint submission on Dominion-provincial relations to the Rowell Commission now sitting in Regina. WINNIPEG, Man., Dec. 16:—Contrary to Duplessis and Hepburn separatist ideas and fulminations against centraliza- tion, were recommendations from influential bodies to the Rowell Commission. Right of free speech, free assembly and freedom of press to be incorporated into the Constitution of Canada were re- quests made this week by Winnipeg Board of Trade to the Rowell Commission appointed by the federal government, to survey inter-provincial relations and the structure of admini- strations, their costs and maintenance. The Board declared that Canada should be a unit with full power invested in the Dominion authority to legislate on social and economic problems now demanding prompt at- tention, that a nation-wide viewpoint rather than the present narrow provincial one should be taught in the schools. MinersOpen |Speedup In the House Union Halli Dinner, Concert Held To Celebrate Establishment Of Nanaimo Mine Work- ers Headquarters. NANAIMO, BC, Dec. 16—Local 7293, United Mine Workers of America, here, and members of the Gumberland local, altogether some 250 strong, Saturday last cele- brated opening of headquarters, formerly Regal Hall, now to be known as.Union Hall, where a din- ner and concert arranged by the union’s entertainment committee marked the beginning of an era of organization and progress. Eid Webb, president of Nanaimo local, made a brief speech of wel- come to Cumberland visitors when introduced by Chairman M. Gun- niss, Dick Goe, president of Cum- berland local, responding. Attend- ing from Cumberland were Dave Tweedhope, vice-president; J. Rob- ertson, secretary; J. Bond, record- ing secretary. Regret that John LL. Lewis, in- ternational president, and officials of District 18, were unable to be present was expressed by W. At- earlier —on Thursday — next week. kinson, district representative, who extended greetings to the meeting on their behalf. Dept. Store Suggestive Selling Is Stated To Be New High Pressure Method Used At Bay. Some sort of a “Bedeaux sys- tem” is being attempted in Van- couver Hudson’s Bay departmental store for the Christmas season, ac- eording to a report given to the PA by one of the extra girl employees this week. Known as “suggestive salesman- ship,” each sales girl is instructed to sell, if at all possible, higher priced articles than those request- ed by the customer. Otherwise known to trade union- ists and workers generally as “spotters,” what are termed by Hudson’s Bay management as “mysterious strangers,” twenty of whom wander hourly through the store to check up on the girls and high-pressure the suggestive sales— manship idea. The most persuasive girl will get $1 bonus; those observed to fall down receive a note to this effect. The PA informant received a Warning note. “i was so mad I stamped on it,” she said. | es credit must be given the CCE bloe which emerged as the real opposition and champion of progress in the first session of the nineteenth provincial parlia- ment, prorogued hastily last Friday. to satisfy many members, who, in the words of the premier, ‘were itching to get home for the Christ- Mas trade.” Rather than waste time before an uninterested government, protest- ing CCE members removed several of their resolutions from the order paper. Tom Uphill, with the suffer- ings of the jobless in his town of Fernie uppermost in his mind, bit- terly resented the last minute rush, offered in the House to stay until five in the morning. Disturbing thought to progres- Sives was the passivity shown by the Conservatives throughout the ses- sion. Obviously they were satisfied that Pattullo was doing the bidding of big business, otherwise they would have been on their feet much more. When they did rise it was to oppose the measure of control for the fuel industry introduced by the government, to oppose Dr. Lyle Tel- ford’s attack on Colonel Victor Spencer, to oppose the paring of some objectionable features from the trade union bill. Credit for the latter goes to the CCF and the members from Fernie and Salmon Arm, as well as a small group of eight Liberals, who, it is reported, under the leadership of Mel Bryan fought down trades union incorporation within the Liberal caucus. es W the dying hours of the session, third reading was given to the Industrial Disputes and Arbitration Act, the Fuel Act and discussion of several CCF resolutions, these latter being left to the last by an embar- rassed government. With 37 out of the 47 resolutions to their credit on the order paper, the CCF group, as- sisted by Uphill, and with occasional support from progressive Liberals, fought persistenly for many mea- Sures sorely needed by the people. Measures which would provide more security against unemploy- ment; greater assistance for those on relief; consideration of the grave housing problem; less red tape in matters concerning the transient unemployed; extension of silicosis compensation to others than metal- liferous miners; Minimum wage scale and better working codnitions for nurses; abolition of Pattullo bridge tolls; investigation of the operations of the Marketing Act; the check-off system for the log- gers; representation for the miners on investigation parties after a mine disaster—all were sloughed. Several shifts in government policy showed the value of pressure and organization, notably revision and amendments to the trade union act, hoisting of amendments to the mineral act, after strong protest from the prospectors, legislation ob- tained by hairdressers by active lobbying, and others. More reports like the McDonald Fuel, with its withering exposure and subsequent remedial action, will be possible when labor swings into the political arena with other pro- gressive groups. Such financial in- tertsts which strongly influence governmental policy will then be stopped. Unemployed Men Refuse To Peddle Jap Goods In City Peace-loving British Columbians and millions of people the world over are seeing to it that the vulnerable rear-guard of Japanese imperialism is weakened by refusing to buy goods shipped from and made in Japan. Initiated mainly by the labor press, the idea has spread to a remarkable degree that to buy Japanese goods is to supply finance and credit for munitions to slaughter 4 nation on the defensive. Inquiries among wholesale merchants alone Water street show the sale of Jap oranges to be dropping toward zero, one employee reporting that his firm is now doing only 25 per |cent of its normal sales. With tiers of BC apples packed very similar in size to the Jap orange box stacked in the warehouse, one wholesaler said: “It’s too bad the Okanagan fruit srowers don’t take a tumble and take advantage of the present boycott by flooding the city with advertising for BC products.” Confronted with a cheerless Christmas, forestry camp lads at Powell River took action and prevented a supply of Jap oranges, obviously bought cheaply by the government buyer, from coming into their camp. Several jam manufacturers in the province switched to Seville oranges after being contacted by the Canadian League for Peace and Democracy, the secretary stated last week, others promising to consider the matter. From the Fraser Valley comes a demand for boycott posters. This week, district council officials of the ‘Workers’ Alli- ance reported to the PA with pride that two unemployed fathers, members of the Alliance, took back $100 worth of cheap Japanese toys intended for sale on the sidewalks and from house to house, on beine reminded by the Alliance of the assistance they would be rendering J) apan’s murderous war. ; The toys, supplied on credit by a big wholesale firm, would have given a handsome profit to the salesman, who gave the opinion that this firm wanted to unload quickly and had chosen this method of sales. Mrs. Phil Gibbens, wife of the business manager of the PA, browsing through Hudson Bay department store com- mented to a salesgir] on the display of German and Japanese manufactured articles. She was told that many people are turning down such articles, that the boycott is popular in Vancouver. From the housewife who keep a sharp eye for objection- able and often hidden labels, to the recent militant picketing ot the Empress of Canada, Canadian people are assisting China’s peaceful millions. Effective publicity will enlist the cooperation of more millions. British and American workers are showing their distaste of Japanese goods in spectacular fashion. Press reports tell of huge bonfires made of these products with merchants re- moving them from store shelves. Every genuine peace-lover can spread the gospel of this life-saving boycott. Members Sign Petition National Film Society _ To Appeal Censorship An appeal will be made to Victoria by the Vancouver branch of the Nationa] Film Society asking the sovernment to remove a censorship of the association’s films. At the university of BC, where 90 percent of the membership is cen- tred, a petition has been prepared. When members gathered in the Public Bans university auditorium Friday night Buffalo Meat te see three pictures, Dr. D. O. Evans, head of the department Good Support Accorded To Campaign Of Labor of modern languages and presi- dent of the society, informed them that the censorship board had ban- ned the showing of “Chien D’An- dulu,” because it was “ghastly and horrible.” Gomplained Dr. Evans: “No other Canadian province imposes a censorship on the society’s pic- tures.” He felt that the provincial board should have no control over the censor of pictures for private showing to film societies and that in any case the Dominion board had passed “Chien D’Andulu,” theme of which is a study of mur- der. The society’s pictures are shown only te members who pay a yearly fee of $4.50. INo charge is made at the auditorium. Sointula Women Boycott Japan SOINTULA, BC, Dec. 16.— Wo- men of this fishing town when ordering goods through the mail declare they will not touch Japa- nese or fascist-made goods, and, at a recent conference of the Wo- men’s Labor League, decision was made to petition the provincial executive of the League to protest to the Japanese consul in BC against the aggressive war of Japan upon the Chinese nation. The conference resolved te con- tinue sending aid to Canadian volunteers in Spain as being the most important work of the branch at the present time. Against Sale Of Burns’ Products. Buffalo meat in Vancouver looks different somehow this year, has a certain odor. At least it seems that way this festive week to num- bers of trade unionists who barged into the PA, facetiously remark- ing “These majestic animals died of Burns.” Observant ex-employees still re- sentful of shabby treatment from Burns company, which brazenly flouts the rights of the workers, noted visible evidence of public support for their struggle in the removal of Burns’ name from a number of announcements that buffalo meat was for sale. The PA also learned that only one carload of the meat had reach- ed Vancouver, instead of two as originally stated by the company. Burns meat is “hot” to large num- bers of people. Harry Douglas, indefatiguable business agent of Local 95, Meat- cutters, is working to sell the idea, endorsed by the Trades and Labor Council, that Burns company is unfair to labor, therefore its prod- ucts are listéd unfair, that the huge sums of money spent in tempting retail butchers and de- partment stores to handie Burns’ products by offering wholesale meat at lower prices can only be effectively met bythe public’s re- fusal to buy. City Parking Meter Plan Greeted Dubiously To Come Before Counci Scheme Would Im= pose Parking Fee Of Five Cents an Hour On Car Owners. CONTROVERSIAL If parking meters are in- stalled on the streets of Van- couver they will be quite an item to working people who own automobiles, Certainly When the questign comes up before the City Council early in the new year it will be strongly debated. A nickel an hour for parking may not mean much to some, but to the wage earner whose car is @ necessity, every odd nickel is counted in these days of high prices and inadequate wages. it was natural, therefore, that the PA conducted a thorough probe when it became known the city traffic department was considering the question and that one of the meters could be inspected at the city hall. A metal box 6 by 10 inches, with an indicator similar to a taxi-meter, mounted on a metal pipe at eye- level. This is a brief description of the parking meter. Usual charge in the United States is 5 cents per hour and-it is customary to allow Parkers to occupy without charge Spaces vacated before a given hour is expired, Mixed opinions were expressed to the PA by automobile owners on the proposed innovation. “Another racket,’ opined one man who uses his car for business purposes six days a week, Another wanted to know why Vancouver should be made the Pioneer Canadian city to try out this experiment. He suspected that ex-Mayor G. G. McGeer was behind the scenes of what he described as “an added tax.” “Milking the public because of failure to enforce traffic rezula- tions,” was the curt opinion of an insurance man. , #& conjecture that high-pressure American salesmen were out to sell a white elephant to the city coun- cil, was volunteered by a man who makes a living with his car, sell- ing candy, nuts and other eatables throughout the district. Auto Club Opposed. The PA learned that the Auto- mobile Club of Vancouver is op- posed to installation of parking ’ meters because of unfavorable re- ports received from Washington state, where the experiment was made. This organization is not yet taking a positive stand on this question.” it seems that preliminary dis- cussions on the meters have taken place in the city hall between city traffic officials and Earl J. Reed- er, chief traffic engineer in the Wational Safety Council, with head- quarters in Chicago. This council is designated as a non-profit or- Sanization. : Reeder addressed a meeting of the Trades and Labor Council some weeks ago on problems of traffic and the rising toll of acci- dents. He did not, however, men- tion the subject of parking meters at that time. In his report on traffic conditions in Vancouver, which is expected in the next few days, it is understood that Reeder will recommend the installation of parking meters in Vancouver to facilitate traffic. The PA understands that the whole thing is an open question as far as the city council is concern- ed, that it will come up in the routine of business in the new year. Obtained from the American City, a publication dealing mainly with traffic questions, obviously favorable to their use, the follow- ing information on parking meters was gleaned: There are 20,000 meters used in 35 American cities; the average parking space allowed is 20 to 22 feet—this latter information is ac- companied by remarks from the writer who states insinuatingly ..- “this generous space appeals to lady drivers”; truck and deliveries are exempt, although some cities charge such after 10 a.m.; funds derived are ample to hire needed police; receipts on a basis of 40 cents per meter per day from 1000 meters would not $150,000 a year.