= Ff Page Two THE PEHEOPLE’S ADVOCATE THE PEOPLE’s ADVOCATE Published Weekly by the PROLETARTIAN PUBLISHING ASSOCIATION Room 10, 163 Ww. Hastings Street Vancouver, B.C., Phone, Trin. 2019 One Year __. EGU one ed MBbee Months ssc be 5 5. ** 50 Single Copy ..............1 1) 05 Make All Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate ERIDAY, MAY 13, 1938 Aid The Single Unemployed Saturday So cepay IS tag day for iN the 6,000 unemployed Single men of Vancouver. We are deeply appreciative of the fact that the city council has realized the plight of these young outcast Canadians for whom present day society ap- pears to have little use. The granting of the tag day indi- cates that the city council is not only motivated by hu- manitarian desires, but that it is becoming fully conscious of its responsibility towards Canada’s dispossessed youth. We trust that the council, having taken this step, will now mobilize the fullest sup- port of public opinion to bring pressure to bear upon pro- vincial and federal authori- ties, to the end that they also imay appreciate their respon- sibility, instead of indulging in pettyfossing recrimination and buck-passing. We should like to appeal, not only to working and mid- dle-class people generally to give support to the boys on Saturday, but to those gentle- men and corporations in whose hands the destinies (and most of the cash) of our province is held. To look upon the needs and the cause of the Single unemployed as one worthy of their fullest sup- port. Finally, we would appeal to the members of all organiz- ations, CCE, Communist par- ty, trade unions, language and eultural organizations, the churches and young people’s organizations, to assist the Relief Project Workers’ Un- ion and the single unemployed in making this tas day a signal success, by dropping into the unemployed headquarters on Cordova street and tendering their services and help. All out on Saturday for the single unemployed. Six thou- sand young lads need your help. Double this number in dollars. Trotskyism is Fascism IM-HRE ismo extreme of fal- - lacious reasoning to which the Trotskyists will not resort. Qne of their arguments to prevent unity against fascism in Canada and elsewhere is that “we must have fascism before we can have social- ism.” Only persons verging on madness could expect such a statement to receive a patient hearing. It implies that in the Soviet Union, where social- ism is already established, the workers should be deprived of all social privileges they enjoy, that the industries be handed over to private owner- ship, that the collective farms be broken up and given to parasite landlords, that un- employment, poverty and misery take the place of the happiness, culture, and pros- perity which is the right of every citizen. In countries where fascism already prevails, the work for socialism has to be carried on in the face of the fiercest persecution known to man- kind. Franco, for example, on capturing a city in North- ern Spain, had 25,000 persons shot who were suspected of being socialists, communists, radicals or liberals. The attainment of socialism is not an issue at the present moment. The issue is to kill fascism before it reaches pow- er and from that position exercises a terror of extermi- nation of all who are in favor of human progress. In win- ning over fascist advances the climb to socialism is one step shorter. The statement “We must have fascism before we can have socialism” cannot by any stretch of a diseased imagina- tion be said to be an argument in favor of socialism. It is an argument to prevent social- ism from being reached. It is an arsument in favor of fas- cism. Unions Fight For Their Rights ANCOUVER and New Westminster trades un- ions are becoming indignant at the way in which the pro- vineial minister of labor is in- terpreting the Conciliation and Arbitration Act. And with good and sufficient rea- son! Not only is the Act un- satisfactory, but the interpre- tations placed upon it by Hon. G. S. Pearson show that he is playing the game of the em- ployers’ federations and using the Act to foster company un= ions and perpetuate the fink and blacklisting systems which are a disgrace to the whole of Canada. In our opinion, the fight for the continued existence of legitimate trade unions and for the right of collective bar- gaining is now really ap- proaching in BC. : Ail the strike-breaking tra- ditions of the bosses and all the determined union princi- ples of the unions are reach- ing a point of open conflict. The basic principle at stake is: Shall the industrial work- ers of British Columbia have the right to organize without hindrance or restraint or un- due influence from the side of ‘the employers, and shall those unions be recognized in law and in fact as the sole bargaining and negotiating agents for the workers in in- dustry, to the complete ex- clusion of company unions? Only by recognizing this principle can arbitration or conciliation have any mean- ing. Such a principle is not em- bodied in the present Act. The definition of “organization” is open to include company un- ionism and finkism. Black- listing methods are left com- pletely untouched. Repre- sentation is defined in such a way as to leave out of the picture the democratically elected officers of the unions. While the Act can be used as it now is to organize work- ers, at the same time specific amendments must be ad- vanced by the unions to strengthen it and remove ev- ery shadow of a possibility that in the hands of a man like Pearson it can be inter- preted exactly in the inter- ests of the employers. This should be the longer perspec- tive of the unions of BC. On the other hand, the in- terpretations of the Act, as they arise, must be opposed if they lean (as every one so far has done) to the side of the employers. This is the short term perspective on which the widest campaign can be headed by the unions. Behind them they can rally the aid of every democratic person in our province. Finally, let it be remem- bered that desirable as good labor laws are, they are no substitute for that daily work to organize the unorganized which is the life blood of the trade unions. Stronger trade unions can change the present Act and enforce fair rulings by the ministry of labor in Victoria. HE victory of Labor in the Lichfield byelection —the third in succession — proves to the hilt that the people of England stand for democracy and peace and against Chamberlain, Hitler and Mussolini. The pro-fas- cist Chamberlain-Astor- Cliveden set does not repre- sent the real Britain. Lichfield proves that, as did Ipswich and Fulham. It proves that the British people want the embargo on Spain lifted, the League of Nations strengthened, the pressure on the Popular Front government of France re- moved, a coming together of the democratic nations, as the Soviet Union has repeatedly proposed, for collective action against fascist aggression. The United States govern- ment is reflecting the same point of view in its proposal to lift the embargo on Spain and to call a halt to aggres- sors. Canada must not lag be- hind —lift the embargo on Spain, line up with the peace- loving democratic forces! Break with Chamberlain’s pro-fascist policies which be- tray democracy and peace.— Daily Clarion, Toronto. ment.” “Give Us A Job” By Tom Ewen RTICLE No. 118 of the Constitution of the USSR reads: “Citizens of the USSR have the right to work starvation the alternative. : What is the obstacle? In British Columbia it is pretty generally agreed that as a result of the wanton destruction of our forest resources by the boss loggers, that an extensive reforestation project far in excess of what has been done so far is badly needed if future generations are to inherit any of this But the provincial and federal governments chant in unison: “There is n0 money.’ What is the Matter with placing the cost of annual reforestation as a first charge against the super-profits of the boss loggers? The total value of forest in- dustries in BC in 1936 were ap- proximately $72,000,000. Out of the seventy-five million acres, much of which has been de- pleted by the logging operators, 20,000,000 are not reforested. Al- most half of the mature forest resources stripped — and left stripped. Take a small percentage of this, say, a million dollars an- nually, and place it back into re- forestation projects, giving five thousand men steady work and decent wages, and BC as a whole will be the gainer. The lumber and financial inter- ests may kick, but what of it? The gainful productivity of labor and the preservation of a rich natural resource are of greater importance by far. @ HE provincial government's brief to the Rowell GCommis- Sion on the matter of roads tells us that, from 1871 to 1937, a grand total of one hundred and fourteen million dollars has been expended, Woman’s By Victoria Post Wiss we know the boycott on Japanese goods has been ex- ceedingly effective, it seems to have been obscured of late by. other important issues. How many of you have been guilty of going back to silk stockings, or buying cheap goods indiscriminately in stores, only to find when you got them home that they were brand- ed, “Made in Japan”? Men, to their everlasting shame, are the ones who seem to do the most kicking about lisle stock- ings. “Girls’ legs look like the dickens in them,’ ’they complain. There's always an answer to that. You've seen pictures of Chinese women after the Japanese Planes have passed over. And these things are not impossible here if we assist Japanese ag- gression in China. Women are kicking because lisle stockings are hard on their feet in the warm weather. This is unfortunately true, but at the Same time its only a little in- convenience. We have not been able to ob- tain the finest type of lisle hose yet in Vancouver, but it will come if we impress upon the stores that we aren’t fooling, that we are de- termined to get sheer lisle hose. To those people who feel that the boycott will hurt the Japan- ese people, here is an answer from a Japanese girl in New York, who works untiringly for the defeat of the Japanese mili- tarists in China, Miss Haru Mat- Sui, Member of the Japanese Peace Association. She says: “Many people feel that the boy- cott of Japanese goods would add another burden on the Japanese people, but so long as the war eontinues the people of Japan will suffer and must carry heavier burdens on their aching Shoulders. The boycott by demo- eratic people will lighten our great sorrow and misery, by helping to end the war. “Some people believe that a boy- cott will create unfriendly feel- ing against the Japanese, but your action is not against the Japanese people but against Ja- pan’s militarism. The boycott will encourage the peace-loving people of Japan. It will make it easier for them to protest against the military campaign of the government.” Wataru Kaji, famous Japanese writer and peace-lover, attended a recent congress of Chinese writers in Hankow. He echoed Miss Matsui’s sentiments, “I will participate with all. my heart and soul in your campaign of righteousness and justice and will never return to my homeland un- til our militarists are oyer- thrown.” There is another angle of the boycott which has been sadly ne- glected and which is just as im- portant as the Japanese ques- tion. Shiploads of Italian goods have been pquring into this coun- try recently, mainly pottery and ornaments of quite high value. @f course you all know that mac- aroni, spaghetti, olive oil come from Italy and should be boy- cotted. This country, together with Germany, is assisting Japan in her invasion of China and we must put just as effective a boy- cott on their goods as Japanese goods. natural resource whatever. i —the right to guaranteed employment and payment for their work in accordance with its quantity eae quality. The right to work is ensured by the socialist organization of national economy, the steady growt of the production forces of Soviet society, the absence of economic crisis and the abolition of unemploy- This right, in ever-increasing volume, is denied the Canadian worker. He has no guarantees. Not be- cause there is no work to be done. On the contrary, there is sa much to be done that would be of great benefit to every Canadian community—if we could only get at it. Roads to be built, forests to be replen- ished, slums to be cleared and habitable houses erected; schools, hospitals and recreational centres to be created; rivers to be cleaned and harnessed; rail transportation to be modernized; whole new communities to be built. Yet, the right to work for tens of thousands of our people is denied, and enforced idleness and and that for this we have a miléage (all sorts) of 20172 of roads Wor 56 years of petty and large scale grafting we haven't got much in the way of roads to show for this huge amount. If there were no immigration officials at the international boundary line to remind us that We are re-entering British Colum- bia territory, we would know it anyway bythe roads. For a few weeks prior to the provincial elec- tion the “sound of the shovel was heard in the land’’—but only for a few weeks. On every side there is this de- mand for an extensive road- building program in BC. For the completion of roads already begun, and halted because some politician was not satisfied with the quota of graft available Roads such as the Monkman Pass, the Lougheed highway, the Trans- Canada and other important trunk and feeder roads, all re- quire completion. The Alaska Highway itself, likely to be realized, unless the politicians ob- struct the development in quibbling as to route, jurisdiction, supervision. All this badly-needed network of roads so necessary to the industrial and agricultural development of BC would give work and trade union standards to thousands of Canadian work- ers. Premier Pattullo stated during the last provincial election that there were 960 miles of hard- surfaced highways in BC and by 1940, ““‘We intend to have 2000 miles of modern, paved primary highways in the province.” Now is the time, Mr. Premier, to put this highway and road-building into effect. The ‘workers are waiting. e@ 4S longest piece of straight, steel track in the world is the line between Leningrad and Mos- cow. The late, unlamented Tsar Wick wanted a railroad—straight as a die, that would transport him from one place to the other. This defunct, capitalist planner had little concern as to how many towns his railroad just missed by a few miles on the way. It must be straight. But at least it linked up Leningrad with Moscow. The Pacific Great Eastern (PGE) Started nowhere and ended the same way. The “agree- ment with the Foley, Welch & Stewart Company, whereby the province guaranteed the securities of the railroad to the extent of $35,000 per mile for 450 miles of the line’ shows that the con- tractors at least got somewhere. But the PGE itself, instead of starting from North Vancouver as it was originally intended, starts at Squamish, a point 35 miles from Vancouver, and extending 348 miles, ends at Quesnel, instead of Prince George, 75 miles dis- tant, from where it could have fed into the Peace River country. Brom Vancouver to Prince George, thence to the Peace River, the PGE would have been of the greatest value to provincial development. As it is, it is neither ornamental nor useful. Thus the province of British Columbia Owns a clipped-off railway, 35 miles short at one end and 75 miles short at the other. The contractors cashed in on the securities for a completed road amounting to over 20 million dollars and then went bankrupt— no uncommon thing for such em- pire builders to do, and left the province of British Columbia holding a bagful of frozen assets called the PGE, representing a total “investment,” including in- terest charges, of $78,000,000. Completion of the PGE would provide profitable work for thou- sands of railroad men, would serve British Columbia interior communities with a badly-needed rail service, would assist in open- ing great areas in the Peace River country, and last, but not least, could become an asset to BC in- dustrial development instead of a monument to capitalist graft and anarehy as it is at present. $ cs) NE could go on relating how much useful labor awaits to be done in the province of BC. Housing projects and slum clear- ance, for instance. Vancouver for its size has probably a greater number of human habitations that come under the category of slums than any other city in Canada, not even excepting Montreal. House building schemes pro- moted by various ratepayers’ as- sociations, building agencies, in- surance and realty companies, show an awareness “of this vital need of modernized social and community life. But these efforts are mere nibblings at the basic problem of housing. Vancouver alone could stand—on the basis of actual need—a house-buildine pro- gram adequate to meet the re- quirements of 20,000 families, could begin immediately the de- molition of hundreds of its disease incubators that pass as “homes’’ and still not have too much hous- ing accommodation. A far too cynical attitude is held by many progressive people on the various projects that are sponsored by this or that organi- zation. When a delegation of small business men hike to Van- couver as a protest against bad roads in the interior, and appeal to the government to get some- thing done, too often we laugh at the effort, or just let it pass, feel- ing that it has nothing to do with Open Remember Matteotti Editor, People’s Advocate. Dear Sir: The month of June recalls to us the terrible death of Giacomo Matteotti, the Italian socialist, who defrea the criminal power of fascism in Italy. The mame of Matteotti, victim of Ltalian fascism, will be remem- bered always in the arena of the international proletariat. He has become an international martyr in the cause of social justice and progress. In many places in this day of re- membrance, not excluding the millions in Italy who will gather secretly, thousands upon thou- sands, to commemorate his death, thereby assuring friends as well as enemies that the struggle for social justice will continue until it has been definitely won. Mat- teotti, the Partisan of Peace (Par- tigiani della Pace). One of the several Italian or- ganizations in the city will hold a commemoration banquet and dance at the Hastings Auditorium on the night of June 11. The pro- ceeds of the commemoration will go toward the maintenance of Il] Lavoratore, Italian labor paper published in Toronto. The ban- quet will take place at 1 pm of the same day, tickets for which can be obtained at the New Age Bookstore, 50 East MHastings street. Vancouver, BC. Js Me The Quebec Padlock Law Editor, People’s Advocate. Dear Sir: As a French-Cana- dian from Quebec, I wish to bring to the attention of the citizens of this province the great danger that lies in the anti-labor policy of the Duplessis government of Quebec. There is mo secrecy on the part of Arcand, Duplessis and company in their pro-fascist ad- vocation. The national antagonism be- tween the French and English existing since the struggle be- Ore i IT a a a a a5 — Forum tween France and England for the possession of Canada, has been fostered by the big indus- trialists, thus creating a barrier in the labor movement which consequently has been weakened to such a degree that the un- scrupulous manufacturers have kept us in great poverty. We, the people of Quebec, be- gan to realize our position and unite irrespective of nationality, Tace and creed, becoming 4 men- ace to their exorbitant profits, gained from the sweat and blood of the commonalty. Now that such chauvinistic ideology has been overcome to a certain de- gree, the industrialists are using the bogey of the red menace with unorganized sections of the work- ing class, to induce them to fight unions and labor organizations. The demands of the Quebec work- ers for a higher standard of liv- ing, are expressed through their unions, cultural organizations, re- ligious and otherwise. It is regrettable to say that a number of the democratic mind- ed people of Quebee are being hoodwinked to believe that an attack is being made on their re- ligious faith by communism. It is a sham on the part of the in- dustrial barons to create a mass movement, in this case a fascist organization to support their an- ti-labor laws, suppressing unions and the rights and liberties of the people. If we allow this to take place in Quebec they soon will find means of extending their activi- ties over the whole of Canada. Letters of protest from organiza- tions and individuals should be sent to help kill such fascist ten- gdencies in our midst. Vancouver, BC. CG. OW. Editor’s Note Due to lack of space 2 num- ber of other letters from cor- respondents, including those from Mrs. M., Langley Prairie, and J. P., Vancouver, have been held over until next week. us whatsoever. Those hiking busi- nessmen from interior communi- ties, demanding road construc- tion, are doing what a live-wire Communist branch should be do- ing. As in this, so in other efforts to open the door to work—jobs—re- covery. Every community has its needs in public works develop- ment. Every community has its quota—often tragically large—of able-bodied men willing to work but denied that right. Locally these needs and conditions may differ, but on the whole they are basically similar. Work requiring to be done. Men available to do it. The right to work, instead of ‘Heing ensured by the socialist organization of national economy” is jeopardized by inter-municipal- provincial-dominion disagreement and wrangling on responsibility. How to break this tragie state of affairs down? By making jobs and recovery aS popular in every community as its incompleted re- quirements are unpopular. By placing the right to jobs and a program for recovery against these saboteurs that masquerade as statesmen and leaders. By placing the right to work against the “right” to idleness and decay. Books and Authors FASCISM OVER CANADA: AWN EXPOSE—By Fred Rose—New Era Publishers, Toronto — 5 Cents: Obtainable at New Age Bookshop, 50 East Hastings street, Vancouver, BC. Reviewed By HAROLD GRIFFIN “7GNOR the first of their new Timely Topics pamphlet series the New Era Publishers could have chosen no subject of greater concern to Canadians than the inereasing menace of fascist ac- tivities to our democracy. In “Fascism Qver Canada: An Expose,’ Fred Rose presents an array of facts that may well give cause for alarm at the inroads fascism has already made in Can- ada. At the same time thousands who read this pamphlet will be awakened to the urgent need for uniting and strengthening the democratic forces in this country to the end that fascism may be defeated before it becomes strong enough to stain the streets of our cities with the blood of the innocent, before it can darken our skies with the bombers of its German and Italian allies. For the German ivazis and ital- - ian WPascists are exceedingly ac- tive in building fascist organiza- tions in Canada, as Hred Rose proves beyond a doubt. Chapter Four, complete with photostatic copies of documents, is devoted entirely to Nazi penetration and machination here, Chapter Five likewise reveals the extent to which Mussolini is involved. The link between the Wational Social Christian party, headed by Adrien Arcand, in Quebec, the various other fascist groupings in other provinces, and the Nazis is in- efutably established. If there is any criticism of this pamphlet it must be for the fail- ure of its author to deal suf- ficiently with fascist activities in the west. Beneath the surface as yet, hut only awaiting a favorable opportunity to come out more openly, there is considerable fas- cist activity in the western prov- inces, and in British Columbia in particular, Open fascist organiza- tions in BC, such as the short- lived Fascists of Canada formed in 1933, have failed because of the destation of the people for fas- cism in recognizable form. But disguised and underground fas- cism is building its organizations. What, for instance, of the ex- tent to which fascist elements have penetrated the militia here, particularly the BC Regiment and the Hussars? What of the underground Nazi organization which has found its open expres- sion recently in an uptown branch? What of the smuggling of amnti-semitic, anti-democratic, subversive literature into this port with the connivance of fascist sympathizers strategically placed? These things are not mentioned in the pamphlet or, if they are, only in passing. Wevertheless, this omission does not detract from the valuable ma- terial presented which skould be read by every citizen who treas- ures the democratic rights that are the tradition of Canada and who, learning from the terrible experiences of the German, the Austrian and the Spanish people, is determined to prevent the pad- lock law of Duplessis from be- coming the barbed chain of a future Canadian feuhrer. - are angered at the dirty Commi Real Oratory! ter of wordage. 7 truth of this ¥ never more sur demonstrated than one day 1 week in the Vancouver Pol Court. A young boy, eighte years of age, stood in the pr oners dock, charged with comn- ting a series of burglar: eighteen in number, during 1 past six months. Questioning ~ the magistrate drew from the E the simple statement, “I had work.” ei ise a 2 hate Fanci 9 caachice wanker a From Demosthenes, the fat] ™ of oratory, to the Boy Orator | the Platte—all the silver-tongm spellbinders, whose blathers : jE done up in i0-volume calf-s] | editions and given away with | yearly subscription to Foolye Magazine or the Saturday EF | ning Ghost—no orator ever reai” ed such sublime heights of i nunciation as that young lad ¢ 4! with those four little words. Eyen Eugene Debs could uti’ no greater condemnation of cle rule and class injustice than 7 simple phrase, “I had no wort spoken from the dock by a bt who should still be going = school, when confronted by tm majesty and symbol of the cay 136 talist state. These four poignant, beautiful jj simple, English words, exposi ijt the rottenness of capitalist ru | and capitalist justice, are mo ji pregnant of meaning, of great fF oratorical force, than all # fic windy verbiage of R. B. Benne ‘k and William Lyon Mackenz ‘h; King during their entire politic ‘fi careers. al Tf justice instead of law rule in that court, the boy would hay sat in the judge’s seat and tt a judge and everything he repr — sents would have been in dock. 1s cS) (3 The Lord af Real Lady Astor } Democrats?? think that ‘f how the herale 4} announce it in the coronation an — lord mayor circus monkeyshines nist trick that has been playe on them. They deny there is ~ ‘Cliveden set,’ at which ploj against the British people ar. hatched; Cliveden being the nam ~ of their palace-mansion in Bucl ~ inghamshire. In spite of the Known coteri\ of fascist and near-fascist gues! ' who spend their week-ends ther * including Lord Londonderry ay / Herr Chamberlain, the arish — eratic Astor who owns the ‘Oj | server’ of which the pro-fascil | J. i. Garvin is editor, and hj Lady wife, nee Nancy Langhorr of the Virginia Langhorne (should it be shorthorns), ap making vociferous protests ths the Communists started thi Cliveden canard and that they ar i great believers in democracy. Oh, yeah! Of course they ar democrats. Were not plain Wal © dorf Astor and his equally plaii ; dad, born and raised in th} Stamping-ground of democra¢ | (with the accent on the de), an | did they not hightail it across thi big drink to buy themselves int the ranks of the ‘snobility’ witt’ good democratic American dollar contributed to Tory slush funds’ And does not ‘Lady’ Astoi prove her love of democracy of eceasions when Willie Gallachei is talking in the House, by hei mastery and use of Billingsgate! | In a carping critt Overboard cism of the policie: With Him! of Norman Rogers minister of labor who is an ex-professor of Queen‘ University, Iron-heel Bennett sprung the following gem: 4 realize that academic life doef not fit a man for publie life any more than work in a sawmill?” Why does he stop there? Why not include a corporation law office? Bennett’s record is ar open book. No teacher or sawmill worker could have made a worse mess from a public point of view although it dove-tails well inte the schemes of his corporation bosses. Two stories of BC men who have beer with Butcher Franco's forces i& Spain, one of them a grandson of the one-time Coal King oi Vancouver Island, appeared if the local press during the past few days. Dunsmuir’s off-spring tells with glee of looting the pubs and the other ‘hero’ writes 01 going “singing through the streets, a champagne bottle in each hand.’ I write with pride that they did not belong to the International Brigade. Disowned! * Two weeks mor Press Drive. of the press drive! Can we make it? We have raised to date 74 per cent. Donation: to our quota have come from al over the province, in amount ranging from 20c up. Fergié Power is not a preacher but he is working to beat hell that we make that $100—and there are others. Let us get the balance show the drive committee tha this column has a mass follow; ing without Lord and Lady Astor.