PROS WaT ba A 1 Ba NTT ha! Serer ere, PRP ee ee eee epee A BRITISH COLUMBIA’S PROGRESSIVE HOME NEWSPAPER FOR PEACE, PROGRESS AND DEMOCRACY FULL No. 214. VANCOUVER, B.C., F RIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 1939 5 Cents Housing Is Again Evaded BC Federation Brief Requests Quick Action #@& further meeting of Gouncil on the housing question Tuesday found aldermen still trying to dodge the issue of ap- plying for $1,328,000 of federal money for low cost housing de- spite strong representations made by.a group of organizations headed by R. H. Lealess, secre- tary of the BC Federation on Unemployment. Gity fathers offered as an ex- _cuse their objection to starting a scheme which they state will create a “preferred” class of tax— payers as a result of the one per- eent taxation clause in the Na- tional Housing Act, and by which the city would stand to ‘lose’ $2850 per year on 2 i00-house project. Housing advocates were quick to point out, however, that the city “can’t lose what it hasn’t _got” and that meanwhile tax- payers were losing millions an- nualily on increased social ser- vices, police and fire protection for slum areas housing disease- breeding and worthless property. In appearing before council, R. Hi. Lealess presented a brief, sup-— ported by 2 number of other or- ganizations, which pointed to the fact that Canadian governmental bodies had spent some $14,000,000 in 1936 for sheiter relief alilow- ances “without = , wisible ac- ocmplishment.” Eingiand’s: housing scheme was cited as an argument in favor of low cost housing. During a seyen- year period in Britain. 403,000 -dwellime wmnits bad -been built while during the same period private contractors had erected ~2,447,000 homes. Costs of social services, police and fire protection would be re— duced in favor of the citv’s tax peyers, and an incentive given to private enterprise, the brie: pointed out. These arguments were borne out by Mrs. J. Stuart Jamieson, Federation of Progressive VVom- en, who declared that aldermen were shortsighted in objecting to the housing scheme. She said the city was paying out more for social services in the slum areas than it would “lose” in taxation. W. Page, business agent of the Building Trades Council, stated that members of the trade union movement would rent every house built under the scheme, and urged the council not to shirk its duty. But Aid. John Bennett could see nothing but gloom when he said the city was stuck with the soldier's housing scheme shortly after the war, and did not want it to happen again. However, he was reminded by Ald. De Graves that this housing plan was in- tended as a measure to relieve unemployment. Ald. Helena Gutteridge stated those who object to the housing scheme forget that churches and schools are exempt from taxa- tion, and again Aid. John Ben- nett sarcastically interjected with the retort that she should make her campaign speeches from a public platform. She said she would. Wothing further will be done until a reply is had from the convention and the Canadian Conference of Mayors and Muni- cipalities will be urged to seek abolition of the one percent tax- ation, which is borne by the municipality, when they meet in Ottewa in April and will be at- tended by Mayor Telford. city TRAIL WORKERS REJECT PHONEY BALLOT SCHEME Company Gormmittee Refuses to Vote On Blaylock Plan TRAIL, BC, Feb. 16. — Des- perately tryins to ward off or- ganization of the Consolidated Mining and Smelting employ- ees into the International Union of Mine, Mill and Smelter Workers, S. G. Blaylock, presi- dent and general manager, has called a meeting of the Trail and Kimberley committees to “put over” his balloting plan. The Workers’ Gooperative Com- mittee, organized by Blaylock, re— jected the company’s proposal for a vote on the cooperative commiuttee or the international union when it was found that each man would have to mark his ballot opposite his name. = Many termed the scheme as a deliberate and illegal attempt to coerce employees in supporting the company union. There was no question of a secret ballot—it was either vote for the company “or else.” With the committee men’s names and the manner in which they voted in the hands of the company, it would be a simple matter to fire those who dared vote for a bona fide union as an example to other committeemen who planned join- ings a union of his own choice: The majority of smeltermen in the plant here want the union and because of this fact, S. G Biay- lock and other company officials are making desperate attempts to keep their employees free from or- ganized labor unions. Arthur Evans is conducting the union drive among the smeltermen and is meeting with considerable success. ERSATZ COFFEE AMUSING BERLIN New Brew Tastes Like Barley Juice BERLIN, Germany. The German people were making joking remarks this week—when the Nazis wern’t around—about the “weak” coffee situation, the result of a shortage which has brought about the use of ‘“er- satz”” (substitute) coffee. Prominent restaurants have stopped serving genuine mocca and are dishing up a weak brew tasting suspiciously like boiled barley juice. Foreigners of suspicious and analytical bent have sifted their coffee beans and discovered grains which ap- peared very much like barley and were certainly not genuine java ground. - ‘The whole situation has given rise to 2 new and popular joke. Berlimers now declare ‘“there’s plenty of coffee. Any stere will give you a pound free if you buy tyvo pounds of butter and a dozen eggs. AH you have to do is find a store with that much butter and eggs.” } $i200 FUND WILL SAVE PARK SITE Alberni Protects Stamp Falls Timber PORT ALBERNG, BC, Feb: 16 —A campaign to raise $1200, with the government contribut- ing the other half of $2400° set. by the O’Brien Logging Com= pany as its price for quitting logging operations in the Stamp -Palls area, got under way here this week. Some 20 organizations agreed on this policy of saving the tim- ber following a delegation’s visit to Victoria where they were assured by Hon. A. Wells Gray, Minister of Lands, and Labor Minister Pearson that steps would be taken to save the timber as part of the park site. : GC. D. Orchard of the Forestry Department decided after an investigation that the price was a fair one. The government will contribute $1200 if the dis- trict will raise the balance. KARDASH TOUR "BIG SUCCESS’ “Receptions throughout our tour erans from Spain have been splen- did,’ reports Beckie Buhay; who in company with Lieut. William iardash arrived in Vancouver Wed- nesday night on the last lap of their tour westward. : More than $2500 has been con- newspaper editors. All their meet- ings were filled to capacity, Miss Buhay stated. in Winnipeg, editors of the Tri- bune and the Free Press were par- ticularly sympathetic in their in- teryviews and reportage, the latter making a contribution directly to the fund. - Canmore local of the Wnited Mine Workers of America placed an assessment of 50 cents on its members and other locals in Al- berta are following suit. Public officials have been very sympathetic and have stated they will put no barriers in the way of the veterans of the Mackenzie Papineau Batalion seeking assist-— ance, but will help them reestablish themselves in civil life. MORE VETERANS DUE TO ARRIVE Seven more Canadian veterans are due here Sunday morning at &:45 am via CPR. The names of those coming in are Crossley, Ross, McLeod, McBride, Mitchell, Saun- ders and Ron. Liversedge. The latter is well known among the hard rock miners in the province, particularly in Atlin. Another 50 men arrived at Hali- fax last Saturday, a number of whom are destined for coast points and are expected to arrive here in the next few days. A conferemee will be held in Victory Hall for Saturday after- noon at 2 pm where plans will be made to further organize the work of reestablishing the veterans. The best meeting in years was (Continued on Page 5) See MIACG-PAPS Project Men Raise $100 For Mac-Paps More than $100 has been turned Woman’s Bakery Loses Plea For Injunction Application for an ex-parte injunction to stop bakery strikers from picketing the plant and stores of the Woman’s Bakery was blocked last Friday by the Bakery and Confectionery Workers’ Union through their counsel, Nathan Nemetz. The injunction was applied for by fT. P. Elder for the bakery and when it was blocked by the appear- ance of the union’s counsel in Ghief Justice Morrison’s chambers, another attempt was made to se- eure an interim injunction on the grounds that pickets were ‘“mo- lesting and interfering’ with the Bakerys customers. : Ghief Justice Morrison stated that if such were the case; the bak-— ery could complain to the police. After some consideration, Hhear- ing against John Humphreys, bus- iness agent, and six other members of the union on charges of “watch- ing= and besetting’ was set over to Monday, February 27, in Supreré Court. Unstated damages are alsa sought in the writ against the See WOMAN'S (Continued on page 5) into offices of the Friends of the MackenziePapineau Battalion this week by the men in the forestry camps through the Relief Project Workers’ Union, according to union secretary John Matts. A large number of the 300 vol unteers to go from this province to make up the Mackenzie—Papi- neau Battalion, one of the hardest fighting units in the International Brigade in Spain, came from the ranks of the project workers and many made the supreme sacrifice on several battlefronts in the fight against fascist domination of Spain. The men in the forestry camps, although earning 30 cents an hour, feel keenly about the struggle the Ganadian volunteers took part in and haye given the lead to other unions whose membership earns more in comparison. rro¥: The donations came fromeabout seven or eight camps sehere. one or two men were delegated to. soli- eit subscriptions. rae tsiist meso JF". and support for the Canadian vet tributed by people from all wales. of life—churchmen, public officials, | Funds Sent To © Nazi Consulates Appeal For Aid To ‘Our Great Leader’ the Advocate. The letter, which has already ex- cited comment in the Ottawa house, was originally sent out by Wilhelm Rodde, Nazi consul in Winnipeg. A translation of the letter, a copy of which was secured by the Advocate, reads as follows: “The sixth annual Winter Relief drive of the German people is under way. Im this year it stands as a Symbol to the reunification of Austria and Sudetenland with the German homeland. “This greatest historical deed of our leader and chancellor, Adolf Hitler, makes it impera- tive that every German citizen contribute a thank-offeringe to the Winter Relief work and thus prove the unification of the home-— Jand—Greater Germany. “Many of our citizens in Canada have—especially in the winter— reat difficulties in their struggle for existence. We therefore want to help them in their needs and thus bring the great German peo- Seventy-five percent of alll collec- tions in Canada are exclusively used for this purpose. Only when material offerings are brought can true comradeship, fraternity and genuine people’s welfare pre- vail, “Therefore let our needy sisters and brothers feel that we are all members of a great people’s fraternity. “Tremendous problems confront us. Let everyone carry his share and ‘help also this winter to the ple’s society nearer to realizetior. | Canadians of German origin were in receipt of letters this week from Nazi consuls throughout the country appealing for funds for the German national “winter relief’ drive and urging them to contribute freely as a “thank-offering to our leader and chancellor, Adolf Hitler,” according to information secured by The “winter relief” fund drive is an annual affair in Ger- many and has been proven on several occasions to be used primarily to aid Nazi propaganda outside the Reich. ~ best of his ability. : “WILHELM RODDE.” it can be seen by the above that CCR member Grant MacNeil sas justified in charging that WNazi consuls were violating diplomatic privilege in sending the letters through the mails. it is also noteworthy that Rodde considers all Germans in Canada, whether citizens or not, the “prop- erty’ of the German Reich. The reference to “‘our leader and chan- cellor, Adolf Hitler,’ is plain enough in this respect, and tallies with frequent statements by Hit- ler that “Germans everywhere” are ultimately to be claimed for the Greater Germany. H. W. Mahler, German consul in Vancouver, admitted to the press that copies of the letter had been sent to all Germans in British Go- lumbia, but declined to state how much had been collected- Observers in Vancouver Saw the moye as a new and more blatant attempt to propagandize and in- timideate people of - Germar origin in BC. Wilhelm Rodde has been in- volved several times recently in attempts to interfere in Canada’s -domestie affairs, notably in his at- tack on a Winnipee Catholic Chureh leader and his circular let- ter to film censor boards asking a ban on the film Professor Mam- lock. in reply to Grant MacWNeil’s charges Tuesday, Prime Minister Mackenzie King has promised an answer by the government. Tom Mooney Reported As Facing Major Operation this week. ISLAND MINERS FACING LAYOFFS NANAIMO, Feb. 16. United Mine Workers of America in an ef- fort to stave off further layoffs in the coal mines in the district will meet with the Board of Trade and industrial interest on Monday seeking their cooperation in inves- tigating the mainland coal market which William Atkinson, UMYWA representative, declares is affected by the influx of Alberta coal. The union official claims the A)- berta product is sold more cheaply because of easier accessibility to the pitheads and more favorable rail rates through the Crow’s West Pass. Grave concern is caused in WNa- naimo and district through the closing down of Wo: 1 mine, adding 306 miners to the growing list of unemployed. Instead of keeping production up to the same level as last year dis- trict mines have fallen off con- siderably with the result that Cumberiand mine has laid off 150 Miners, Chambers 80 and WNorth- field 40. zi A campaign to divert Alberta coals eastward, thus leaving the market open to the Island product, is hoped for by union officials. Some few weeks ago the Board of Trade, on the request of the UMWA, sought to have the Paci- fic Great Eastern railway burn Vancouver Island coal. The loss of the Vancouver island coal market is estimated at 30 percent, and the union is intent on regulating it in order to keep its members off relief rolls. SAN FRANCISCO, Cal—Tom Mooney, labor’s famous ex- prisqner, is scheduled to undergo a major operation within five or six days, personal friends of the great labor fighter announced 7. He is now under the elose atten- ti on of his physician, Dr. Leo Elo- esser, famous surgeon and a lead- ing member of the American Med- ical Unit in Spain during 1937-38. Dr. Eloesser has ordered Tom to rest for several days prior to the operation, which will attempt to remove the source of a stomach ailment which nearly proved fatal several years ago in San Quentin. Mooney collapsed last Saturday while boarding a plane at Los An- geles for a speaking engagement in Monterey. He was also scheduled to ad- dress the Negro World Congress and the Motion Picture Artists’ Democratic Committee in Los An- geles during this week. > er WEIR DECLARES LANGLEY SALARY AWARD BINDING School Board Refuses Te Agree con Ruling Of Gov’t Arbitration Recognition of an arbitra- tion board’s award rendered in favor of Langley school teach- ers was rejected Tuesday night by the Langley School Board despite the statement of Hon. George M. Weir, Minister of Education, that “when an ar- bitration board has been set up by law and a decision handed down we expect British ‘subjects to obey that law.” The decision of the arbitration board is binding on both parties and must be implemented, recard- less of which party benefits or loses by the decision, he declared, adding that anyone who objected was not fit to be on a school board. The ministers statement fol lowed the threat of ‘J. W. Berry, school board chairman, to the ef fect that the ruling would be pro- tested. School board estimates of $31,000 were passed by the municipal council Monday night without in- handed down by the arbitration board. . A. A. Milledge, who was ap- peinted by Chief Justice Mor- rison when the school board de clined to nominate an arbiter, stated the municipality was well able to meet the increase as it - amounted -te only five-sixths of = il Having lost the case, the school board has written the Department of Education stating: ‘We, in the municipality, are in a better posi- tion to decide the issue than an arbitration board from the out Side.” Teaching staffs in Victoria re— cently lost the major award of a similar board, but unlike the Langley School Board have ac- cepted the ruling with far better * Spirit. A dispute between 29 teachers and the Delta School Board was settled by arbitration Tuesday resulting in a2 compromise award granting the teachers $2052 in- stead of the $4733 they asked. D. E. MacKenzie of New West- minister was chairman of the board, while Harry Charlesworth, Vancouver, BC Teachers’ Hedera-— tion presented the teachers’ case and Reeve A D. Patterson acted for the school board. Revelstoke sought a decrease in teachers’ salaries but an arbitra— tion board ruled in favor of the teachers granting them an in- crease of $830. Establishing a regu- lar seale was more the concern of the teachers rather than a salary increase. Representatives of teachers will appear before the Gumberland etiy council to seek a restoration ef a 25 percent salary reduction imposed on them four years ago. Henry T. Watson and G. Apps Presented the case to the school board and received the support of Trustee S. L. Robertson who stat- ed the restoration of the salary cut Was one of the planks in his elec- tion platform. Embargo Council Plans Extension Of Activities Vancouver Embargo Council plan an extension of the cam-— paign to secure signatures to petitions seekins an embargo on shipments of war materials to Japan and other aggressor nations. Tables will be set up on principal street corners throughout the eity offering citizens who have not yet signed another opportunity. Postcards will also be available on March 4 when Council members set up the tables. Citizens will be asked te sign the postcard and forward it on to Ottawa demand- ing a ban on war shipments to eeuntries declared as the aggres- ser by the Leasue of WNations, namely Germany, Italy and Japan. imelusion of all Ganadians throughout the Dominion in the movement to petition the federal fovernment for an embargo are now in preparation. Only in a few instances haye the petition lists been sent eastward. Among the signature lists which the Council has received, now con- taining some 12,000 signatures and more coming in, are lists from Alberta and Saskatchewan, where as yet no organized attempt has been made to cover the provinces. Quesnel citizens covered their territcry in sub-zero weather with considerable success. Kelowna cit izens signed lists at a meeting last Sunday and further efforts are being made to canvass every resi- dent. Delegates elected to attend the Victoria Embargo Couneil on Feb— ruary 25 and 26 and Kelowna were: Prof. W. G. Black, Miss Ruth MacWilliam, Mrs. J. Stuart Jam- ieson and John Stanton, labor at- torney. Other speakers at Wictoria will be Howard Costigan, Washington Commonwealth Hederation execu- tive secretary, and Allan Cham- bers. cluding the $2975 salary increase.