| Pound. the Slipways - By Charles Saunders ABOR-MANAGEMENT PRODUCTION COMMITTEES | have been approved by government, labor and employers. | of the shipyards have set up such committees and already 2y have been able to effect a number of improvements. ‘wever, it is evident that they are not being utilized to the lest extent. Reading through minutes of such meetings, I ve noticed a tendency to discuss only those problems which rectly affect the workers. These minutes also show that rep- sentatives of the management seem fo take very little part actual discussions. If these committees are to function in the best interest of yduction, labor must do more than meet periodically with magement. The union representatives themselves must et regularly to diseuss concrete production problems, such waste of materials, idle tools and machinery, and then put ward concrete suggestions in committee where positive ms for improvement should be worked out, in conjunction th the management. If the managements hold frank discus- ns with union representatives of their production prob- os, the confidence of the workers will be strengthened and > work of the production committees facilitated. e HAVE just been reading through Labor Facts, bulletin of the National Labor Forum, voice of Canadian labor on the », and I wondered how many shipyard workers listen to sse broadcasts. Some of the subjects under discussion, such as trade unions d democracy, selective service and the workers, and cost of ing are those which are under discussion in the shipyards ery day. Why not organize listening-in groups, especially iong the shop stewards. Such groups could get together ~ the purpose of listening in to these broadcasts and dis- ssing them. Take it up at your next shop stewards’ meeting. te next broadcast is on November 18, 9 to 9:30 p.m. over 3R, and the subject “Selective Service Problems.” - SG “HE freighter launched at Kaiser’s Richmond yard last week - established a new record of four days 1514 hours from ‘el laying to launching. These ships are built under a con- yous production program and this time represents one indred and eleven and one-half hours of work or close to urteen eight-hour days. This is an outstanding achievement in the production of ips and demonstrates the effectiveness of the mass produc- m method of the Kaiser enterprises. Nevertheless, in com- Ting these records with the production records established Vancouver shipyards, account should be taken of the large aount of pretabrication, prior to actual laying of the keels. uis method, which permits large sections of the ship to be ted into place almost immediately after the keel is laid, counts to a large degree for the amazing speed attained in ‘e Kaiser shipyards. When this is taken into consideration e production time of our city shipyards can be better calcu- ted. Considered in terms of man hours spent on the whole ,eration, our own production time, while there is still plenty room for setting new records, stands in favorable contrast. e Nj OTHING causes more resentment among workers than petty infringements of agreements. Contracts between e workers and the company arrived at through negotiation ould be carried out to the letter by both parties. _I find more complaints over such things as “short pay aims,’ “dirty money and “confined space” rates than any- ing else. Most of these complaints can be ironed out once ley are taken up with the management, but if the foremen id Superintendents were better informed of the terms of rreements, these questions need never arise, and a constant uree of irritation would be removed: . But living up to contracts works both ways. We have mtracted to work eight hours per day and every man who lits 15 minutes before the whistle blows is breaking the niract. ‘ Five thousand men quitting 15 minutes before the whistle ows represent 1250 man hours, a lot of production time that nnot be spared from the building of urgently needed ipping. We have the responsibility of living up to the terms our contracts and when we do we are in a better position demand similar treatment. ‘Continued from Page One done so. Morii, despite his 26 years’ vesi- dence in Canada, insisted “hat he was still unable to speak or under- Stand English well enough to give evidence without the assistance of an interpreter. In response to a request from his counsel, Alfred Bull, K.C., Morii gave a quick review of the man- slaughter case for which he re- ceived a suspended sentence. In 1923, a young Japanese, Shir- aishi, came to him for help. He said his car had knocked down and killec a young English girl, and her father had promised to let the mat- ter drop if Shiraishi would pay the cost of her funeral and the father’s expenses to come out from England. Shiraishi’s fatter had promised that the family would pay the full amount, but as time went on noth- in2 was paid. Fearing the English- maa would put the matter in hands of the police, Shiraishi came to Morii, who interceded on his be- half and obtained more time. An argument arose between the elder Shiraishi and himself, Morii Said, and they “went outside to cool off.’ While walking along the street, Shiraishi Sr. grabbed Morii and pushed him across the street. “He pushed me back across the street toward the curb. In the struggle I threw him and he was killed,” Morii declared. Acted As Liaison Morii said he came to Sritish Columbia in 1906, when he was 16 years old, and had since been nat- uralized. He carried on business in Vancouver for a number of years and had lately been interested in the Japanese Club Ltd. While admitting he was a mem- ber of the Nippon Club, founded seyen years ago, he denied ever having obtained any revenue from it. - Another club, the Judo Club, Morii said, had a membership of 1300, including white people, who received instruction in ju-jitsi and “moral training.” . Arthu Nishgichi, 44-year-old first world war veteran, said that he and Morii were asked to form a repre- sentative liaison committee to work with the B.C; Security Commission. “Austin Taylor advised us to get assistance of our Own people in this work,” he said. Wishigichi stated that he “never heard any sentiments in favor of either Canada or Japan” among Vancouver Japanese. Was Beaten Up First direct evidence of man- handjing by Morii’s ju-jitsu men was given by George Shogi, a ser- geant in the Princess Pat’s Regi- ment during the last war and presi- dent of the Japanese branch of the Canadian Legion. He'told of being violently assault- ed on two occasions becagise he opposed Morii’s views, first in ob- jecting to the publication of a book marking the 2600th anniversary of Japan, and second, when the branch of the Legion to which Shogi be- longed asked that vacant postal censorship posts should be given to Japanese ex-servicemen. Senator Farris requested that cross-examination be postponed until further documents can be translated which have bearing on the enquiry. The News-Herald counsel also demanded that [RCMP files on Morii’s activities be pro- duced in court. When J. G. Locke, K.C., appear- ing for the RCMP and BC. Secur- ity Commission, promised to wire Ottawa for permission to use the file, but expressed the opinion that was “very secret.” Senator Farris objected, pointing out that “there must be something extremely im- portant in this file to warrant this secrecy.” Witnesses in this enquiry had been instructed to give up informa- tion which they had obtained under pledges of secrecy, Senator Farris remarked, and he felt that the RCMP, instead of aiding in the investigation, “are on the other side” of the fence. Aided RCMP Morii admitted that he had made the speech reported in the Sokoku magazine of the Fatherland Society, although he denied having .made any anti-British statements, feeling, he cjJaimed, that the Chinese war was “holy.” He admitted freely that he had given evidence to the police about illegal entrants to Canada, because he “had a strong conviction that it would benefit the Japanese peo- ple at large.” Implication that Morii acted as a stool-pigeon, however, was stren- uously denied by a former RCMP officer, Ft.-Lt. Francis Henry. “He was not a stool-pigeon,” de elared Henry. “He never turned over any Jap to us.’ But Henry described how Morii had assisted the RCMP in securing 5000 natural- ization certificates which were used by the Japanese fishermen to ob- tain licenses and that for many years ne “gave the police every assistance in connection with Jap- anese problems.” “He was the most reliable Japa- nese I knew during my eight years with the Mounted Police,’ Henry declared. Got Deferments Evidence of the influence held by Morii in high places of authority Was given by two Japanese, one of Whom. was brought from Revel- stoke to give evidence. Sadao Maikawa, obviously very frightened and speaking very hesi- tantly, told the commission he had obtained evacuation deferment through the Nippon Club. Maikawa testified that he was to be evacuated on April i, the date when first evacuation notices were sent out, but that he had not gone until May 16. “Alt I did was to take the paper and ieave it there (the Nippon Club) and I got my deferment,” Maikawa said, telling of how he had turned over $1500 to another Japanese to “assist in relief of hard-up Japa- nese.’’ Maikawa said that he had gone afterwards to see Morii about his brother-in-law, Tajiro Ogino, whose wife was “expecting” and who had wanted to come back to Vancouver. Morii had promised to see what he could do. Pressed as to why he had not gone to the B.C. Security Commis- Sion, Maikawa admitted he should TUNE IN the Weekly Labor Newscast — ‘GREEN GOLD’ Station CJOR 600 Kilocyceles Every TUESDAY —- 7:45 p.m. with NIGEL MORGAN as Your Reporter © Sponsored by the international Woodworkers of America (CIO) Witnesses Say Deferment © Obtained Through Nippon Club had been mistaken and had notthis might not be given as the filehave done so, but “had just natur- ally” gone to Morii. Story of how Morii had helped a Japanese who had entered the country illegally was also heard in this week's sessions. Machege Higo told how he had been put ashore 111 from the Kurohime Maru so he could see a doctor. By the time he had zecovered thesship had sailed. “I have been here ever since,” Higo said. Telling how he saw Morii in Aug- ust, 1941, at the Nippon Club, Higo said he was worried at that time because Japanese were being regis- tered and he had no passport. “Morii advised me to tell the authorities I came here with my father in 1909,” he said, denying that he had ever paid Morii any money for this service. During cross-examination by Commissioner J.C. Cameron, the Japanese went white and covered his face with his hends, Wakayama, treasurer of the Nip- pon Club testified that he had re- ceived $1500 from Sadao Maikawa in the period December to March, 1942, ana $100 from other members of the Maikawa family, who were in business here, but made no mention of what these amounts were for. The enquiry has adjourned to al- low Senator Farris to obtain trans- lations of Japanese documents. Continued Howe 95,000 tons before the war to 500,000 at the present time. Few shipments are made direct to Britain, said Howe, the majority goin straight to war fronts. Can- ada is fulfilling part of Britain’s promise to Russia and financing has been arranged between Ottawa and Moscow direct. Munitions Minister Howe; Can- ada’s representative on the new board, said he expected there would be many changes in Canada’s pro- duction program as a result of his eonferences with Donald M. Wel- son, chairman of the U.S. War Pro- duction Board, and Oliver Lyttell- ton, British Minister of Production. He expected this country’s program could be brought closer into line with the strategic needs of the United Nations: LONDON—Sent over the North- ern route to the USSR during the past 12 months were 3052 aircraft, 4084 tanks, 3031 vehicles, 831,000 tons of machine tools and metals, 42,000 tons of aviation gasoline, 6600 tons of fuel oil. These figures were quoted the House of Com- mons last week by Richard Law, undersecretary for foreign affairs. He stated that the supplies were Sent jointly by Britain and the United States, and that the great bulk of them had actually reached Russia.