THE PEOPLE'S ADVOCATE Page Thres \OVIET GUIDES I; of the New York World’s Fair are being instructed by Rockefeller Center guides on the observation — Some of the 40 young men and women students sent to New York by the Soviet Dnion to act as guides and interpreters at the USSR pavil- SEAMEN PICKET — Members of the CIO National station as part of the boycott of four oil companies, struck April 17 by Maritime Union picket a service 4200 seamen on 136 oil tankers. The companies have refused to renew union agreements for wage increases and union hiring. ; of of the RCA Building. Dunning Budget Will Put Brake On Canada's Special to the Advocate ' TORONT O, Ont.—Recovery in Canada will be hindered, not led, by the Dunning budget introduced in the House of Com- ons last week, declared Norman Freed, executive secretary of e Communist Party, in a press statement giving the opinions his party on the federal sovernment’s financial program for 739-40. “To properly estimate the budget it is necessary to view it in Slation to the main problem ec onfronting the people and the juntry,” Freed said. “The main problem is economic recovery d increased purchasing power. > diess the sitdown strike of the x capitalists is ended and the are of the national income to whkers, farmers and middle class ople greatly increased, we will faster toward economic disas- '-Chree main methods to restore prebasiog power and bring eco- ) mic recovery were cited by > eed. (1) Imereased taxation of the iremendous amounts of idle cap— al now in the hands of big usiness, putting it into circula- on by way Gf social legislation ad public works projects. (2) Federal assistance to the armers in the way of minimum uaranteed prices for their pro- ucts, curbing oi monopoly riees of industrial goods they nust buy, as well as writing iown the debits that weigh so ieavily on the shoulders of the arming population. (3) Emactment of a é shorter working day, a national mini- num wage and the codified right |i workers to organize and bar- ain collectively with their em- loyers. ; such measures,” Freed empha- »zed, “would increase purchasing (wer by adding to the demand for omsumers’ goods as well as capi- 1 gecds, thus stimulating invest ent and the extension of private “usiness. = feature of the Dunning udget is a handsome gift to the ig financiers,” he charged. “It is big business budget, which does ot #0 whole hog in heeding the emands of finance capital to cut rvices, to halye their taxation as emanded by the Leadership ,eague; but it do¥s go a good part £ the way to meet their demands.” Big business will never invest its lapital because of moral consider- ions to provide people with jobs. capital investments will be made miy when big business interests ave the piled-up reserves and un- istributed profits taxed to the hilt nd when these taxes are greater han upon capital invested in pre- juction, not by increasing the al- eady enormous profits of big busi- 1eSs, Which is what is done when he government hands them gifts n the form of rebates,” Freed said. In addition, the only possible yay to increases production, ere- te new demands for consumers’ -oods, increase the purchasing sOwer of the people, is to tax the wo and a half billions which big jusiness has piled up in reserves, Lot to lessen corporation taxes as Dunning has done. “Ehis budget will not solve our problems either in industry or agriculture,’ Freed continued. “It is not what the people de City Hall Highlights This Week GOLDERS of the franchise are going to be able to seitle this daylight saving problem their own way—by a plebiscite. City Council made that decision this week after much argument and a considerable amount of confusing discussion. The matter will be settled on May 10 when electors go to the polls to select an alderman. If the matter is not decisively settled on that date, there is a possibility that it will be submitted to citizens again next December. Meantime critics of the admin- istration have been heard to mut- ter that “if only the city fathers could get so worked up about something worthwhile—say slum clearance and housing.” eS HE Dominion government vwill be asked to renew its grant to cover continuance of public school instruction in technical and agricultural subjects, City Council decided. The present 10- year grant expires this year. @ HME active and civic-minded West End Community Cen- ter has petitioned the Park Board for new quarters since the north end of the old English Bay bathhouse “has been leased to a private concern, and as a result the Board has recom- mended to City Council that one of the dwellings owned by the city at English Bay be alloted to the Center as a replacement. @ HE Dominion government’s failure to come to an apree- ment wtih the provincial govern- ment regarding financing works schemes is jeopardizing Vancou- ver’s $1,000,000 unemployment works scheme for 1939, City Council was informed this week. The city’s “work test” will mean- time continue to the end of May pending further arrangements which Premier Pattullo may ar- rive at during his current trip to Ottawa. The federal government recently notified Victoria it was not prepared to make “uncondi- tional loans” to BC for such pro- jects. ‘Non-Partisan League’ Faces Damage Action mand and must be fought. People must demand a budget that will introduce 2 policy of easing the burden of taxation on the work- ers, farmers and middle class people, transferring this burden to these most able to carry it. “Members and supporters of the siberal Party along with the rest if the Canadian people should re udiate Dunnine’s budget and call mn their MP’s to fightt against it. Junning has proved himself to be he stooge of big business interests. Ne wonder the Globe and Mail and ke Montreal Gazette are pleased with his budget.” Hearings in the cases of 26 elec- tion workers seeking to recover an aggregate wage claim of $894 from the Non-Partisan League for electioneering work done during the civic elections last December were adjourned in County Court Wednesday by Judge J. N. Ellis until Priday. The workers claim they were left out while others were paid off at the rate of $15 and $17 per week. (Reported in the People’s Advocate February 10.) Only seven of the 26 have been heard in their claim Housewives In City © TLC DISCUSSES DRIVE TO BUILD UNIONS IN CITY Plan Referred To Executive Board For Further Changes Without a dissenting voice delegates to the Trades and Labor Council Tuesday night endorsed the recommendation to refer the organizing commit- tee’s three-point plan to or- ganize the unorganized back to the executive board for further consideration and improve- ment. In the preamble to the plan as read out by Secretary Percy Ben- gough, the Leadership League is eited as an organ of big business with a program to offset organ- jzational drives now being conduct— ed in Ontario as a prelude to smashing the trade union move- ment—the corner stone of democ- racy. Proposal of tue organizing com- maittee is for existing locals to make a survey of their industry and move to build up the unions to full membership by establishing an or- ganizing committee in each local which will cooperate with the Gouncil’s committee and the inter- national offices. Suggestions for a survey of the industries within the scope of the Trades Council would prove that many new unions could be estab- lished. It was stated that there are nearly 100,000 unorganized workers in the province that could be en- rolled by the Vancouver body giv- ing the incentive. Wide distribution of trade union pamphlets, open meetings, radio and the use of the Labor States- man ,organ of the Council, were mentioned as mediums to aid in the organizing campaign. Gharles Stewart, organizing com- mittee chairman, asked for a thorough discussion on the plan when it is finally passed and sent to the locals. “This is not a finished product,” said Stewart, “and I would welcome eriticism in order to make it a bet- ter plan. “While our committee has been doing some good work, we have never felt satisfied that we have done all we could and perhaps other union members have felt the same way,’ he concluded. LEWIS WARNS STRIKE ACTION NEW YORK, NY — Unless the contract with the United Mine Workers of America is signed with- in a few days, a walkout in the en- tire coal industry may be called, UMWA President John Ll. Lewis de- clared as he announced he had called the union’s policy committee to discuss the month-old deadlock in negotiations. Declaring that their “Stop Lewis” drive “never did develop more than three rabbit power,” Lewis warned the coal operators to decide immediately if they want a contract with the union. He made his statement as the mine owners continued caucusing and still withheld their answer on the government's proposal to end the deadlock, caused by operators’ refusal to renew agreements and delete a strike penalty clause. Restaurant Union Asks Catering By-law Changes Amendments to civic catering by-laws which demand a more rigid standard of cleanliness in the handling of food in restau- rants, cleaner kitchens and protection of help from contagion as outlined in a brief presented by Hotel and Restaurant Em- ployees Union met with the ap-@Union will meet with workers em-— proval of Trades Council delegates Tuesday night. Delegate William Stewart in pre— seting the brief asked for Coun- ecil’s endorsement in order to lend their case more effectiveness when presented to Ald. H. LL. -Corey, chairman of the Social Services Committee. Palomar Gafe was now a2 union house, Stewart informed the dele- gates, and negotiations are pro- ceeding with the Hotel Vancouver for agreements covering the cater- ing employees. In a letter of reply to Council’s resolution seeking the eight-hour day for seamen, Labor Minister Pearson replied that the jurisdic- tion rested with the federal goy- ernment. Inland Boatmen’s Uion delegates, initiators of the demand, were asked to meet with the exe- cutive board of the Council to make further plans to gain the eight-hour day. Support for the eight-hour day was gaining ground, Delegate Dris- coll informed Council delegates. We also said towboat owners were being pressed by the BC Loggers Association to bar union men on the threat that non-compliance with this would mean loss of tow- ing from Association camps. An international representative of the Boot and Shoe Workers ployed in this industry and parti- cularly Leckie employees, who are still ocked out, in an effort to con- solidate the union, P. R. Bengough informed delegates. Chairman of the Council’s boy- ecott committee, Sam Shearer, tola delegates that a survey. of de- partment stores revealed the un- scrupulous methods of hiding an article’s country of origin with price tags. Woodword’s store was mentioned as selling all varieties of made in Japan canned fish. Delegate Herriott of the Barber’s Union asked that the barber shop in the new Hotel Vancouver be placed on the Council's “we do not partonize” list because of the man- ager’s anti-union attitude. In response to a request for dele— gates to attend the Jubilee Chil- dren’s Summer Camp semi-annual eoference in O’Brien Hall on May 21 at i1 am, Delegates Barbara Gehle of Hotel-and Restaurant Eim- ployees and Sidney Wybourne of the Street Railwaymen’s Union were named by the executive. Applications for membership in the Retail Clerks’ Union are being received from employees of the new Army and Navy department store, reported Don Maxwell, and employees in the same trade in Victoria are reviving the union there. 12 Loggers Killed In Six Weeks Of Operation Death toll from logging accidents in 1939 reached twelve this week as five more deaths were recorded during a two-week period, officials of the International Woodworkers of America announced. It is estimated the average toll has been two loggers a week, based on the fact that camps went into full operation only six weeks ago. Latest fatality occurred at Boyles and Groves Camp at Port Weville, where Nels Peterson, aged 54, was killed when struck by a2 sapling. Other victims within the two- week period were Peter Arens, em- ployed at Stoltz Logging Company, Squamish; Poy Ching, killed at Summit Log, Malahat; Tatio Ta- teke, killed at the Kapoor Camp at Shawnigan Lake; and Edward Edwardson, killed at the Dong Beach Log Camp on Texada Island. Seven others had been killed over an earlier four-week period. Acci- dents during thesame period have reached several hundreds. Last year a new record for fatal- ities in logging camps was reached with 63 death, showing a steady increase over the average over the 1934-38 period. While deaths this year are slightly below the same period of last season, the five fatal aeccidets within a two-week period indicate that with logging opera-— tions now at full swing, lack of safety regulations and the speedup system seem likely to result in a new record for the 1939 season. NEW WESTMINSTER, May 4— City Council adopted a tax rate of 70 mills Monday night for land levy only, an increase of five mills in comparison with last year. One and one-half milis estimated io raise $12,000 will be tagged for in- ® i ereased school costs HEPBURN KILLS LABOR BILL Special to The Advocate TORONTO, Ont. — True to his role as the spokesman of reaction and anti-labor forces in Canada, Premier Mitchell Hepburn waited until the closing minutes of the Ontario legislature last Thursday to kill the Croll bill on freedom of trade union association, which was backed by the whole organized jabor movement of the province and of Canada Im the face of the fact that labor had made its position absolutely clear—it was selidly behind the pill as originally introduced—Labor Minister Norman Hipel read a pre- pared statement about conferences with “some officials of trade union organizations” to explain his mo- tion that the bill not be given third reading. Hipel was trying to hide the fact that labor was not prepared to ac- cept certain amendments proposed which would have emasculated the bill, amendments put forward by lebbyists of the Canadian Manu- facturers Association. “The voice of the Canadian Man- ufacturers Association was strong- er in the ears of the government than the unanimous voice of labor and the people of the province,” was the summarized comment of trade union leaders to the Hepburn move. © RISING PRICES BRING PROTEST TO RETAILERS Not Taking Action Against Grading Act Says League Sec’y Recent sharp increase in the price of meat to consumers will be protested on a city-wide seale as women’s organizations made preparations this week for a “meat strike” during the week May 14 to May 21. The decision to call for 2 “meat- less” week was made at the recent conference sponsored by the Housewives Leasueand attended by. representatives of 27 other wom- en’s groups, at which delegates pledged themselves to boycott re- tail butcher shops and refuse ta buy any meat whatever. Support for the strike is now being discussed, with a number of organizations already haying re- ported favorably on the move, ac- cording to Mrs. —&. M. Norton, presi- dent of the Housewives’ League. “Feeling is running high among housewives of the city,” she told. the Advocate, “and our organization feels that only some effective protest such as ount- lined will bring prices into line with pocketbooks.” She said the strike was not aimed at the Beef Grading Act as such. “There is an impression in the city that we are opposed to the Act and that we are blaming it for the high prices,” she explained, “but on the contrary, we want to make the public realize that the Act is not responsible for higher prices it’s the retailer who is using the Act as an excuse to boost prices.” Larger meat retailers were cor- ralling all the best meat and sell- ing it at lower prices than the small retailer could afford te buy, Mrs. Worton explained. “Our strike is aimed at bring- ing down retail prices, and if it doesn’t show immedate results, then we intend to call another strike in June, another in July, and in succeeding months untl we convince retailers that we mean business.” When the Beef Grading Act was introduced, consumers were told that very littl Grade A meat would be on the market,-but since the Act went into effect, consumers are finding that there is a great deal of Grade A beef and very little C and D grades, which were al- most impossible to buy at any ex- cept big downtown markets de- spite the fact that these grades were of good quality. Many women claim that the gov- ernment should appoint a stand-— jng committee to administer the Act. This point of view is expressed by Mrs. M_ le Drew, general organ- izer of the Housewives’ League, who believes this is the only way the price and grade of meat can be regulated. 30 Raids Launched Under Padlock Law MONTREAL, Que. Duplessis’ provincial police have launched over 30 raids on private homes un- der the padlock law in the past three weeks, labor officials report- ed this week. Latest. raid was di- rected against the home of W-. Kashtan, Communist Party or- ganizer, where newspapers and pamphlets were seized. 2. To Call Meat Strike © Wee