io VOICE FOR VICTORY i. No. @ 5 Cents s Red Army officer has something to smile about! Suc- eases in Rostov and Kharkov Z 4 bin a few days these key cities will be regained. areas strengthen the hope that Unionists Will comes before the legislature. All affiliates to both the Van- eouver Labor Council and - the Trades and Labor Council were urged to have a representative present in the House when this act will be discussed. Woodworkers at a special district council meet- ing of the IWA elected their President Harold Pritchett and In- ternational Executive Board Mem- ber Nigel Morgan to be ‘present on their behalf Trade unionists in British Colum- bia read with significance reports of impressive delegations to the government representing industrial- ists and. big business concerning amendments to the ICA and Work- men’s Compensation acts. The first group, headed by C. H. Locke, K.C., included W. J. Van Dusen, R. V. Stuart, Robert Fil- berg, J. G. Robson, Roger Cobb for lumber and logging; S. G. Blaylock, head of the huge Consolidated Mining and Smelting plant. at Trail, and C. P. Browning, for mining; B. O. Moxon and G. Lyall jabinet Hears Arguments ; lor E.C. Steel Industry oosals. 40posal that BC cities should Over electric light and power aS was made by Premier 7. Hart in his speech to the ature this week. He ex- “Hsed belief that B.C. Flectric ‘echolders would be Willing to “ge a deal. A special hydro- 4rie commission would be estab- td, he said, to enquire into the ibility of rural electrification. a! Sity and municipal councils Riughout the province have ex- ; §S€d intense interest in the dOSition. ag2ncouver civic authorities ap- ated a special committee to study the question, while Alder- man W. D. Greyell suggested that a letter urging promotion of pub- lic power should be sent to all B.C. municipalities to enlist their sup- port in the proposed plan. Surrey council, at its last meet- ing, passed the matter over to its Utilities committee, but the gen- eral feeling was very favorable towards public ownership. “T believe the*public should have control over and benefit from the natural resources of the province,” declared Councillor Lom WBinnie. “In fact,” he said, “I don’t see j why the revenue obtainable from Pee ichment of a steel and iron industry and public ownership of all hydro-electric power ities in British Columbia seemed a distinct possibility this week as members of several . Municipalities and organizations made representations to the government in favor of these public ownership of these facilities could not be made to pay for all education costs at present borne by the municipal councils, so that every child could have a high school and university education without the taxpayers suffering. I am 100 percent in favor of public ownership.” Vancouver civic authorities have also been keenly interested in es- tablishment of steel and iron in- dustry in the city to utilize scrap metal accumulating on the coast (Continued on Page 3) See STEEL FURNACE Kmployers Fight Labor’s Amendments Representatives of all sections of the trade union movement will be in Victoria next week watching out for the interests of their membership when the all-important debate on proposed amendments to the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act Fraser, Vancouver Board of Trade. The second delegation, headed by Senator J. W. deB. Farris, in- eluded representatives of the B.C. Lumber and Shingle Manufactur- ers’ Association, Consolidated Red Cedar Shingle Association, B.C. Loggers’ Association, Western Lum- ber Manufacturers’ Association and the Canadian Manufacturers’ As- sociation. (Continued on Page 2) See ICA ACT PEOPLE Guard Rights At ICA Debate Oo— Council! Committee To Mediate Delegates to the Vancouver Labor Council this week, in a closed ses- sion, unanimously voted to set up a committee of eight, headed by President E. E. Leary, to meet with shop stewards of the Boilermakers’ Union in an attempt to straighten difficulties with the Canadian Con- gress of Labor. Members of the committee met with Shop Stewards this Thursday afternoon in an attempt to arrive at some plan to break the present deadlock, but it is reported no set- tlement was reached. The Council also endorsed a res- olution from the Dock & Shipyard Workers’ Union, asking that the CCL lift the suspension order against the Boilermakers and cease issuing “industrial charters” in the yards which, the resolution charged, would only lead to jurisdictional disputes among the other unions still chartered by the Congress. Ontario Labor Bill Demand Of Unions OTTAWA. — Strong protest from leaders of the Trades and Labor Congress and the Canadian Congress of Labor has been lodged with the Ontario government against reports that it had decided to drop the collective bargaining bill as now framed. ‘In the face of strong opposi- tion within the cabinet and from outside quarters,” the ‘Toronto Globe and Mail reported last Tues- day, “the Ontario government has decided to drop the collective bar- gaining bill as now framed and to appoint a special committee of the legislature to hear representa- tives for a new bill.” In a wire to Premier Conant this week, Percy Bengough, Trades Congress acting-president, and A. R. Mosher, ‘Canadian Congress president, declared that they had “noted with deep regret the op- position of certain employers and employers’ associations to the labor legislation which is to be placed before the Ontario legisla- ture at the forthcoming session. “The proposed legislation would remove one of the chief causes of disputes and promote indus- trial harmony, thereby greatly strengthening the war effort, and it is hoped the government will not permit influences of any kind to prevent granting protec- tion to the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively through unions of their choice,” _ the wire stated. Premier Gordon CGonant, in a speech to the annual meeting of the Kingston Chamber of Com- merce, declared that he did not think “the government of Ontario can sit idly by any longer when there is an industrial dispute in Ontario, particularly if war pro- duction is involved. Our first duty is to the citizens of Ontario, re- gardless of what may be done by any other jurisdiction.” “T am confident that we will never have industrial peace un- less and until there is a new con- ception throughout the nation of the duties and responsibilities of management and of labor and of the functions of government in industrial relations,” he said. The Globe and Mail report clared that a special committee representing both sides of the House would hear evidence and have power to subpoena witnesses, and it would “bring in its finding when the House reconvenes late this month or early in March.” de-