elie teresa arte eee EE AEACKAPIOCLIWAY WOULD PROVID Wiesel Gee SUC Srwonnecreens BRITISH COLUMBIA’S PROGRESSIVE HOME NEWSPAPER FOR PEACE, PROGRESS AND DEMOCRACY FULL No. 237. VANCOUVER, B.C., FRIDAY, JULY 28, 1939 Would Be Major Factor In Returning Men To Work. Jobs for 5000 men for five years. This is what construction of the Alaska Highway means to British Coiumbia. It means in- creased purchasing power for thousands of British Columbia families who for years have been unable to purchase even many of the necessities of life. Hard-hit small storekeepers through- out the province will feel the benefits. Industry on the coast will surge forward. New country rich in timber and minerals will be opened up. Communities now isolated will be given ac- cess to the main centres, will be able to grow. British Columbians who, like millions of Canadians through- out the country, are becoming convinced of the need for a na- tional recovery program to put idle capital to work, to provide jobs and security, see in the Alaska Highway a major project that will go a long way towards making this program a reality. Reactionary imterests are seek-© ing to obstruct construction of the highway on the ground that it would jeopardize Canada’s inde pendence. Paced with overwheim- ine demand for the project, they talk vaguely about defense com- plications. British Columbia, they say, will become a second Belgium. But what are the facts? Security for the people of British Golumbia means not only economic security, but security from fascist aggression. With increasmg ap- prehension, people on the coast see Japan carving her way to wards a goal she has declared is nothing short of complete domin- ation of the Pacific. They note Japan’s steady economic penetra-— ion of this province, concealed behind the front of Canadian big business. They see Japan even sow preparing to demonstrate that the BC coast is within range of her bombers. The hollowness of the reaction— aries’ arguments is exposed in the very fact that a fascist aggressor establishing bases in Alaska, the Aleutian Islands or Hawaii is with- in easy striking distance of Van- eouver, just as Seattle and San Francisco can be menaced by 2 fascist aggressor gaining a toot— hold in BC. Would Canadian de mocracy be rendered more secure if Japan were established on the Alaska-yYukon border? Arguments against the Alaska Highway come from within the Gonservative party, representative of the same monopolistic interests which today are furnishing Japan With war materials essential to her eontinued aggression in China Even the ghost of reactionary Sir Richard McBride is conjured up to provide excuses why the high- way should not be built The same interests opposing construction of the Alaska Highway are seeking through Premiers Hepburn and Duplessis to frustrate the demands ef the people of Ontario and Que— bee for a public works program. They are the bitterest opponents of mational recovery, of jobs and Security for the Canadian people. There are more than 70,000 people unemployed in this prov- ince. Construction werk on the Alaska Highway will put many more than the 5000 directly em- ployed back to work The highway must be built! Road Routes Above map shows the routes proposed for the Alaska Highway, “A” route follow- ing the coast, “B” route through the eastern part of the province. Commission Flying Over Highway Route Developments on the proposed Alaska Highway project this week were: —Members of Canadian and US. commissions left Wednesday on an aerial survey of the proposed route. —Dominion Engineer J. M. Wardle informed the commission that the eastern or “B” route, by way of Finlay Forks and Sifton Pass, would be cheaper and shorter. —Premier Patiullo declared he was hopeful that Ottawa, when presented with the commission’s re port, will enter wholeheartedly into the project. —Corgressman Warren G Mas— nussan stated that President Froosevelt was “witally interested in it,” and foresaw no difficulty in Settine Congress to approve. —Fairly accurate estimates of cost of construction will be ready by early winter, Arthur Dixon, BC deputy minister of pub- lic works, informed the commission. —Dr. E&. Gruening of Washington, DC, declared, “The highway will prove one of the most valuable pro- jects conceived in North America in recent history.” —Premiier Pattullo announced that British Columbia would have full control over its Own sec- tion. —CGongeressman Magnusson stated 8 he had carte blanche authority from UWS State Department to pro- ceed. “ We are here in the sincere hope we can work out some feasible plan,’ he said. Higher Wage Many Works Projects Get Approval Work Will Start On City Sewerage Pian Next Week Work on Vancouver’s $100,- 000 sewer construction project will start late next week em- ploying relief recipients at 50 cents an hour, according to City Engineer Charles Brack- has given the go ahead signal ment was one by Greater Vancouver enridge. Dominion government and approved financial as- sistance. Goincident with this announce— District Water Board that construc- tion of Arbutus Street water main extension would be started within a <> $70,560 will be paid in labor costs. Brackenridge stated that all plans for 26 sewer installations in various City sections are ready. _ sssths 000 constructed and i160 heads of fam- ilies will have earned $125,000 in wages paid entirely by Dominion and provincial governments on an equal basis. Water board officials plan a 44- inch main from Sixteenth to Thirty- third Avenue and a 32-inch main from there to Thirty-seventh. VICTORIA, BEC. — Approval by Dominion government of works projects throughout BC under terms of the Municipal Improye— ments Assistance Act were an- nounced this week by Hon G 5. Pearson, minister of labor. Eleven applications for assistance (Continued on page 6) See WORKS Recovery Plan Asked NANAIMO, BC.— Wholehearted agreement with the principal of fhe New Democracy movement was voiced by delegates to the 5th annual convention of Relief Pro- ject Workers’ Union held here last week, In a resolution toe conduct “an intensive campaign to initiate a program - of mnatienal recovery” delegates declared it “can be real- ized by the Relief Project Work-— ers’ Union using all its. resources to secure election of candidates pledged to institute such a pro- gram.” “In this connection,” the resolu- tion continued, “we wholeheart-— edly agree with the proposals of the Herridge movement to attain unity of all interested labor and progressive organizations, in order] to win united support for a pro- gressive candidate and secure his election.” ““The executive of the Relief Pro- ject Workers’ Union pledges its cooperation with all other organ- izations willing to participate to achieve this objective.” Denouncing the present system of temporary work projects using the deferred pay plan, the conven- tion preposed the following as a constructive plan for permanent works projects: Road building, including Hope- Princeton and Alaska highways, further develepment of forest con- servation to protect basic indus- aries, development of hydro electric power, building of dykes to offset Prasire River floods, extension of park development projects. month at ‘cost of $199,000, of which Before the year is out some $300, m in civic works will have been particularly On The Mongolian Border SOLDIERS of the Red Army stand guard over - the eastern frontier of Siberia near the Mongolian border. Here in the past few weeks the Soviet armies have flung back the Japanese invaders. Fascists Warned Of Soviet Naval Strength MOSCOW, USSR.—Sharp warning to Japan that the Soviet Union has the largest submarine fleet in the world and is pre- pared, if necessary, to administer “some lessons” in the Far Fast was uttered here Tuesday by Admiral N. G. Kuznetsov, people’s commissar for the navy. Kuznetsov told 20,000 Soviet citi-~ zens celebrating navy day here that the Soviet Union had four fleets and several flotillas, the Baltic, Pa- cific and Black Sea fleets and the Worthern fleet, young as yet but powerful. Flotillas were established in the Caspian sea, on the Amur and the Dnieper. Declaring that the Soviet Union had 100 war vessels on the Pacific alone, Kuznetsov said: “The Pacific fleet, in view of the restless character of our neighbor, must be particularly Vigilant. It is fully prepared to de— fend our country. Before our very eyes it is becoming transformed into a big fleet prepared for battle. “Bourgeois hackwriters have re- cently been displaying interest in our naval forces, spreading all kinds of fairy tales regarding the real condition of our fleet, in an attempt to belittle its strength for the benefit of the fascist war- matkers.’”’ Kuznetsov pointed to the fact that the Soviet Union had more submar- ines than Japan and German com- bined. Nazis Reported Flying Swastika in Okanagan GRAND FORKS, BC.— Declaration that Nazis were forming organizations in the Okanagan Valley and flying the swastika at their meetings was made by Mayor T. A. Love of Grand Forks, speaking be- fore the Association of Kootenay Municipalities here Wednesday. The association endorsed. a resolution passed by the Okanagan Municipalities Association last week urg- ing renunciation of aliens’ former allegiance as a re- quirement for citizenship. Last week, Okanagan Valley Association dele- gates met at Kamloops, de- clared the Nazi problem had become “embarrassing since Miinich.” MacMillan “Youth’ Plea Exposed Skilled Workers Are Replaced By "Teen Age Youths By J. D. WILSON Some three years ago, in an interview with the press, H. R. MacMillan, lumber tsar and head of a vast industrial em- pire, urged sawmill employers “to give youth a chance.” WNat- eeesley he added, for fear he might not make himself clear, seasoned workers must not be displaced in the “rehabilitation process.” This was in 1936. Last Saturday HR. MacMillan made himself clear. He gave youth its chance — to replace some 50 skilled mill workers at British Go- lumbia Plyywoods Ltd., subsidiary of the MacMillan - controlled Goast “Millis Export Company who were fired when they petitioned Plant Manager E-. B. Ballantyme for @ wage increase of 5 cents an hour. The 50 men were fired after the pe tition had been presented on behalf ef the 260 employees, their places filled by youths under 21. : But not only was 4. R. MacMillan cheating youth of its chance. By firing skilled workers, refusin= them 2 wage increase, he was fol- lowing the policy of his fellow big shots in refusing to pass over even a small fraction of the benefits of industry to the people of BG. He was obstructing Canada’s national recovery. Wages at the plant averaged 45 cents an hour and in some instances wages run as low as 25-30 cents an hour. HEAVY ORDERS. BC Plywoods has enough orders to keep it running at full capacity until next December. it is, accord- ing to reports, refusing orders of less than 8000 feet. But the workers can only share in this by conduct— ing a bitter struggle. Fifty men were fired because they askeq 4 5 cents an hour increase But key workers received an increase of 10 cents an hour. Organization is what HH R. MacMillan fears. Despite the bribe to key men, pro- duction has fallen 50 percent, the first aid man is kept busy attend- ing to injuries The newly-formed cooperative committee, 4 company setup, has been endeavoring to secure an audi- ence with the management, de manding reinstatement of the dis- missed men On Wednesday, after a three-hour session, only satisfac- tion the committee received was that the question would be consid— ered. HH. R. MacMillan, whose industrial @€mpire includes vast timber hold- ings, Sawmills, shipping lines, fish- packing plants (he is president of British Columbia Packers) has been cited as concerned with the “rehabilitation of youth,’ but not at the expense of seasoned workers. (Continued on page 6) See MacMILLAWN * Victoria To Act On Bus Proposal VICTORIA, BC—Greater Vic- toria Transportation committee was empowered Tuesday by city council to prepare a form of tender. If this was suitable to municipalities represented in the committee it was authorized to call for tenders for a trans- portation system for Greater Victoria inclusive or exclusive of Saanich municipality. This was the upshot of alder- men rejecting by a one-vote ma- jority a motion to ask the pro- wincial government to pass les— islation enabling a three-year ex- « tension of BC FPlectric’s street Car franchise. For some months Victoria has refused to renew agreement with BCER officials for opera- tion of street cars, which have been let run so long without necessary repairs being kept up that busses have been mooted as a system to repiace them. Im another entanglement with the private utilities corporation Mayor Andrew McGavyvin was authorized by franchise commit-— tee to negotiate with W. G Mur- rin, BG Electric Railway presi- dent, for a better deal in light rates. Providing city council will re new its Goldstream water and street lighting contracts, Ww. G Murrin informed the committee that his company is willing to reduce light and power rates within the three mile city center circle by some $40,000. Civic officials have been asked to enquire of the company what effects reductions of 540,000, $50,000 and $100,000 would have on the six cent rate for the first 40 kilowatt hours and two cents thereafter. ——<@)