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Tee - -PEr OLPrge E 2s

ADVOCATE

THE
PEOPLE’S ADVOCATE

Published Weekly by the Proletarian Publishing
Association, Room 10, 163 West Hastings Street,
Vancouver, B.C. Phone Trinity 2019.

One Year ————_— $2.00 Three Months
Half Year -._--—---- $1.00 Single Copy -——--——

Make All Cheques Payable to: The People’s Advocate
Vancouver, B.C., Friday, December 2, 1938

Will Nelson Spencer Explain?

OL. NELSON SPENCER, ultra-reaction-
ary Conservative and candidate for the
mayoralty this week brazenly threw out a
challenge respecting his connection with
Japanese interests. First he should refute—
if he can—certain definite charges made in
these columns and then he should sever con-
nections with his Japanese colleagues on the
directorial boards of at least two companies
controlled by Japanese capital.

As it is, he cannot expect to reap his bloody
profits from the death of peaceful Chinese
people and expect anything but contempt and
scorn from democratic Canadians.

While Col. Spencer is explaining, perhaps
he will also explain why we were informed
this week by the J. J. Gibbons advertising
agency that we would not receive a United
Distillers advertisement because We would
not carry Col. Spencer's political advertis-
ing.

An Elected Police Commission

S| ESS importance and immediate need of an
elected police commission as advocated
by labor-progressive candidates in the current
civic election campaign, was clearly demon-
strated last Saturday.

Eleven anti-fascists, exercising their civil
right to protest, were arrested by city police
when they picketed the German consulate to
demonstrate the horror felt by all decent Van-
eouver citizens at Nazi persecution of Jews
and Catholics.

Their action was entirely peaceful and
orderly. That it had the support of citizens
was shown when a crowd of several hundred
“booed the police as they arrested eleven of the
pickets on charges of obstruction.

Under Mayor Miller, the chief magistrate,
nominee of the Non-Fartisan Association, the
efficiency of Wancouver’s police force has
been marked only by the prevention of orderly
demonstrations of protest and the tear-gassing
and clubbing of ill-fed, unarmed unemployed.
Tt would be better directed to apprehending
¢he individual who stole $1500 bail money
from the police station or findings those re-
sponsible for the increasing mumber of as-
saults on women and girls.

A police commission elected by the people
and responsible to the people for upholding
their civil rights and liberties is long overdue.
Tt will be obtained only through a progressive
city council Remember this when you go to
the polls this month.

Chalk Up A Victory

HALK up another point for the power of
organized labor and publie opinion!

Facing open opposition from both Labor Min-
ister Pearson and Fremier Pattullo, BE trade
wnionists won an important and convincing
victory this weelk in forcing through their
amendment to Clause 5 in the Arbitration and
Conciliation Act.

In gaining this concession, labor took the
sting out of one of the worst sections in the
union-busting Act. Clause 5, by denying
union officials the right to represent their
membership in disputes, threw the door wide
open for the entry of company unions, an
opening of which many employers were quick
io take advantage.

The significance of labor’s achievement is
by no means lessened by the fact that Bill 94
will still retain a whole number of bad feat-
ures which should be thrown onto the junk-
pile.

Trade unionists, in opening their campaign
against Pearson’s pet brainchild even before
the Act became law, realized quite well it was
loaded down with phony clauses aimed at
crippling the labor movement. Indeed, Pear-
son himself admitted this when he told a dele-
gation of unionists, without batting an eye-
Jash, that “15 different lawyers could in-
terpret the bill 15 different ways.”

Tt was because Bill 94 presented so many
angles that delegates to the Vancouver Trades
and Labor Council decided to tackle the worst
feature, Clause 5, and force its defeat during
the present session. That they made it stick
was a tribute to the power of BC's trade union
movement ,to the resentment of the workers
of the province, and finally to the excellent
assistance given by such legislators as Colin
Cameron, MILA for Comox.

Of final importance is the obvious need of
keeping the campaign going toward a more
cocplete success. It’s obvious that Pearson
yielded with extreme reluctance. It’s also
obvious hatt he’s not going to back down on
the anti-strike feature of Bill 49 without a
struggle.

Having tasted a measure of success, the
labor movement is better prepared now to
fight. The coming months are sure to see a
renewal of the campaign against the Con-
eiliation and Arbitration Act and its substi-
tution by the Trade Union Bill endorsed by
the Trades and Labor Congrses of Canada

* splendia efforts

The Americas Answer Munich

Not a mere business deal between nations but
a slap in the face for Hitler and the pro-fascist
Chamberlain——this is the effect of the re-
cently-concluded Anglo-American and Ca-
nadian-American trade pacts.

By HARRY GANNES
| ase impressive, ceremonial sealing of the Anglo-American

and Canadian-American trade treaties,
erest of world andignation against Nazi

coming on the
barbarities, is not

purely incidental to the anti-Hitler revulsion.

Very much to Neville Chamberlain’s chagrin, Washington
did all it could to emphasize the anti-Miunch intent on America’s
part in clinching what the New York Times’ Washington cor-
respondent described as “the outstanding achievement of the

Roosevelt administration.”

Demonstratively, the documents
were confirmed in the Hast Room
of the White House on what is
known as the “Lincoln Cabinet.’
The newspapers let us know that
the last treaty signed on this desk
ence used by Lincoln was the
Kellog-Briand peace pact. Roose-
velts symbolism, then, is as
powerful as it is Simple. America
tells the world in the way it
signs this treaty that the slogan
is: Democracy and Peace!

Premier GChamberlain’s hopes
and aims were quite different,
however. But here the Tories
were caught in their own web.
Ever since he was Chancellor of
the Exchequer, and more insist-
ently when he became Premier,
Chamberlain has been opposed to
the Anglo-American trade under-
standing. He lost no opportunity
to throw obstacles in the way of
consummation of such a deal. It
was only after the Munich trea-
chery that the Tory Premier re-
luctantly agreed to speed up nego-
tiations.

He was, indeed, ready to estab-
lish bonds with this continent at
that time to make sacrifices in
the way of mutual trade arrange-
ments with the American demo
eracy that his Tory soul despises.
He hoped that such ties, under the
mastery of the Hoovers, would
ultimately wind this country up
in the Munich combination.

W FACT, the reason the treaties

are already overdue is that
Ghamberlain strove to inveigle

the United States (with the help
of J. P. Morgan, the Chase WNa-
tional Bank, General Motors,
Ford and the Hoovers) to permit
Germany to horn in on the trade
deal and make it a three-way
understanding.

The Wazi dictators rankling
disappointment over the failure of

this scheme was reported by the
United Press in this way:

“The Anglo-American trade
treaty gets little approval in Ber-
lin because (Nazi) officials have
been trying to find some Means
of tying German trade with the
US into a general Angilo-Ameri-
can-German settlement.”

This INazi aspiration had the
wholehearted backing of Mr.
Chamberlain.

But the American’s people’s
horror at Nazi savagery finally
shattered whatever hopes Cham-
perlain may have yet entertained
that a Nazi rider could be at-
tached to any Anglo-American-—
Canadian trade deal.

)

N THE meanwhile, the intrigu-

ing Chamberlain had put him-
self out on a limb with his nego-
tiations and could not withdraw
or completely hinder them at this
stage.

Moreover, British popular re-
pugnance to Hitler’s barbaric out-
rages made it imperative for
Chamberlain to make gestures
that would make it appear that
all deals were exclusively with
the fascist enemies of mankind.

Hence, in the Anglo-American
trade treaties, Hitler’s London

ally was compelled to make sac-
rifices distasteful to the Tory
gang-

But the voice of Ghamberlain’s
gangs was not silenced. They
spoke out against these treaties.

Waile in the formalities of di-
plomacy, Ghamberlain’s ministers
and envoys exchanged the usual
amenities, the organs of Cham-
berlain’s class cronies in England
vented their spleen against the
treaties.

Lord Beaverbrook’s Daily Ex-
press, despite casting a few cheap
and withered bouquets at the fait
accompli, was outspokenly criti-
cal of the sacrifices in the agree-
ment. Lord Rothermere’s Daily
Mail, also, unable to Zo against
popular approval, nevertheless re—
sorted to pro-fascist backbiting-

HE separate treaty between
the US and Ganada is causing
the greatest apprehension in Bri-
tish Lory circles. The effect of
this understanding between the
two North American nations will
be to draw Canada and US closer
together in the general Western
Wemisphere’s growing vigilance
to keep fascism out of the Amer
jicas. That means, first of all, to
defeat the Munich plans.

The great political importance
of this trade understanding
should at no time be lost in the
voluminous details of the treaties
involving, as they do, tariffs on
some 150,000 separate items.

Eiven the Associated Press, in a
skimpy Washington dispatch,
caught on when it said:

“Many officials Gn Washington)
clearly considered the new agree—
ments were a reply to the chal
lenge presented by the totalitar—
jan nations’ trade practises such
as the Reich’s barter deals.”

Since Nazi trade, as everybody
knows, is inextricably bound up
with Hitler’s war plans, this reply
to German fascism’s challenge is
certainly more than a commercial
venture.

Tt is, above all, not what the
Tories ordered for plans of fascist
“appeasement.”

And together with. the popular
upsurge (Shown by the signs of
the British byelections) against
CGhamberlain’s policy, the political
weight of the Anglo-American
treaties should tend to tip the
scales against the fascist war-
makers and their Munich accom-—
plices.

Back In Circulation

Just over a week ago Fred
Grange, known widely for his
work on behalf of smgle un-
employed men, was released
from the BC penitentiary after
servings a two-year sentence.
Hiis release came as a sur-
prise to his many friends, and
to those who have not yet
been able to welcome him
back into circulation, the fol-
lowing letter will serve as his
personal thanks te every sup-
porter who in any way helped
in the campaign for his free-
dom.

rs)
Editor, People’s Advocate:

On coming into the world
again, I want to take this oppor-
tunity to thank everyone for their
on my behalf.
My sincerity in saying that is not
Jessened by the fact that those
efforts were unsuccessful. The
eampaign was able to free Harry
Molland, and that in itself tells
me as to the strength and breadth
of the support.

However, there were special in-
cidents in my case that made your
task doubly hard.

Four months after our entry

into the BC penitentiary, there
was a mass protest strike against
the food, which was on the down-
grade both as to quantity and
quality. Following that one man
—the warden—brought 200 men to
trial and sentenced 143 of them
within two days! That should
challenge the record for any kan-
garoo court. Evidence, or the
lack of it, counted for little.
When I pointed that out, the war-
den replied: “I need none. Your
record on the outside is enough
for me.”

in addition
to the usual
sentence of
bread and wat-
er, loss of “pri-
wileges," loss
of “good time.,’’
I was placed
with 21 others
on what came
to be called
the “outlaw
gang.” We
were separated
from the rest
of the prison-
ers. Every rule
was strictly enforced and the
toughest screws (guards) were
placed in charge of us. Wot one
of us escaped further punishment
in the ensuing months.

Wred Grange

As a result of this, when I had
served one year and an applica-
tion for parole was in order, the
warden could produce enough
“crime sheets’ to serve as an ex
cuse for the Parole Board to deny
me my freedom.

In short, friends, this was
merely another story of the dis-
crimination generally practised
against anyone who goes to pri-
son for activity in the working-
class movement.

I do not propose at this time
to discuss at length the methods
used in the jails amd peniten-
tiaries of Canada. I must first
read the report published by the
Royal Commission appointed at
Ottawa to inquire into the whole
matter I can merely say that I
noted very few results of a bene—
ficial nature as a result of that
probe, conducted by that very ex-
pensive body.

In conclusion, I may say that
when Justice Manson sentenced
us to two years, I needed nothing
to convince me as to my place in
the working-class movement.
That two years has not changed
my viewpoint one iota. Therefore,
in greeting you again, I can still
sign off as:

Yours in the struggle,

Fred Grange.

Comments From Our Readers

DR. CURRY ASSISTS
Editor, People’s Advocate:

The recent mass meeting at the
Empress Theatre addressed by
veterans of the Mackenzie-Papin-
eau Battalion, judging by the lib-
eral applause and financial re-
sponse, must have thrilled the
whole audience as much as it did
me.

To hear Bob Kerr and. the
others from Spain tell of their
fight with the mad dogs of fas-
eism, and of current events else-
where, makes us realize they were
also fighting for democracy in
Canada and for mankind in gen-
eral. Hundreds of our Canadian
poys have suffered and died in

ain, fighting against those so-

‘al forces which mean death and
destruction, and the question now
is, how can we begin to pay this
debt we owe these men, many of
whom are in great need of ne-
cessities and comforts of life.
How can we prove we are worthy
of the sacrifice of this best blood
of Canada?

If our federal and local goyv-
ermments really represented de-
mocracy, they would provide
these returning men with the ne-
cessary consideration, but until

est
ada instead of the corporate in-
ter i

ests. we as individuals or orm

fZanizations must see that these
returning veterans are provided
for.

Many like myself cannot con-
tribute cash worth while, but
many could help in other ways. L
know that the health and comfort
of many of these comrades is ima-
paired for the need of dentistry,
so, as a starter, I hereby agree to
contribute to them $50 in dental
services between now and the
WNew Year.

Dr. W. J. Gurry, DDS,
Birks Bldg.

GREET MACPAPS
Eiditor, People’s Advocate:

Seeing articles in the Advocate
concerning returned volunteers
from Spain prompted us to write.
Two of the volunteers are well
lIknown here in Atlin. We could
not be in Wancouver to greet
them on their return, so we are
taking this means of showing
them our gratitude. for services
rendered to the cause of world
democracy.

We think the returned Macken-
zie-—Papineau Battalion veterans
should be entitled to every con-
sideration, and we here are plan-
ning to make a donation to the
rehabilitation fund in the near
future.

Best wishes to all those who
have returned from Spain..

—Atlin Miners.

TB PATIENTS

Editor, People’s Advocate:

I would like to write a few
lines concerning the plight of ex
patients of TB sanitariums. ost
of these people are on relief and
do not get sufficient to keep body
and soul together. Most of them,
it is true, get more than the aver—
age relief recipient, but the al-
jowance is still insufficient to
keep them from breaking down
and having to return to the TB
ward.

Since a return of such patients
means additional cost to the goy-
ernment, additional relief would
in many cases obyiate caring for
TB patients forced to return for
treatment and would result in a
saving of money.

In conclusion I would like to
state that an organization has
been formed for expatients of
sanitoriums. Aim of this organi-
zation is to better the life of the
ex-patient economically and so-
cially, and to assist them in get-
tinge suitable work. Asa member
I can recommend this organiza-
tion to any ex-patient. It is ealled
the Green Light Club and meets
regularly. jf you are an es
patient of a sanitorium you are
invited to attend our meetings.
For full information phone Sey-
miour 5i7- —One of Many.

December 2, 1838

SHORT JABS

A
Weekly

Commentary

By Ol’ Bill

A Danger Since there is a civic election on
S now, this might be a good time
pot. for the people of Vancouver to

find out which committee of the City Council, or
branch of the police department, has given the B.C.
Collectric permission to use the four blocks of Main
Street between Twelfth and Sixteenth avenues as
a switching yard.

Any weekday evening between six and seven
o'clock, that stretch of Main street in front of the
Fourteenth avenue barns and the two blocks either
way from there are the scene of the most danger—
ous traffic handling in all North America. There
the spectator may see railroading at its worst as

Cars are switched contrary to all accepted railroad
practice.

Street cars travelling north from Sixteenth use
the wrong side of the road in face of southbound
traffic. Other cars use crossovers and Y's at both
Twelfth and Sixteenth in such numbers as to block
entirely the southbound traffic lanes. While £
watched one evening last week, I saw some autos
and bicycles weaving in and out among Cars travel-
ling in the wrong direction and others with less
venturesome drivers, compelled to break the traffic
regulations by passing on the wrong side of the
street for two whole blocks. They either had to do
that, or wait the pleasure of the B.C. Collectric for
an hour—or use some other street.

During the time I waited I heard the siren of a
fire-wagon and got out of the way to see what sort
of a smash-up was coming off, a smash that would
have undoubtedly brought death to some one, but
happily the firemen went off on a side street.

Specialists A few weeks ago the “Buzzard”
A Ww LE wrote of the great number of

= Ors. specialists who work for the
B.C. Octopus: schedule-makers, traffic-checekers,

inspectors, ete. If this scandalous eondition of af-—
fairs is a sample of their work it is time they were
changed for a few level-headed roustabouts who
never had any special training but are gifted with
horse-sense nad consideration for.their fellow men,
whose business compels them to use their own
streets.

Tf the advoeates of the city manager plan, who
talk of borrowing the forty-five-thousand dollar
ourrain from the B.G. Collectric, could see this
sample of his management, they might not be so
hot about securine his services as City manager.

I asked a uniformed employee of the company if
this was a refular performance. He informed me
that it was, and that his union had taken up the
matter with the company management in the in-
terest of its members, on two occasions, but had
failed to have any change made. “Safety Furst,”
with this nickel-snatchinge corporation is so much
hypocritical babble, earnestly spoken of only when
it is to save them expenditures from the dividend
colunin.

A Job Alderman Crone and wis 200

spotters brigade would be well
For Crone. employed if their efforts were
directed to putting an end to this disgraceful
traffic condition. The Chief of Police, too, would be
doing more for the welfare of the citizens of Van-
couver if he would move in this matter instead of
using his force to arrest peaceful pickets for e=-
pressing the horror of all decent people against
the Nazi terror that is murdering and robbing de-
Fenceless racial and religious minorities; against
the Nazi party, of which the German consul is un-
doubtedly a member, whose anthem is the “Horst
Wessel” elorification fo a pimp in which they sing

“When knives are red with Jewish blood
Then will be happy days.”

However, responsibility rests on the shoulders of
the City Council and the police. I make this state-
ment here and now, that I will send a copy of this
paper to the Mayor and every alderman and to
Chief Foster and the inspector at the head of the
traffic branch. If this inexcusably criminal state of
affairs is allowed to continue and any streetcar
operator, automobile driver, passenger or pedes-
trian meets death through it, I will produce a copy
of the paper at- the coroner's inquest and demand
that a charge of manslaughter be preferred against
the before-mentioned mayor, aldermen and police—
men. I hope it will not be necessary-

WW Im every set-to with the B.C.
oO
SS Than Collectric, the City leads with

A Horse-trade. the chin. This tactic is due,

of course, to the gang of Charlie McCarthy puppets
in Vancouver’s corner.

The latest round is the reported approval by the
civic utilities commission of the abolition of the Six-
teenth avenue carline in return for 4 busline al-
ready served by street Car.

By this trade the people of Sixteenth avenue dis—
trict will lose their transportation service, two-and-
a-half streetcar men will lose their jobs, and m0
extra busmen will take their places.

Yet we find Mr. Murrain in his monthly message
in the November number of the Employees’ Maga-
zine, writing: “The cure for unemployment, one of
our most pressing problems, is primarily more em-
ployment . . Every man on the payroll of an in-
dustry has a stake in its continued existence and
interest in its growth and prosperity - - - Em-
ployees of the company should study the situation
and satisfy themselves to what extent their own
welfare is bound up by its welfare”

So Murrain cures unemployment by laying off
two and a half streetcarmen who have “a stake in
the continued existence’ of the B.C. Collectrict
They are also asked to recognize that their interests
are the same as those of the shareholders and bond-
holders, Sir Herbert Holt ete., who live off their toil,
undoubtedly to line them up against the pending
legislation at Victoria regarding public utilities.

A new set-up is needed at the City Hall to deal
with this gang of legalized buccaneers. Mourrain’s
continued refusal to extend the service on excuses
that the company is losing $50,000 a year on “feeder
lines” must be ignored by the city. The company
does not lose a nickel on feeder lines. Phe street car
system is an integral system and must be con-
sidered as such and not as a group of lines each of
which must pay extortionate dividends.

Put a council in at the City Hall which will make
service the criterion in dealing with the B.C. Collec-
tric and not act as though they felt like passing the
hat for poor Mr. Murrain and Sir Herbert.

iii EI as ARR Sy TA PTET

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