Mite

6

Yard Men Win |
Improved Service

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C.—The Allied Labor Council, repre-
senting all shipyard unions, got quick action from the shipyard

management, from Wartime

Housing and from the Federal

Labor Department, when it announced recently that shipyard
workers would eat elsewhere if no satisfactory improvements
were made in the serving of food at Wartime Housing staff
house and the shipyard commissary.

The decision, which if carried
through on April 8 as planned,
would have meant hundreds of
men taking time off from work
to eat uptown, resulted in a flood
of telegrams to the Labor Gouncil,
explaining that everything possible
was being dene to remedy -the se-
rious situation. A dietician was
immediately appointed to supér-
vise the handling of food, and
other changes promptly put into
effect. Efficiency in serving food
increased almost overnight. No

e longer does the shipyard worker

have fo cram down his hot lunch
in ten minutes or less.

As a result the Council is de-
ferring its boycott until April 21

to give the men a chance to see
if the improvements are satisfac-
tory. It is said that out of one
group of 85 workers leaving the

‘shipyard recently, 83 gave unsat-

isfactory food as the answer,

Meantime shipyard workers are
becoming impatient at the delay
in having the reclassifications im-
plemented by the War Labor
Board, arrived at as a result of
the visit of the Richards Com-
mission. Over a month has passed
since the agreement was submit-
ted.

Boilermakers’ Union, Local 4,
largest shipyard group, unanimous-
ly asked the lifting of the ban
on the Communist Party at its
regular meeting April 11.

Lack Of Facilities

Threatens Rupert

PRINCE RUPERT, B.C.—The city council, with its Labor
majority, now in office over three months, has had very little
satisfaction from the Dominion government in its demands for
assistance in meeting the grave problems created by Prince

Rupert’s suddent transition from
a fishing and railhead town of 8,-
000 people to a war boom city of
over 22,000.

City revenues are actually re-
duced, partly because the city com-
missioner, whose term of office
finished this year, allowed War-
time Housing to install hundreds
ef houses on city property on
terms which seem to have been
dictated by © Wartime Housing
without any regard for the inter-
ests of the city. The cost of serv-
icing the population of the new
houses is actually considerably less
than revenue received.

Minister of Defense MRalston’s
only answer to repeated requests
from the city that assistance be

given in supplying such services
as water, roads, sewage, power,
etc. greatly strained by the armed
forces, has been a rude letter ex-
pressing concern over the coun-
cil’s “lack of cooperation.” How
the city can cooperate any further
when it has neither money, labor,
or material available is not ex-
plained. ; =
Meanwhile the war effort con-
tinues to be held up by the lack

of federal cooperation: Approxi-

mately 75 houses have been stand-|

ing empty for months. The reason?
City water supply is already so
dangerously strained no more can
be supplied. Workers continue to
leave the drydock because there is
no accommodation for their famil-
ies. :

Victoria Conference
Offers Fuel Plan

VICTORIA, B.C—An eight-point program outlining a so-
lution to the existing fuel shortage in this area was presented
by the Communist-Labor Total War Committee to a meeting
of the Vancouver Island Joint Labor Conference in the Cham-
ber of Commerce auditorium this week.

The conference, attended by a
wide number of organizations rang-
ing from trade unions to Progres-
sive-Conservative Clubs, adopted a
joint resolution based on the pro-
posals submitted calling on the
federal government to take imme-
diate action to alleviate the short-
age of manpower in the mines and
wood fuel industry. Each of the
70 organizations represented also
decided to send individual resolu-
tions to Prime Minister King cov-
ering the same subject.

The Communist-Labor proposals
included the conducting of an over-
all survey of fuel needs for the
district needed to carry Victoria
people through the next 12 months;
encouragament of fuel production
among farmers in the district; es-
tablishment of cordwood camps by
giving consideration to cooperative
and self-help schemes and making
use of cull logs and timber usually
left in logging slashings; and uti-
ization of volunteer labor from
trade unions.

In the brief accompanying the
proposals, the Communist-Labor
delegates pointed out that the fuel
shortage “must be dealt with in
decisive fashion.”

‘Jn approaching the problem
from the standpoint of war pro-
duction,” the brief declared, “we
must realize that evading re-
sponsibility for the issue is con-
tributing toward absenteeism in
industry. Workers must not be
compelled to leave their jobs to
provide fuel for their families,
and we should not tolerate a situ-
ation where people are forced to
destroy fruit trees and chicken
houses to keep their homes warm.

“We feel confident that labor will
play its part in any solution pro-
posed to overcome the fuel short-
age, and ask that all other parties
eoncerned show the same spirit of
patriotism to assist in the defeat
of an unscrupulous enemy.”
Speakers at the conference in-
cluded W. Shaw, Reeve E. C. War-
ren of Saanich, and a number of
local fuel dealers.

————_—— =

A Real Air Expert Says .

oviet Planes Meet Demands

By LT.-GEN. I. REPIN ©

(Officer in the Soviet Air Force Engineering Service)
MOSCOW.—The Soviet aircraft industry made particularly
great progress in recent years. This was a period of tense com-
petition for increased speed, range and lifting capacity. This also
involved the building of powerful armaments and special equip-

ment, and the Soviet designers

The various types of Soviet
planes proved in no way inferior
in quality to foreign makes, and
in some cases were even superior
to them. The patriotic war raised
a number of new 8nd difficult
tasks, and from the first days of
the war Soviet designers have been
ceaselessly working to increase the
speed, range and lifting capacity
of war planes, and to simplify
their control and strengthen their
fire power.

As a result of their endeavors,
Soviet designers haye modified and
simplified a number of planes, sim-
ultaneously providing the Red
Army with new war planes. The
German invaders have had occasion
to feel the effectiveness of the
war planes produced by the best
Soviet designers mow awarded the
Stalin prizes.

The “Black Death” is what the
Germans nicknamed the Sturmo-
vik “IL2.” This gives an idea of
the striking force of this assault
plane produced by the famous
Soviet designer Ilyushin. Power-
ful armaments, high maneouver-
ability and strength—such are
distinguishing qualities of
the IL2,

In addition to its direct-designa-
tion as an assault planie, this
Sturmovik is capable of successful
defensive action in air battle
arainst the German fighter planes.
As a result of constant improve-
ment, Ilyushin made his plane
less vulnerable to blows from Ger-
man fighters.

In the last few months, as a re-
sult of the modification of his
planes chiefly along the lines of
increasing their speed and maneou-
verability, the designer, A. Yak-
ovley, effected considerable im-

ony

brilliantly coped with this task.
provements in the planes earlier
produced by him.

The new war planes produced by
Yakovley represent a considerable
improvement over their prototypes
as regards flying and tactical qual-
ities. The innovations in design
have not detracted from the tempo
of production of these planes since
they require neither new equip-
ment nor changes in the produc-
tion process.

The LAS, a fighter designed by
Lavochkin, is well-known in Soviet
air units. This fighter is distin-
guished particularly by its speed
at take-off and in flight, by its
manoeuverability and fire power,
and is at the same time simple
and easy to control.

The LA5 lends itself easily to
stunt flying, imposing no special
strain on the pilot. In air battles
against the newest German fight-
ers, Lavochkin’s plan revealed its
splendid qualities.

Designers Polikarpov, Sukhoi
and Tupoley produced new ma-
chines with splendid fighting
qualities which are certain to
win merited favor with Hed Army
pilots.

Stalin prizes were awarded to
three outstanding Soviet design-
ers of aircraft engines—Shret- -
soy, Mikulin and Klimoy. Shvet-
soy recently completed work on
a new and yery powerful engine
distinguished by exceptional
qualities. This engine won for
its designer the First Stalin
prize.

Milkulin is well known as one of
the pioneers of Soviet aircraft en-
gine construction. The wide range
of planes fitted with his engines
includes also Tlyushin’s Sturmo-

lin at the beginning of th
has been improved and its ©
considerably increased. {|
The designer Klimov als”
considerable achievements ©
enedit. A number of his po
motors are now employed on —
scale and installed on the by
viet fighters and dive bo
Modifying and gradually ir
ing his engines, Klimoy
achieved brilliant results, s’
increasing the original poy
his motors.

LYF Meeting

WHETE ROCK—At a
held here recently, plans
made to form a White Roc]
tory Club, which would aj
to the Labor Youth Federa

Olga Walker and Duncan
sell, secretary and preside
the LYE provincial coordi
committee, explained to the
audience the importance of
a club in the community, an
it could function among far
high school youth, z

The new organization ho;
organize Farm ~ Commands
gades for work on district

Loan Speakers

Officials of the Vancouver
of the National War Finance
mittee announced this week
intention of calling a special
ing of all local trade union ]
for the purpose of lining
speakers’ committee of labo
which would be given the
visiting all labor bodies duri
campaign which opens Ap

Several union officials ha
ready expressed their appro
the plan to The People, pt
out that this will prevent thr
lapping of- activity which
place during the last Victory

vik. The engine designed by Miku-

Drive. 5

Admiral C. H. Woodward a photo
rescue, Izzy, a member of the Te
he joined the navy, is now touring war plants.

His 83 Days On Raft Outdid Rickenbacker

Seaman Basil D. Izzy, who drifted for 89 days ona raft in the south Atlantic, shows ]
of himself and his two companions at the time of 1
xtile Workers Union (CIO) in South Barre, Mass.,-be