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WSPAPER

a FOR PEACE, PROGRESS AND DEMOCRACY

FULL No. 204.

VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, DECEMBER 9, 1938

sa @ 5 Cents

For Mayor

Dr. A. EF. Barton, Labor-Pro-
gressive candidate for mayor, has
been identified with civic admin-
istration for several years
threugh his activity in the rate—
payers’ organization. This year he
was elected president of the
Vancouver Federated, Ratepayers’
Association.

Bom at Westhoughton, near
Manchester, in 1896, Dr. Barton
received preliminary education
in Manchester and took his de-
Sree at Newark, N.J. Im 1920 he
came to Vancouver after a tour
of the U.S.

Dr. Barton has, over a lengthy
period, challenged the civic ad-
ministration in regards to the
False Creek dump and finance
administration.

As the Laber-Progressive'’s can-
didate for mayor, he is the only
one in the field advocating unity
behind a progressive program.

For Alderman

Charles M. Stewart, Labor-Pro-
fressive candidate for alderman,
is 2 native of Dundee, Scotland.
He arrived in Vancouver in 1912
and has resided here since.

At present he is an executive
member of the Vancouver Trades
and Labor CGouncil elected for a
second term 2nd a member of 20
years’ standing in his own union,
Division 101, Street TRailway-
men’s Union. For the past 7 years
he has been an executive officer
of that local.

Stewart is lkeenly-interested in
‘slum clearance and the building
of 5000 homes by using the fed-
eral housing scheme which would
employ some 9000 buildimg trades
workers now on relief.

Pax revision downward for
these least able to pay and in-
creasing assessments on large
corporations which do not pay
their fair share is one of his
main planks.

For School Board '

Mrs. £fiie Jones, Labor-Pro-
gressive candidate for school
beard, was born in England of
Welsh parentage and like her
parents she chose teaching as a
profession after graduating from
Hereford Teachers’ Training Col-
lege and Swindon Science and
Technical School.

Mrs. Jones taught in schools
in England and Wales until her
marriage in 1920 in which year
She arrived in Vancouver.

Prizes won by Mrs. Jones for
oul paintings testify to her ability
2S an artist.

in 1919 she won second prize
in the Midland Counties of Eng-
land competition for a life study
in oils. ,

4 first prize was awarded her
by the Canada Pacific Exhibition
(Vancouver) in Sept., 1920.

Since giving up her active worl
as a teacher, Mrs. Jones has still
kept abreast of that interesting,
though poorly paid, profession.

Nigel Morgan

ARLIAMENT

is now ready to

hipntail for home and unless
another sixty-eight mile pale, either
atmospheric or legislative, breaks
the dull monotony of bill upon bill
Which the government is produc—
ing- like rabbits out of a hat, it is
expected the session will be pro-
rogued early next week.

However, the Utilities Bill is not
completed yet; the police estimates
ave still to be considered (during
which it is anticipated Blubber Bay
activities will come in for a lengthy
criticism by progressives); the labor
bill is scheduled for a working over
by the CCF (Gf not by the govern-
ment), without mentioning other
bills already on the order paper:

As usual, the “annual legislative
Stampede’ is in progress, hours
having been wasted earlier in the
session. Now that the members
have had their minds dulled and
begun to think of home and
Christmas, the fovernment is pack—
ing it in as hard as it can with
threats of “‘morning, noon and
night.”’

@

FIXHE chief item of debate these

days is the newly proposed
Dtiilty Control measure, which BC
Electric’s “chief lobbyist,” Wendel
B. Farris, is carefully watching.
The members are having their
troubles in giving this important
piece of legislation the considera-
tion it deserves. Mr. Maitland is
Worrying about the “hardship it
might work on the utility com-
panies.” while Mr. Winch from
Vancouver Fast, who doesn’t care
SO much about the utility com-
panies, is seeking ‘‘a new deal for
the consumers.”

We worries if the new act will
really control the utility companies
and if there is any possibility it
might be thrown out by the courts

as being “ultra vires.”’

when the

During the debate,
lights went “on strike” (storm
damage) the parliamentary at-

tendants had some difficulty in ob-
taining candles, although there
seemed to be no shortage of bottles
in which to stand them.

&. EF. Winch in appealing for an
annual contribution from the Pub-
lic Works Department for clearing
the Coquitlam River Channel, this
week shattered party lines com-
pletely. In endorsing his plea he
told the Minister of Public Works,
“TI am speaking today for the Lib-
eral Association of Burnaby and I
want to tell the Hon. Minister that
they think they deserve more con-
sideration.”

Ss

WORTHWHILE suggestion
came from the government
benches this week when Tom King,
“parliament's second chief jester,”
made a serious appeal to the gov-
ernment to consider transferring
relief work to a public works sys-
tem. He said he was sure that if
the work was done at a suitable
rime of the year instead of when-
sver- it “had to be worked out,” a
much better return would be re-

(Continued on page 5)
See THIS WEEE

NS
MERGE

Ranks of the Pacitie Coast
Fishermen’s Union were
swelled by 180 members of the
BC ‘Trolliers’ Association this

UNI

week when members of that
organization voted to merge
with the PCFU, largest gillnet-
troller organization on the

coast.

Six deliesates, including the presi-
dent and secretary, were elected to
attend the PCEU convention which
got under way this weekend and-
will continue to Sunday.

BC Trollers had for some years
been occupied mainly with legis—
lative problems affecting the fish-
ing industry, and in voting to
merge, Members were granted the
Tight to establish a similar legis-
lative committee within the PCFU.

“One of the best moves ever made
in the fishing industry,’ stated
John Gavin, PCEU secretary. ‘It
marks almost the last obstacle to
unifying all gillnet and trollers’ or-
ganizations on the coast, and should
help to conyince the membership
of the federal union on the Fraser
River of the necessity for a sim-
ilar step.’’

He was referring to recent action
of the BC Fishermen’s Protective
Association which turned down a
proposal last Saturday to allow the
PCFU, now 1200 strong, to merge
under its Trades and Labor Con-
gress charter.

Vote against accepting the PCKU
as a body was 44 to 32.

Gus Cogswell, organizer for the
PCGHEU, attended the meeting in New
Westminster to present the pro-
posals of his union.

WANT BAKERY
CLASSED UNFAIR

Complaints were received by the
Vancouver Trades and Labor Coun-—
ceil Tuesday that members of the
Bakery Salesmen’s Union were go-
ing through picket lines established
by Local 468 of the Bakery and Con-
fectionery Workers’ Union.

Reporting for the grievance com-
mittee, S. Hughes urged that off-
cials of the two unions thrash out
the matter with the Council execu-
tive in order that the Woman's
Bakery may be placed on the “we
do not patronise’’ list.

In a letter addressed to the
council, Local 42, Jewelry Workers’
Union, declared the “‘whole trade
union movement is being held up to
ridicule” by the practise of one
ABT, union going through picket
lines set up by another APT union.

‘We do not intend to patronise
any of these stores until the dis-
pute is finished,” the letter con-
cluded.

Delegate J. Humphreys of the
Bakery and Confectionery Work-
ers’ Union appealed to delegates, if
they knew of any small stores
bandlings goods distributed by the
Woman’s Bakery, to speak to the
proprietors and encourage them to
discontinue carrying such stock.

Bill 94 Amendment Stands;

Bengough Scores Interference

agreement that union officials
would be recognized as bargainin=
agents for their membership,’’

Bengough stated. “Such recosni-
tion, however, is conditional upon
the fact that the union was in ex—
istence prior to passin= of the
amendment on December 7. It is
not all we desired by any means,
but at least it gives us an oppor-
tunity to g0 head with other
changes,’ he added.

The Trades Couneil secretary
tock exception to interference in
the negotiations by Col. Edgett,
Industrial Council head, whe ac-
companied Senator Farris to Vic-
toria on Tuesday protesting the
amendment to Clause 5.

“We could have no objection to
employers represented by the Ga-
nadian Manufacturers’ Association
voicing an opinion on Bill 94,” Ben-
gough remarked. “But Col. Edgett

represents no group and should not

have been considered as in the pic-

ture.
“We strongly resent the interfer-

Hirst agreement to amend Bill 94°
was made last November 24, when |
the entire cabinet met a delega-—

tion from the Trades and Labor
(Congress and agreed Clause 5
would be amended since it aided
company unionism. A written copy
of the agreed clause was later re—
ceived by Bengough.

Last week Secretary Bengough
received a further letter from
Adam SBell, -deputy minister of
labor, suggesting a last minute
change as recommended by Pear-
Son which would have amended the
elause to read:

“It shall be lawful for employees
to bargain collectively ...and if a
majority of employees affected are
organized in a trade union to con-
duct such bargaining through of-
ficers of such union, duly elected
by employees from their numbers.”

Last seven words proposed for
insertion would have negated the
whole effect of the amendment.

An Fditorial

AL. NEW CIVIC FORCE

\ 7] ANCOUVER citizens will go to the polls next Wednesday
to elect a new civic administration as a climax to a hard-

fought contest.

Unlike previous elections, major issues in this campaign.
are sharply defined, and the position of the candidates toward
Vancouver’s urgent problems stand out in a clear light.

Reason for this is widely conceded to be the entry of a
new force in civic affairs—the Labor-Prosressive movement.
For the first time in the city’s history, electors will have the
opportunity of voting for a Labor-Progressive slate which
represents some 60,000 members of trade unions, ratepayers’
organizations, veterans and women’s groups. No other can-
didate or group of candidates can lay claim to such popular,

democratic backing.

It is this new factor in civic life which brought into sharp
relief the principal issues affecting Vancouver citizens that
divided the contesting candidates and their program into two
main groups—civic reform and real progress as represented
by the Labor-Progressives, civic reaction and big business
control as represented by Col. Nelson Spencer, Mayor Miller

and the Non-Fartisans.

@

pee Advocate has supported the Labor-Progressives slate
because it represents the first successful attempt to es-
tablish a broad, democratic front movement in the field of

municipal affairs.

We support and urge the election of Dr. A. F. Barton as
mayor of Vancouver because he was nominated and is sup-
ported by a civic conference representing organized labor,
ratepayers and veterans, a conference representative of a wide
section of opinion. We support his candidacy because he is
the only mayoralty contestant to appeal for a united program
and slate of candidates which could be supported by the entire
labor and progressive movement. Similarly we have supported
the other candidates—Charles Stewart for alderman, Mrs.

Ethie Jones for school board.

That is why we appeal now to all supporters of prosress
in civic administration, to all those working for defeat of big
business control at the city hall, to cast their ballots on Barton
for mayor, Charles Stewart for alderman, Mrs. Effie Jones for

sehool trustee.

Vote Labor Progressives in—reaction out!

Amendments te Clause 5 of the Labor Conciliation and Arbitration Act promised last
week by the provincial government will stand with one minor change despite attempts by rep-
resentatives of big business and reaction to completely block the proposal.

This assurance was given a delegation representing the Trades and Labor Congress ex-
ecutive which met with the cabinet on Wednesday. :

The second interview was made necessary by Labor Minister Pearson’s sudden reversal
-of a former promise to amend Clause 5 giving recognition to union officials.

Returning to Vancouver yesterday after meeting the government, Trades Council Sec-
retary Bengough told the Advocate his delegation, while not satisfied with the amendment
as it now stands, is nevertheless prepared to accept it as progress.

“We came away finally with ansence of such individuals,” he added. =

Success _
[mn French

Strike

Clarion Breaks
Through Press
Censorship

FYPEC
VICTO

The labor-progressive cam-
paign committee swung into the
last lap of the campaign this
week to place Dr. A. F. Barton,
Charles Stewart and Mrs. Effie
Jones into the offices of mayor,
alderman and school board re-
spectively.

With voting only six days off,
Campaign Manager William Stew-

art told the Advocate on Thursday
he expects complete success in the

Finally breaking through strict
censorship on news, Canada
learned this week through an ex—
elusive news story carried by the
Toronto Daily Clarion that last
Wednesday’s 24-hour feneral
Strike in France was as effective
as the historic general strike of

* February 12, 1934, and proved a2
magnificent success.

The news was secured through
trans-Atlantic telephone service
in a direct conversation with P.
Darnar, associate editor of
L'Humanite in Paris.

Between 80 and &5 per cent
of all industry was halted. Great
metal works, the miners of
Valenciennes, Anzin and other
coal centres, textile plants, num-
erous department stores and
myriad of industries and shops
were shut down by the protests
of Prance’s working people.

In government offices and
transportation, Daladier dicta-—
torially applied laws applicable
only to a war situation, hamper-
ing the strike by military requi-
Sition.

Threats of violence against the
transport workers forced many
of them to operate the railway
and subway lines at the point of
bayonets, constituting a major act
of force aganist French democ-
racy.

Meanwhile a general election
Seemed probable as the tide of
public opinion mounted against
Daladier. it is understood the
French parliament is to meet De-
cember 9 despite Daladier’s
threats to rule by decree.

Within the WRadical-Socialist
Party the movement away from
Daladier’s incipient fascism has

swelled as a result of labor's
prompt action.
The Daily Clarion story de-

clares that labor’s position was
strengthened enormously by. the
Seneral strike action.

it is considered unlikely that
Premier Daladier will carry into
action his threats to arrest Leon
Blum, leon Jouhaux and Maurice
Thorez and suppress the trade

unions, Communist and Socialist
parties.
French labor and the demo-

cratic People’s Front supporters
are confident the tide has begun
to flow away from the Premier.

drive to elect the Labor-Progressive
slate. :

“Weve got the candidates, we've
got the program, we've got the
backing of all 30 organizations
represented at the nominating con-=

ference,” Stewart said.

“I'm confident, and so is my com-
Mmaiittee, that we're going to make
Civie election history next Wednes-
day,” he added.

As part of the final drive to elect
the three candidates—Sam Shearer
was dropped from the running this
week when he failed to qualify—the
Campaign committe has lined up a2
number of meetings over the week-
end, featured by a Srand rally at
Empress Theatre Sunday night.
Two candidates will also £oO on the
air Friday (tonight). Dr Barton
will speak for 30 minutes over Sta-
tion CKEC from 4:30 to 5 p.m.,
while Charles Stewart -will speak
over CKMO the same night at 9:45
to 10 p.m.

In addition, the election commit-
tee has distributed 100,000 copies
of its platform folder containing
the 12-point program.

Scheduled meetings are as fol-
lows:

Briday: Horticultural Hall, 42nd
at Eraser.

Friday: Prince of Wales Hall,

Seventh at Pine. -

Sunday: Empress Theatre, with

musical program.

POLICE EJECT
ORGANIZERS

AGASSTZ, BC, Dec. 8.—Forcibly
bundled into a provincial police
ear about 200 yards from the Har_
rison Flot Springs Hotel, Tuesday
afternoon, George Henderson and
a companion were driven back to
this town and warned not to leave
that night under pain of arrest. No
charges were laid.

The men, members of the Relief
Project Workers’ Union, told police
when accosted that they were going
to visit friends in the forestry pro-
ject camp in that area. Police
Stated that persons were not al-
lowed to visit in the camps.

Later Henderson spoke with a
camp Official in town who stated
the men were welcome in camp and
would be provided with a meal.

Hienderson declared as his opinion
the police were exceeding their au-
thority.

Officials of the union in Vancou-
ver stated they intend taking the
ios up with provincial authori-_
ies.

sae:

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