Uy ; SE ' Charles . Continued 2nd Front Casablanea conference by opening the second front now.” Citizens in the United States are also growing more insistant that the war be won as speedily as pos- sible. A few days after the United Automobile Workers (CIO) de- manded the immediate opening of a Western front, the general execu- tive board of the United Biectrical, Radio and Machine Workers called upon labor to organize a nation- wide series of Town Meetings mob- jlizing all sections of the public be- hind an offensive. Speaking for half a million CIO members in US war plants, the UE statement said, “Im every erisis in our, country’s history, the people’s voice has been raised against the forces of treachery and defeat. . . . We call upon the people to take the offensive.” The National Maritime Union (CIO) resolved this week: “At no time has the moment been more favorable for a great blow against the Axis on the European main- land.” Even in Spain, where workers Slave under the fascist dictatorship of Franco, Jose Rodriguez Vega, secretary of the General Workers Gnion of Spain, stated that Span- ish workers were only awaiting an allied invasion of Europe to over- throw the present fascist regime. “Franco is kept in power only by German and Italian tanks,”’ Vega said. “When Mussolini and _ Hitler are defeated, Franco will be destroyed by his own people. That is the will of Spain.” Joseph Curran, president, National Maritime Union, receives a special U.S. Treasury certificate for raising $100,000,000 in war bonds and stamps from union members. Neon Products Attempt Company Union Drive Charges that the management of Neon Products of Western Canada Ltd., Engineering Division, is more interested in foisting upon its employees an illegal company union than in produc- tion of vital war material were placed before Labor Minister Humphrey Mitchell in a wire week. The ietter asks an immediate investigation of the situation at the company’s Vancouver plant in order to prevent further loss of time through meetings called by the management to form a com- pany-controlled union, responsible for a time loss of 6% hours this week. the Branding so-called “Neon Plans Underway For May Day Activities Preliminary plans for May Day celebrations were laid down at a conference at Belmont Hotel here last Wednesday, it has been announced. Theme chosen for May Day activities this year is displayed in the slogan, “Everything for the Offensive.” A labor May Day Victory Parade will be held, and; float designs will stress the im-| portance of labor's role in the} Fourth Victory Loan campaign. | Prominent speakers have been. asked to attend, and acceptance| has been received from Pat Sulli-| van, vice-president, Trades and) Labor Congress of Canada, and) president of Canadian Seamens Union. Other speakers to whom in-| vitations have been sent include) Chaplin, Congressman John Coffee, Upton Sinclair, Dorise; Wielsen, M.P., and J. W-. Nose_| worthy, CCF MP. | A provisional May Day commit-| tee, headed by Nigel Morgan, In-| ternationa] Board Member, IWA, have announced that a confer- ence will be held at Hotel Belmont) HOME of . .. e MEN’S e CLOTHING and 6 Furnishings 45 East Hastings St. See See on April 19, at 8 p.m., to make further arrangements, All women’s clubs, youth organizations, trade unions, labop groups, and CCF clubs are invited to send delegates. Committee offices are being opened at 705 Holden Building. Other members of the committee present at the Wednesday meet- ing were William Burgess, secre- tary-treasurer, Fishermen’s Union (past-chairman), ©. E. Leary, presi- dent Vancouver Labor Council, Shelley Rogers, International Asso- ciation of Machinists, and Doris Berger, CCF member. The executive committee has been instructed to meet with ‘the provineial executive of Victory Loan campaign to work out de- tails of cooperation. j i | Union Made Clothing and Friendly Service from United Steelworkers this Employees’ Association” an illegal association under the recently- amended IGA Act, steelworkers de- clared their intention to bring the case before Provincial Labor Min- ister George Pearson to discuss activities of G. W. Sweny, general manager of Neon. A bulletin read to employees at a meeting of the “Employees As- sociation” during working hours attacked the CIO as “outsiders and strangers,” alleging CIO or- ganizers seek employment in order to “bore from within’ and stir up dissatisfaction and discontent with plant conditions. “The boys who sign up with the CIO are those who live from day to day and not those with a future,” the bulletin threatens. A dramatic picture is painted of “fly-by-night racketeering organ- izers’” who, aS soon as they have accomplished their end of achiey- ing better working conditions and a closed shop agreement for the workers, “fold up their tents and silently steal away,” to turn up later pursuing the same tactics at another plart. Wartime expansion has creased the number of employees at the plant, 700 women now be- ing employed following special ma-~- chine training in schools. ployees, enced without previous knowledge union activity, many of them inexperi- tion” is directing its anti-union campaign, coupled with reminders to the older employees of the “one big happy family” days. Complete Stock of WORK CLOTHES in- Fovernment It is to these new em- in industrial problems and of that the manage- ment-fostered “Employees Associa- Living Costs Defy ‘Ceilin thanks for Those War Bonds Criticism was directed at th cost-of-living index, and the g cost of living has risen only from 116.9 on Feb. 1 to 117.2 in March was challenged by workers on all sides. “JT know the cost of living is up more than that,” one war worker exclaimed. “You should hear my wife talk about it!” e Difficulty in obtaining foods necessaary for family health was seen due to two main causes, One, the shortage of farm labor for which at long last the Dominion government has offered some re- lief in the form of a land army, and secondly, the prohibitive cost of food items on the market. If vegetables can be found, the price puts them beyond the reach of workers’ budgets. Coupled with scarcity of meat products already much in evidence, and with the promise of a two-pound-per-person ration in May, housewives are scanning their cook books for sub- stitute recipes and hoping some benign providence will intervene to guarantee that they will be able to procure vegetables in sufficient quantity to make up for reduced meat portions, so that growing children and working men will get a sufficient diet for health and well being. Advice of Donald Gordon, War- time Prices and Trade Board chief that housewives should boy- cott goods when prices soar did not gain for him the respect of BC housewives, who feel the gov- ernment owes something more to the people. The nutrition cam- paign now in progress—“‘Canada needs you strong”’—is given the laugh by the price rise. Additionally, increase in fuel costs have imposed a staggering burden on the householder. Wood selling for $3.50 and $4 a cord, for- merly a commonplace, now belongs in the limbo of the past. Bushwood at $12.50 a cord, and subsidized in the bargain, leads the public to wonder what next winter's prices will be. If bushwood, involving lit- | Labor Demands Immediate Actia By ELSIE ANDERSON : e Immediate action by labor to combat startling increa’ -commodity prices was seen necessary by labor leaders this | as food prices defied the government price ceiling and sh; out of reach of the workers’ pocketbook. e method of compilation overnment’s assertion th: the needs of the family bu. “The necessity of an imm change in the whole cost-of index structure is quite stated Birt Showler, Van Trades and Labor Council he is very essential that the ¢ ment establish the correct i before they compile their ir “A little booklet issued by some time ago was called 4 cost-of-living index phoney say there definitely is some very wrong with the whole : ture, and that a revision a cost-of-living index is long due.” Vancouver ‘Trades and Council at this week’s m asked thorough investigation cost-of-living index, while Gervin, Street Railwaymen’s gate scored Ottawa’s assertia living costs are reduced, in tk % of flagrant increases in pr ¥ clothing, fuel and food, as ¥ | other necessities. : Consumer Conferenc Housewives’ League of B sponsor a City-wide cons/ conference on April 29, at Donald Duncan, of Edmont: ganizer for National Cons, League of Canada, will spi wWas-announced this week b Doris Hartley. Calls have been sent out ing participation of many in the city, and an invita extended to the public to ~ The Housewives’ League is filiate of National Cons League, which has affilia Calgary, Montreal, Winnipe other cities. Organized last: ember, the League provides: portunity for all organizatir affiliate in order to deal — tively with consumer probler Other speakers at the coni tle labor cost commands that price, shall we pay $20 a cord for in- side fir? Is there a limit? Is there a solution for rising living costs? Harold Pritchett, president of District Council No. 1, TWA, has this to say: “Ottawa’s official announce- ment that the cost of living index rose from 116.9 on Feb. 1 to 117.2 in March will be viewed with scepticism* by labor. Especially the wife who is faced by drastic price increases for meat, veget- ables and other household staples will question this assertion. “Our government will be well ad- vised to overhaul their system of indexing with a view to present- ing the true facts in the sky-rock- etinge of household -commodity prices, and making upward adjust- ments in the cost of living bonus in step with the ever-rising cost of living.” That the cost of living index does not present a true picture of the increase in living costs is the opinion of many prominent labor spokesmen. Immediate changes were seen to be necessary by most, Vancouver, B.C. as rising prices challenged the ef- will be A. J. Wirick of th tension Department, Univers BC, and Mrs. Doris Hartley will discuss the possibility ¢ ting up a consumers’ inforr PAY — CHEQUE Cashed If you cannot get to yo bank, bring your P Cheques to the Army Navy. We shall glad cash them for you. The is no obligation to buy. ARMY & NAl DEPT STORES forts. of workers’ wages to meet Vancouver and Westmi De a SE os a