i H j in British Columbia. wages and conditions. ‘dominated town. 2 British Columbia’s Progressive Home Paper The Peoples Advocate CENTS VOL. IV. Neo. 39. VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, AUGUST 5, 1938 aS © FULL No. 188 THR Mine, Union industries. The most important mining towns, notably Trail, stronghold | of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting corporation, Evans de- clared, were dominated by the companies, with consequent cur- tailment of the workers’ right to organize for betterment of He spoke of the intimidation and dis- crimination prevalent in Trail and others of these towns. Where locals of the union existed wages and conditions were considerably better than those in unorganized camps, he said. Evans’ announcement of his recent flying trip to Zeballos, PEACE MEETING _PLANNED-FRIDAY. Wationally known for his ex- poses of fascist activities in Can- ada, Fred Rose, of Montreal, au- thor of ‘Fascism Over Canada,’ will be the principal speaker at a peace raily to be held on Powell street grounds at 8 p.m. this Fri- day, August 5. The rally will be held under auspices of the Vancouver city committee of the Communist party. Other speakers will include Gharies Stewart, executive mem- ber of Vancouver Trades and Gabor Gouncil and A. M. Stephen, provincial president of the League for Peace and Democracy. Arrangements have been made for a public address system and selections will be given by the CCF band. ANNOUNCE PRESS CANVASS OF CITY Monday, August 22, will be an important date on the calendar of the Advocate. On that date every Communist in the city of Vancouver will be ‘busy between the hours of 6 and 8 p.m. soliciting subscriptions for British Columbia’s foremost labor- progressive weekly in a mass Cam- pairn organized by the Vancouver City committee of the Communist Party. Communists, among the busiest o£ busy people, unceasingly active in building the trade unions, in campaigning for public works projects, in rallying the peace Movement, in combatting fascism, will concentrate their efforts on August 22 on getting the Advocate into hundreds of new homes as part of an intensive campaign to ' British Columbia’s newest goldfield on Vancouver Island, and Ris success in organizing the camp in a tew days brought applause from. delegates. Proposals presented fal the con- vention and received favorably Canea Tor -= monthly expenditure of $400 for organizational purposes and utilization of a public address system and the union’s own organ in the campaign. Final decision will be made by the executive board. MRS. JEAN HOLE TELLS OWN STORY By KAY GREGORY Last Friday her name made news when she sat down in police court, refusing to leave because she knew police were waiting outside with a warrant for her arrest This Priday, this attractive young woman, who cannot weigh more than ii1€ ibs., will face charges of striking a “police officer during the fracas at Blubber Bay last week. She is Mrs. Jean Hole, whose husband is secretary of the Blub- ber Bay local of the International Woodworkers of America. When I met her on Wednesday, she looked anxious. “I’m worried about my friends up there,” she told me. “They depend so much on Jack and me to help them and f know the police have only arrested us to keep us away from Blubber Bay.” Although the women “up there” are unorganized, they are behind their men one hundred percent. “Tt's pretty hard for the strikers’ wives to stand by and see squads of scabs being herded off the boat by the police, to stand and take insult after insult from the scabs’ wives, but they'll stick it—they won't let their men down,” she @c ciared. Born in Regina, Mrs. Hole came to Vancouver three years ago with her husband and has never taken any active part in strikes or labor struggles until now. ‘im going to do my best to get a women’s auxiliary started when I get back, (Gontinued on page 5) double the circulation of the paper before the end of this year- See MRS. HOLE Seeks To Organize Italians Italian Fascist Active In Trail TRATI,, BC, Aug. 4—(Special)— The visit here of Victor Fabri, Wancouver barrister and leading Ttalian fascist, is connected with the recent decision of the Italian fascist organization in Wancouver to send an organizer to set up fascist groups among the large italian population of this company- Fabri, Canadian-born of Italian Parents, is a member of the Par- tido Wationalista del Fascismo {National Fascist Party) in Van-, eouver, which has a membership of around 60. Hie is a close friend of G. Bran-— eucci, Italian consul in Vancouver, and his sister is employed at the consulate. He was prominent at the ban- quet staged in the Hotel Vancou- ver some weeks ago by the Circola Roma, Italian organization. This banquet was attended by some 150 persons, many of whom openly wore fascist emblems. co) UNION PACT REJECTED BY TROCADERO Trocadero Cafe is definitely anti- Of more than two dozen eity cafes, managers of which re— newed their union agreement with Iocal 28, Hotel and Restaurant Employees, T. Stamatis of the Trocadero was the lone objector. The case of this cafe is being in- vestigated by the grievance com- mittee of the Trades and Labor Couneil. Bill Gateman, conscientious busi- mess agent of Local 28, declared this week that Stamatis had taken a dictatorial attitude. The young business agent blamed the Conciliation and Arbitration Act for the attitude and labor policy adopted by some employers. union. ORDERED TO QUIT HOUSES BLUBBER BAY, Aug. 3.— Wotices signed by plant super- intendent O. S. Peele of Pacific lime company have been post- ed here. They read: “All trespassers must vacate forthwith. Anyone found trespassing after noon on Aug. 3, will be prosecuted.” This has been interpreted as meaning all strikers, a number of whom have lived around the plant for 10 and 15 years. These facts will be stressed before Magistrate Fillmore on Friday, Aug. 4, when @ number of strikers will stand trial, employees maintaining that the company in its obstinate stand against the union, is adopting vin- dictive and intimidatory methods. Lime Kiln Bay which adjoins Pacific Lime company’s property is owned by Tacoma Steel company of Tacoma and enquiries made at Davidson and company, agents here, and the Lands Registry of fice disclose no transfer, lease or sale of the property to Pacific Lime. strikers have peen advised by District Council, International Woodworkers of America, to move their picket camp to a point two (Gontinued on page 5) See STRIKE CCF CANDIDATE DEFEATS MINISTER REGINA, Sask, Aug. 4.—Joseph Burton, CCE candidate in the Humbolt byelection, was declared elected with a 145 majority over Hon. C. M. Dunn, provincial minister of highways in the Patterson government, Thursday night. The CCF candidate polled 3908, his Liberal opponent 3763 votes. Dr. J. C. King, Liberal, resigned recently to provide a seat for Dunn, whe was defeated in the recent provincial elections. \Sqibzg Fed Sea bea ibedipxai bal BC Mine Supplying Japanese With War Metals Magna tes (This is the third in a series of articles revealing the alarm- ing extent of Japanese espionage and economic penetration in British Columbza). By HAL GRIFFIN pN FEBRUARY this year, Col. Victor Spencer, one of the biggest mining magnates in British Co- lumbia, stood up before the annual meeting of BC Nickel.Mines (since reorganized as Pacific Nickel Mines) in the Vancouver, Medical-Dental Building, and told shareholders: “‘The first consideration is the securing of a market for nickel concentrates.’’ Today the directors of Pacific Nickel and numerous other BC mining concerns are finding that market—in Japan. It is of no concern to them, of course, that they are of China. profitable. On February 9 last, furnishings the Japanese military-fascist war machine with the raw materials it requires to carry its invasion ever deeper into the heart They do not ponder for a moment on the possibility that some day, if democratic Canada continues to supply an aggressor coun- iry with the means of realizing its nightmare of Pacific domination, will return in the form of bombs and bullets used against the Canadian people. They do not care, for the first consideration is profits, the securing of markets at any price, and it is a policy they are finding exceedingly these same materials in the House of Com- mons, Hon. W. D. Huler, minister of trade, used as his chief argument against application of an embargo on export of Canadian war materials to Japan the fact, as he (Continued on page 6) — See SHIPMENTS Defies Du plessis x LESSARD EF. Quebec City carpenter, whose home was padlocked two weeks ago under the padlock law be cause he was alleged to haye “propagated communism.” Les- sard, his wife and four children were forced out by police with drawn revolvers. Released on $1200 bail, Lessard has declared he will challenge the constitu- tionality of the law in court. NANAIMG PLANS SPAIN TAG DAY NANAIMO, BG, Aug. 3-—A tag day in aid of Canadian volunteers in Spain will be held here this Saturday, August 6, under auspices of the local cammiuittee, Friends of the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion. A display of Spanish government posters and publications in the local press is attracting wide at- tention and a big collection is ex pected in this miners’ town. The rehabilitation and comforts fund of the Friends will benefit from this tag day. SOINTULA, BC, Aug. 3—Cele- bration of the first anniversary of the Mackenzie-Papineau Bat- talion was marked by a luncheon in the Finnish Hall here Mrs. Aili Malm, secretary of the local Friends, had the support of the Women’s Labor League and the Finnish Organization in arrang-— ing the luncheon. A sum of $27 for the comforts fund was realized. Ottawa Approves Water Board Loan The federal government has ap- proved the application of Greater Vancouver Water Board for a $750,000 loan under the new Muni- cipal Assistance Act, Hon. Tan Mac- kenzie, minister of national de fense, stated on arrival in Yancou- ver Thursday. The loan will be used for exten- sion of the city’s water main sys- tem. ‘deered millworkers, EATEN STRIKERS WITH EVICTION Mill, Smelter Workers fenee ation Pledges Aiid To BC Organizational Drive BUTTE, Montana, Aug. 4— (Special) —The annual convention of the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers held here this week | gave lensthy consideration to the question of organizing hardrock miners Full support of the organizational drive now being conducted by the union in this province was pledsed by individual mem- bers of the union’s executive board. Arthur Evans, recently appointed sub-district organizer for the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, represented BC at the convention and, in an able speech, out- lined the problems confronting the union in the province. While mining was a key industry in BC there was compara- tively little organization among hardrock miners, he said, ex- plaining the role British Columbia’s mining magnates were ' =nabled to play in supplying the Japanese war machine with | assential metals because of a lack of organization in primary WORK IS REFUSED JOBLESS FALKLAND, BC, Aug. 3.— Residents here are indignant at the action of Fire Warden Jack Templeton in refusing the serv- ices of 37 single unemployed who volunteered to fight a for- est fire now raging in a valu- able stand of spruce on the mountain side, two miles from here. Rather than employ these job— less men, the fire warden comman- steadily em- ployed, on penalty of $25 fine. The fine was threatened when a dele— gation of millworkers requested the warden to reconsider his refusal to use unemployed men. Approximately 50 Salmon Arm and Chase residents were later transported to augment 285 fire crew. 4 protest has been sent to Vic teria. ARMSTRONG, BC, Aug. 3.— Single unemployed job seekers found impoverished farmers elkings out a living by work on the exhibi- tion grounds race course here, the work being staggered on a three day-weekly relief system. The hay crop is exceedingly small and low prices have forced farmers to abandon acres of lettuce and other produce to rot. Growers made liberal donations of vegetables to the jobless who, in groups of three, scoured the ternative, a signed letter giving DFODS of a search for work. Charges by Hon. G S. Pearson that single unemployed men are moving about the interior in large greups refusing to look for work and that the Relief Project Work- ers’ Union is influencing transients to remain here are categorically denied by union officials. A meeting is scheduled for single transients at 60 W. Cordova street, Friday, as large numbers have been dropped from relief rolls. GROWERS CLAIM COMBINE EXISTS Allegations that a Vancouver fruit and vegetable company had bought out a number of the prin- cipal wholesale houses in the city and in Victoria with control of other wholesale houses in the Okanagan, thus obtaining a mon- opoly of the fruit and vegetable business in BC, were made by. growers in Kamloops, Okanagan, Kootenay and Fraser Valley dis- tricts this week. Tt was charged that the company in question was operated by a Similar Seattle company, which in turm was a subsidiary of a Min- neapolis corporation extending over the entire Worth American continent. Demand for a probe under the Combines Investigation Act has been sent to Hon. Norman Rogers, federal minister of labor. Attempts To Burn Home Poverty Drives Veteran Insane KELOWNA, BC, Aug. 4.—His mind unbalanced by his constant struggle against hardship and pri- vation, an imperial war veteran here attempted to burn down his house and strangle his 15-year-old son. Police, called by alarmed neigh- bors who heard cries coming from the house, found the son trying to prevent his father from setting fire to a mattress. The father had hold ef the boy by the neck and was stransling him. Investigation showed that the de— mented ex-serviceman, his wife and three children, were existing on a relief allowance from which authorities deducted $13.50 a month, the amount of the man’s disability pension. Contention of relief authorities in refusing as— sistance was that the family was the charge of the British gfovern- ment The veteran is now confined in a mental asylum.